Outdated Tall Dresser Repurposed into Farmhouse Pantry

As many of you may already know, I love taking a piece of furniture and giving it an entirely different look and use. I feel this makes the piece unique and one-of-a-kind, as well as a statement piece. One that can’t be found in any furniture store.

Let’s see how we took this Outdated Orange Dresser and Repurposed it into a Farmhouse Pantry.

I found this dresser on Facebook Marketplace. It was local, which is always a plus! It had a few dings and scratches but nothing that could not be repaired. I paid $70.00 which I thought was an awesome deal.

Supply List

White Lightning Cleaner

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Wood Board

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Dewalt Orbital Sander

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Sanding Discs

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Wooster Brush

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Minwax Dark Walnut Stain

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Wood Glue

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Cabinet Hinges

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Cabinet Door Knobs

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Clear Wax

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Chicken Wire

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The Thinking Process for this Tall Dresser Repurposing

I did not want to just throw paint on it and call it a day. After pondering for a few days, I finally decided that this piece would make the perfect pantry for someone who had a small space or needed extra storage in their kitchen. I took this idea to my husband, and the plans were set in motion (I do love it when he agrees with me haha). Here’s what we did!

I removed all the drawers. I saved the drawers for a future project. My husband then removed the drawer frames that needed to be removed where there would not be a shelf. 

He also removed the back of the drawer.

Adding Shelves to the Outdated Dresser

I decided that the pantry cabinet should have three shelves. I wanted one shelf suitable for taller items. My husband measured for the shelving. He used spruce plywood we purchased from our local salvage store. After all pieces were cut, they were sanded until smooth using 220 grit sandpaper. He then attached the shelves inside using his nail gun.  

Constructing a Door

He then went to work constructing a door. The same wood was used to construct a door frame. He used his Kreg jig to drill pocket screw holes to put the frame together.  

The door frame was assembled with screws and wood glue.

Now my turn to put the finishing touches on the cabinet!

Paint Process

I decided the color that I would use for this piece is Dixie Belle Drop Cloth Chalk Paint. It is a very pretty and neutral color. My plan was to stain the inside of the cabinet, the shelves, and the door in Minwax Dark Walnut Stain. 

I gave the entire piece a good cleaning with my Dixie Belle White Lightning Cleaner.  The stain was applied to the new shelving pieces and the entire inside of the cabinet. I was a little worried about how the stain would take because some of the inside was not real wood. But it stained perfectly. I also stained the door frame as well.  

I allowed the inside and the shelves to dry completely overnight so the stain would not be sticky. The next day, I applied one coat of the Dixie Belle Drop Cloth. I allowed the paint to dry for about 3 hours and then applied a second coat.  

Creating a Worn Look

After allowing the paint to completely dry, I distressed HEAVILY using 220 grit sandpaper. I wanted the piece to look worn like it had been passed down from generation to generation. Keep in mind, you may need to change your sandpaper quite often because the chalk paint can get into the little grooves. If you continue to use it without changing it out, it will scratch. I distressed on the edges, as well as the sides and the top edges. 

After I finished distressing, I gave the entire outside a good sanding with a clean piece of 320 grit sandpaper. This gave it a smooth finish! Take a piece of tack cloth and clean off the sanding dust.

I used Dixie Belle’s Best Dang Wax to seal the piece. While I was waxing, my husband was nice enough to attach the chicken wire to the door, isn’t he just the sweetest?  (Sorry about the sunshine).

He then attached the door to the cabinet using hinges I found at Hobby Lobby for 50% off! I also found the knob at Hobby Lobby too. I painted the knob using Dixie Belle Caviar (black) to match the hinges. He also added the back piece. This was a piece of faux wood paneling we used for another project that we had leftover.

And here is the finished piece! I am super happy with the way it came out. This piece has so many potential uses! And I was super excited that it SOLD the same day I posted it!

If you liked this repurposed dresser into a farmhouse pantry, be sure to check this Repurposed dresser into cabinet for quilting supplies. It was painted with a gorgeous Cobalt blue!

Save this project for later!

“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it will be.”

More inspiration:

Repurposed Chest of Drawers into a Cabinet for Quilting Supplies Repurposing an Old Dresser Into a Sideboard for Home Office Use