Vintage Sears Bonnet Dresser


Today's project is a vintage Sears Bonnet dresser which was popular in the 1970s. I remember as a little girl a couple of my friends had the set and I was quite envious. Below is a snippet from an advertisement for the brand from 1974. So when I spotted this one at a local thrift store I snatched it up. There was also a matching desk, but it was a little worse for wear, so I passed on the desk.

1974 advertisement for Sears Bonnet furniture
Sears Bonnet Furniture Advertisment 1974

Before:

The piece I purchased is a 3-drawer chest. It also has a coordinating mirror which attaches to the back with metal hardware. I didn't like the attachment hardware, so I took it off and replaced it with d-hooks so the mirror can be hung on a wall instead.

Sears Bonnet 4-drawer dresser
Vintage Sears Bonnet 4-drawer dresser


Sears Bonnet label inside drawer.
Sears Bonnet label inside drawer.

Overall the finish was in good condition, but there was some surface damage inside the top drawer. I decided to go ahead and paint the top drawer, but left the other drawers with their original finish.

Surface damage to drawer interior.
Damage inside of top drawer.

I really love the beautiful hardware. It's so pretty and feminine.

Original hardware on Sears Bonnet dresser.
Original drawer pulls

Unfortunately, it was missing one of the top drawer knobs. So I took a couple of extra knobs that I had on hand and painted them to match the new finish.

Missing drawer knob.
Missing dresser knob. I have a plan!

The front legs are cabriole-style and are made of a molded plastic with gold painted highlights. I'm sure it was very fashionable in its day, but I planned to paint it to give it a more elegant finish. The plastic feel will go away after it's painted.

Cabriole legs made of molded plastic.
Cabriole style legs made of molded plastic.

The mirror frame is made of the same molded plastic.

Mirror frame made of molded plastic.
Mirror frame made of molded plastic.

HOW TO PAINT LAMINTE:

The top of the dresser is laminated. It's super smooth and shiny and has held up well through the years. One question I am asked a lot about is whether or not you can paint laminate. And the answer is, "Yes, you can paint laminate!"

Yes you can paint laminate!
Yes, you can paint laminate!

The good news is that it is quite easy to paint laminate!

Laminated top on dresser
Laminated dresser ready for paint!

Chalk paint will work especially well on both the laminate and molded plastic for this project. For this project I used the Annie Sloan brand, but I now use THIS BRAND which is the same formula and readily available in the US.

A few words of warning: be cautious of "chalk style" paints. They don't perform the same as the matte finish chalk paints, so if you use another brand, be sure to test it out beforehand, and check the manufacturer's label to see if and what type of primer is recommended.

PREP WORK:

However there are a few tricks to making sure you get good adhesion using this product. The first is to make sure the surface is clean and free of dirt and oils. Then lightly sand the top with a sanding block

Scuff sanding the laminate.
Give it a light scuff sand.

The sanding process is quick and easy, just give it a light "scuff" sand to give the surface a bit of something to stick to.

Scuff-sanded laminate.
Scuff-sanded laminate.


Start the painting process with a very light and thin first coat. It will stick to the shiny surface, and the thin first coat will provide just enough texture for the second coat to adhere to. The photo below illustrates the difference between the coverage on my first and second coat.  

Add a third coat if necessary and then seal with clear wax. For extra protection on high-use surfaces an additional acrylic topcoat can be applied over the wax. Applying it straight over chalk paint will lift the paint in some areas and it gets absorb too easily, so I apply it over the wax instead of directly on the paint. 

A less expensive option that I've personally used with excellent results is the Minwax brand. I apply two to three light coats of acrylic and sand lightly inbetween coats.

Avoid using a urethane sealer as it can yellow the paint color. 

Applying one and two coats of paint.
The second coat makes a difference!

After:

The all white color scheme gives this piece a very classic and elegant look.

Painted Sears Bonnet dresser.
Painted Sears Bonnet dresser.

Before I sealed the paint I used a slightly damp washcloth to lightly distress around the knobs and drawer fronts.

Sears Bonnet dresser painted anitique white.
Antique white.

The painted laminate top turned out very well with excellent adhesion.

Painted laminate top.
Painted laminate top.

Painted vintage 1970s dresser.
Painted vintage 1970s dresser.

Remember one of the original draw knobs was missing? I replaced the top knobs with two matching wooden knobs and painted them to match.

Painted wooden knobs.
Painted wooden knobs.

I initially planned to keep the bottom drawer pulls with their original finish. But after I painted the dresser the pulls looked dingy, so I gave them a couple of light coats of paint.

Painted original drawer pulls.
Painted original drawer pulls.

After I painted the interior of the top drawer, I thought it needed a little something more, so I added a French stencil. The stencil is subtle and works nicely with the overall classic look of the dresser.

French stencil inside of drawer.
French stencil inside of drawer.

The front legs of the dresser are painted to match. They are now beautiful yet subtle.

Painted dresser leg.
Painted dresser leg.

As I mentioned earlier, I decided to switch the mirror to a wall mount so I added hooks to the back and painted the frame. The dresser works well with or without the mirror, so I will list them for sale separately.

Painted Sears Bonnet mirror frame.
Painted Sears Bonnet mirror frame.

And in case you're interested, here's a behind the scenes look at my studio as I was taking photos of the dresser. There are other projects in the room waiting their turn to be photographed and listed for sale.

Behind the scene photo of my studio.
Behind the scene photo of my studio.

Thank you for visiting The Black Sheep Shoppe blog today. I hope you enjoyed the project.

Sears Bonnet dresser makeover before and after.

Vintage Sears Bonnet Dresser before & after.
Vintage Sears Bonnet Dresser before & after.

Comments

  1. Absolutely stunnin! I am so in love with what you've done to all of these pieces.

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    1. Thanks so much Ivory Jean! I really appreciate your kind words and encouragement.

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  2. Me too, Patricia - my cousin had this set growing up and I was so envious. Very nice makeover!

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    1. Thanks Marie! It seems everyone except you an me had the set, ha ha.

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  3. I just picked up one of these mirrors at a yard sale this morning-- $10! I can't say for sure, but the canopy bed I had as a child may have been from this set as well. Thanks for the painting tip-- I'm looking forward to giving mine a makeover!

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    1. That's a great deal you got on the mirror Bethany! Best of luck on the makeover. :-)

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  4. Did you take the hardware off to paint them? Or you just left them on?

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  5. This is beautiful! Was this done in Old White by Annie Sloan? Thank you.

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    1. Yes it was painted in Old White Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan. In case you're interested, I recently painted another Sears Bonnet chest of drawers in pink. You can find that project by following this link: https://theblacksheepshoppe.blogspot.com/2018/06/pretty-in-pink-chest-of-drawers.html

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  6. Hi, any chance you still have the original knob and willing to sell it?

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    1. Hi Elle, I checked through my stash and didn't find the knob. But I'm fairly certain it's around here somewhere. If I come across it then I will let you know.

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  7. I have 4 pieces from my childhood and grandmother. I was going to sell, but now I am going to paint for a coastal look! I have the tall lingerie chest, the wider chest seen here and a dresser with mirror. I hope I do not screw it up. LOL
    Thanks for the tips~

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    1. You're lucky to have a full set Susie! I bet it will turn out beautiful and would love to hear about it afterwards.

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  8. Beautiful! You did a great job! Did you use any wax after you painted?

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  9. Beautiful, you did a wonderful job!! Did you use wax after you painted?

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  10. Will this hold up on a laminate table top?

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    1. Yes it will work on a laminated table top. However, I would seal with multiple coats of a a non-yellowing polyurethane (lightly sanding in between coats) for a piece that will get heavy use. Good luck with your project!

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    2. Great work. I just did mine too!

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    3. Thank you! I hope you had fun with your project.

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  11. I have a dining room table that has a thin laminate top the rest of the table is oak. Is there anyway to stain the top instead of paint it?

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    1. Hi Mary Beth, It depends on whether the laminate is a wood veneer or not. If more of a plastic laminate veneer it will not accept a stain the same as wood. I am planning on trying Retique It Liquid Wood for a future project as it is supposed to work on laminate. But I haven't tried it yet, so I can't say for sure how the product works.

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  12. Did you sell this dresser? If so how much did you list it for? I am interested in buying one but have no idea what they cost?

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    1. Hi Lynn, Yes I did sell the dresser after I painted it, but it was a few years ago, so I don't remember the exact price. The cost will vary depending on which part of the country you're located at and the condition of the furniture. The price I am willing to pay also depends on whether it is something I am buying for myself or if I will fix it up and paint it to resell. Best of luck with finding the perfect piece!

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  13. I just found a 6 piece set at an estate sale for $150. I am so happy to have found your page. I am much more confident as this will be my first attempt to diy anything. Wish me luck!

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    1. Wow that's a great deal for a 6-piece set! I have furniture envy! Start with something small to get the hang of it. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.

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  14. I own a few pieces of this set. Trifold mirror, dresser, nightstand, twin headboard, footboard, mattress frame and spindles. I am in Virginia Beach, VA. Can you help me in pricing the pieces please ?

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    1. Lucky you to have such a wonderful set! I think our markets are quite different, so I suggest you reach out to someone local that deals with secondhand vintage furniture. Good luck!

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