DIY Projects

March 28, 2011

DIY Chevron Trim Dresser

Add stock wood trim to a dresser with flat-front panels for a new take on the classic chevron pattern. Poplar casement moulding works well because it has crisp precut edges and few knots in the grain, making it easy to paint. Tarnished brass ring pulls give a new piece of furniture an elevated old world feel.

Materials and Tools

  • Basic chest of drawers
  • Poplar mouldings
  • Mitre saw
  • Screwdriver
  • Drill
  • Paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Wood glue
  • 1/2″ finishing nails
  • 6 brass ring pulls
  • 6 escutcheons

Step 1: Choose your piece of furniture

Begin with a basic chest of drawers. Recessed drawer fronts work best.

Step 2: Cut your trim

Use a mitre saw to cut pieces of stock mouding from The Home Depot. (Ours were 1/2″ x 1-1/2″ in poplar.) Begin with the vertical piece in the centre, measuring and cutting it to fit the height of your drawer. Using the piece of wood to calculate your angle, mark and cut diagonal pieces next so they butt up against the vertical piece. Cut two diagonal pieces for each drawer to create a modified chevron motif for each front panel.

Step 3: Paint your moulding

Pre-paint wood moulding with semigloss latex paint using smooth, even brushstrokes. We opted for only one coat of white paint to create a translucent whitewashed effect.

Step 4: Affix the mouldings

Using wood glue and finishing nails, affix wood mouldings to drawer fronts. In order to keep nailheads from showing, nail through the backside of the drawers fronts using 1/2″ finishing nails.

Step 5: Install drawer pulls

Predrill holes through each drawer (through moulding and drawer front) for hardware. We used tarnished brass ring pulls from Lee Valley. We also used escutcheons (or back plates) with each pull to make the hardware appear more substantial. Note: you may have to purchase longer bolts than the ones provided with your pulls to accomodate the extra thickness of each drawer front once the moulding has been applied. Attach hardware using a screwdriver.

Hardware, Lee Valley Tools; chair, artwork, Angus & Company; lamp, rug, Elte; vases, wood box, Cynthia Findlay Antiques; wall colour, Powdered Petals (200D-4), Behr.

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