Furniture is already overflowing from my garage and storage unit, but I couldn’t resist buying just one more piece when I saw this yellow French Provincial dresser aka “Beast” on Facebook a few weeks ago… but I finished it quickly, so that’s good, right? 😉
It’s almost as tall as me.
There was a big chunk missing out of the back of the very top (so random!) but I filled it with a couple layers of wood filler and sanded it, and now you’d never know.
The dresser also had a smoky odor especially inside the drawers, and since there are six big drawers that are otherwise in absolutely perfect condition, I had no intention of painting the insides of all of them.
Like the thrifted drawers I recently repurposed into shelves, I chose Fusion Mineral Paint again. I wanted a light gray that was almost like silver but without the metallic – and Pebble was exactly what I hoped for. I also used Picket Fence for accents.
How to Get Rid of Smells in Furniture
To get rid of the odor, I tried multiple things. Normally painting would solve the problem but I really wanted to avoid painting them. First I cleaned the drawers really well and even wiped them down with 409 (ha, my own crazy idea). I sprayed Lysol in them several times over a few days.
I tried baking soda on paper plates, and I tried white vinegar in little bowls. (I’ve heard that TSP Tri-Sodium Phosphate works but I haven’t tried it yet and I was concerned it might change the look of the wood, since it’s already so pretty.)
I believe the white vinegar helped the most, even though I only left it in for two days. The vinegar smell was very strong at first but it doesn’t linger long after the bowl is removed. There is still a little stinky smell now but it’s much better – I’m going to use the vinegar again and leave it in for a few more days. Update: The white vinegar worked awesome!
Fusion Mineral Paint just glides right on so easily – like butter! And I was really impressed with the coverage too.
The handles are original and absolutely freaking gorgeous, but they had yellow in the crevices and it didn’t look great with the gray. I ended up lightly dry brushing them with the white paint – you can see them in the closer-up pics below.
Here she is – from beast to beauty:
Here’s a closer look at the lightly dry brushed handles and keyhole hardware:
The Pebble gray itself is beautiful but this piece is so special and it needed just a bit more, so I painted some of the fancy parts in Picket Fence with a tiny artist’s brush.
It’s definitely more glamorous now!
I wish I had room for this French Provincial dresser in my house, but it will be available at my booth in a couple more weeks. I’m going to put white vinegar in the drawers again and the paint needs more time to cure (30 days total for Fusion Mineral Paint – no topcoat required).
I’m curious – what’s your favorite way to get stinky smells out of furniture? Leave a comment below so we can all learn and benefit.
I will be working on a lot more upcoming projects soon for the market next month – AND the new store I’m selling at called me and said they’ll have a bigger booth available for me soon! I’m so thankful and excited! I’ll share that with you once it’s all set up. 🙂
Talk soon, friend!
Jen
Angelia says
I use the spray shellac on smelly pieces. Could you possibly just spray this smelly drawer with it? The dresser turned out gorgeous!
Rose O says
I use ‘ Zep’ odor eliminator. It works great.
lori says
spray shellac does wonders!
Beth says
This is an absolutely gorgeous piece! What a transformation! Love it!
KitsyKeelSmith says
Isn’t it amazing what paint can do. Love this dresser so much and would love to find one just like it to paint. And I think I would paint it in the same colors you used. Beautiful!!!
Nancy Kriner says
Absolutely beautiful! You did a great job. Have you tried wadded up newspaper to get rid of smell. I had the power go off while on vacation and food rotted including a lot of meat in the freezer. Nothing worked except the wadded up newspaper. Thank you for the inspiration.
Colleen says
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful job!!!
Bonnie Schulte says
This is Beautiful, the colors are just awesome!!! I bet it will sell quickly. I read someplace, that if you wrap charcoal (what you use in your BBQ grill) in newspaper, or kitty litter, these take out odors of suitcases, so maybe one of these, will work in the drawers. I’ve never tried either, but you never know.. Good Luck!
anniebreland says
What a beautiful piece of furniture. Try putting coffee that hasn’t been used in a container. It will take a lot of smells away.let me know if it works
Kim says
I use charcoal brickets or kilz. Charcoal would probably be the best since you don’t want to paint.
Cora says
I had a dry sink with a cupboard underneath that had a terrible musty odor. I thought it would go away with a generous cleaning – nope. I tried absolutely everything that I saw on the internet. Nothing worked until…clear shellac! I used the brush-on type so I had better control and because, unlike a drawer there was no ventilation. I wished I had just gone to that solution in the first place. It is the ultimate smell blocker. Good luck!
Kaye says
Its beautiful…gorgeous job… love the colours …I am hoping Australia sells fusion paint…I have some pieces to practice on.
Sounds like vinegar is your go to solution….the new owners could line the drawers with scented drawer lining paper.
Jen says
Hi Kaye, there are some retailers in Australia. I did a quick Google search and here is one: http://www.forthelovecreations.com.au/store/c14/Fusion_Mineral_Paint.html But I believe there are others depending on your location.
Scented paper is a good idea too!
Jen
Jen says
Thanks Cora!
Jen says
Thanks for the advice, Kim!
Jen says
Thank you Annie!
Jen says
Thanks Bonnie!
Jen says
Thanks so much, Colleen! I’m really happy with it. 🙂
Jen says
Thanks Nancy! I haven’t heard of using old newspaper before.
Jen says
Thanks so much!!
Jen says
Thanks so much Beth!
Jen says
Thanks Lori!
Jen says
I’ll have to check that one out, thanks Rose!
Jen says
Thanks so much, Angelia!
Marie|The Interior Frugalista says
What a pretty makeover, Jen. Pinned. Love the dry brush technique you used on the hardware too. I once bought a very old wall cabinet that smelled like the inside of a barn. I tried everything, including leaving it outside for several weeks. The vinegar in a bowl with the door closed for a few weeks did the trick so you’re on the right track. Ironically, the person who bought it from me was a large animal vet so guess where the cabinet was going?
Patti says
Hi I had a stinky furniture piece I bought off Facebook and the smell made me nauseous. I tried washing it with blue Dawn, charcoal , baking soda and painting it but after a while I just had to get rid of it
Carol says
Beautiful work!
I use a product called sol-u-Mel from melaleuca. It’s tea tree oil that neutralizes odor.
Rose L. says
GORGEOUS!!! You really hit a home run. It is wonderful!
Cindy says
It’s beautiful! I love FP! I didn’t how you cleaned it first before you painted it. Did you have to sand it to get rid of any varnish? I have an old lingerie chest I want to redo. Try the kitty litter in the drawers. I heard it works great! Thanks!
Eileen says
You rescued big time one this one. Just gorgeous.
pamela says
How do you like working with the fusion paints? You work is lovely
Shelly says
where can I get Zep? Do you know who makes it – or is it a Home depot type product easily obtained? thanks
Eva says
Possibly charcoal briquets to absorb the odor? It’s amazing how it works for me in different instances. Lovely piece!
Jen says
Thanks Pamela! I’ve only used it on a few pieces so far but I’m really liking it. Since it’s only been a few weeks I can’t comment on the durability yet. It goes on smoothly and is almost odor-free!
Jen says
Thanks so much Eileen!
Jen says
Ha, so funny Marie! I have the vinegar sitting in there again. I’ll probably check tomorrow and see if it’s any better. Fingers crossed!
Jen says
Cindy, I wiped it down with a damp cloth and then lightly sanded it. If the piece were shinier I would’ve sanded more. The Fusion people recommend to de-gloss but you don’t have to use a power sander. 🙂 Here are more helpful tips: https://fusionmineralpaint.com/faq
Deanna M Perez says
Hi. You said you take these to your booth to sell but have you ever sold a piece online to deliver? I love this piece, wondering what the price is?
Dixie Lee says
I used Zep when we had an oil spill in our basement and it definitely helped on the floor. Yes, a hardware store/HD type product. If you go to the HD website, tell them your location, and search for it they will even tell you if they think it’s in stock at your nearest store.
Jen says
Hi Deanna, thank you for the compliment. I’m sorry but I don’t offer shipping. I’ve checked before and it’s a cumbersome and expensive process. 🙁 The piece is at my booth in Crown Point, Indiana, if you happen to be within driving distance.
Patti Desjardins says
What an incredibly beautiful transformation !
I’ve heard charcoal absorbs odours without leaving a scent.
Jen says
Thank you, Patti! Leaving the vinegar in longer ended up working for this piece. I’m always open to new ideas for future stinky pieces though 🙂
Nancy says
I have looked for the Fusion paint and cannot find it. Help! Also that is a companion chest to a dresser/vanity I have and it’s exactly the color I have been wanting to put on it and a couple nightstands. Yours looks so great.
Jen says
Nancy, here’s a link to look for retailers near you: https://fusionmineralpaint.com/where-to-buy It’s also available on Amazon with free shipping I think 🙂