If you like to spoil that furry family member of yours, then you may want to make this one-of-a-kind Pet Station your next project. This one is complete with a comfy bed, doggie artwork, and a drawer for storing toys, treats, and a leash. It was made from a beat up old dresser I found at the thrift store. Click the video above to see how it all came together. Or, if you prefer photos and a step-by-step tutorial, read on.
I didn’t even realize it was half-off day at Savers when I went in and found this dresser/nightstand there. I had just gone to the dentist for my regular checkup, and because Savers is practically next door to my dentist’s office, I felt it would be a shame for me not to pop in afterwards. That’s when I saw it, and knew immediately it was the perfect piece to turn into a Pet Station. Of course, you just had to look past the fact it was covered in stickers, crayon markings, nail polish, and scratches. But the price was right. It was marked $17.99, which meant I’d pay just nine bucks when the 50% discount was taken at the register.
Once I got this piece home, the first order of business was to get it ready for sanding. That meant pulling out the drawers, taking off the hardware, and scraping off the stickers.
I also filled in some of the cracks with wood putty and let it dry before pulling out my electric sander.
It didn’t take too much to get it all sanded nice and smooth. The hardest part was still to come.
My vision for this Pet Station was to leave the top drawer, but remove the bottom two drawers in order to create an area for a doggie bed. I kept the sturdiest drawer of the three and sanded it, and just set aside the other two. It’s a good thing, too, because one of the “reject” drawers was barely hanging together with nails!
Just pulling out the drawers still didn’t create that open space. I had to figure out how to remove that middle panel. It was nailed in there in such a way that I couldn’t pull it out without damaging the sides. So I ended up having to use a reciprocal saw to cut it out.
Once I saw the open space, I had another idea. I thought it would look great if I could get some wood flooring and use it as paneling all around the inside. So I went to this warehouse, near where I live in Phoenix, that sells discontinued and scratch & dent leftovers from local hardware stores. I knew if I went there, I’d find something that would work. And, sure enough, I found an open box of vinyl flooring made to look like rustic wood. I only needed a few pieces of vinyl and made them an offer of just a few dollars.
In order to install the vinyl flooring, however, I needed to make all the inside walls of the dresser flush. That’s when I decided to be resourceful and use the wood from the bottom of the unused drawers. It worked out perfectly! I just cut it to size and nailed it in place.
With a little measuring and wood glue for added strength, the vinyl flooring went up slowly, but it turned out even better than I expected.
Now, I could finally paint. I used a paint & primer in one in a satin finish. The name of this color is Muskeg Gray by Valspar. I rolled it on with a small paint roller, and used a finer brush to get into the nooks and crannies.
While this isn’t a high-end piece of furniture, I love the decorative detail and wanted to call attention to it by painting it a bronze color. For that I used acrylic craft paints and a fine artists brush.
I later painted the panel that sits behind the drawer pull in the same bronze color, only this time I used a spray paint.
With everything all painted, I gave it a clear-coat top finish for protection and then assembled everything back together.
I wanted to decorate the bottom area to be like a mini bedroom, so I hung some framed pictures of my dog and well as some artwork I made. Then I put in a doggie bed I made by sewing some faux wool fabric over an old pillow.
With a sweet area for my dog to hang out in, and some of her favorite things stored in the top drawer, I could finally call this Pet Station done. It’s sweet and stylish, and it’s a far cry from the piece of furniture I started with. In fact, you could say it got a new “leash” on life.
Thanks for checking out my blog. If you liked this project, you might like to see a vintage trunk transformed into a one-of-a-kind coffee table. Just click here —> http://www.muralsbymarcy.com/vintage-trunk-turned-treasure/