Mid-century modern wooden dresser with four drawers, positioned against a beige wall and next to a potted snake plant on a wooden floor.

JAN 10 - Tips & Resources

OUR FURNITURE FLIPPING JOURNEY

To celebrate almost 1 year of furniture refinishing, we share a few key milestones throughout our journey.

Table of Contents

Our first flip was a small free dresser from Kijiji. It needed A LOT of work, and looking back, it was a horrible choice for a beginner.

After doing some research, I jumped in and started messing around. This dresser got its name “Stubby” after I cut the legs short. At this point, I questioned all my decisions, but decided to go ahead with the priming, painting, and top-coating process. Surprisingly everything turned out well, and I still use this dresser to date!

Our First Flip - “Stubby”

Wooden dresser with open drawers and missing knobs, food tray on top
Partially painted or stripped wooden dresser with exposed wood grain and peeling paint, against a textured wall.
A wooden dresser frame with no drawers, showing a worn and partially sanded surface, placed on a wooden floor in a room.
White dresser with three drawers and black handles, a deer painting, a potted plant, and small owl figurines on top.

The beautifully chaotic process of our first flip, Stubby

After completing Stubby, I decided to try my luck with refinishing and selling furniture for profit. I bought a dresser and nightstand set on Facebook Marketplace. They were constructed from particle board and laminate veneer, so I chose a shellac primer for better adhesion. The set was then painted in the same House & Canvas Sandstone paint and Varathane’s water-based topcoat.

To my surprise, the set of nightstands sold within 2 days on Marketplace for a whopping $350. This put me on a high for several days, and I saw the potential for a furniture flipping business. The dresser took 2 months to sell, but I blamed its larger proportions.

Our First Sale - The Beginnings of a Side Hustle

Side-by-side comparison of a wood dresser, half original brown and half painted white, showing a furniture makeover.
Vintage wooden dresser with ornate handles
White dresser with gold handles next to a snake plant in a decorative pot on a wood floor.
Pair of vintage white nightstands with gold handles.

Before and after of a painted MCM bedroom set

Our First Restoration - Mid Century Modern Walnut Dresser

I’ve been wanting to do a restoration project for a while, and finally got my hands on an MCM walnut veneer dresser from a Maxsold auction. After hours of careful sanding, the piece was then sealed with Odie’s Oil to highlight the gorgeous wood, creating one of my favourite restorations to date.

Mid-century modern wooden dresser with four drawers and a potted snake plant on the right side, against a light-colored wall.
Wooden dresser viewed from an angle with green plant leaves in the foreground.
Wooden dresser with four drawers in a room
Wooden dresser with three drawers

Restoration of a mid century modern walnut dresser

This piece was created as part of the Furniture Flip Challenge from Makers Challenge Central. The theme was texture, and I wanted to try something I’ve never seen done before. Many flippers use wooden dowels, or pole wrap, but both options were out of budget. After scratching my head for a while, I stumbled across textured wall panels from Home Depot. Using a combination of contact cement and Bondo, I securely glued the panels onto the drawer fronts. My submission didn’t win the challenge, but I had loads of fun.

Our First Textured Piece

Two wooden file cabinets with drawers, one larger dresser with decorative handles, and a black leather couch in the background.
Two white bedside tables with drawers, each topped with a plant and books. The left table has a pink orchid and books, while the right table has an aloe plant in a pot. The floor is wooden, and the wall is beige.
White two-drawer nightstand with gold handles
White two-drawer nightstand with wavy patterns on the top drawer, a potted plant, and books on top, placed on a hardwood floor.

Wavy textured set of nightstands - Furniture Flip Challenge Season 4

More cool projects! I’ve learned so much since starting this journey 1 year ago, and I still have so much more to learn. My goal in 2023 is to gain more upholstery, woodworking, and design skills and further push the boundaries of furniture flipping.

And to whomever is reading this, never stop believing in yourself and “just do it!” Happy new year everyone!

What’s Next?

Person in black top and jeans sitting on concrete steps, smiling in front of a modern glass building.

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