Pottery Barn Dresser Top DIY

I was insanely lucky to find this gorgeous Pottery Barn dresser on Facebook Marketplace for $40!! Crazy good deal! The only kicker was that the top was missing, so naturally it became a fun DIY opportunity. I could have just bought a new top from Pottery Barn, but where’s the fun in that? It actually would’ve probably been easier and maybe even more fun — this project took a lot longer than I expected. Matching the top stain color to stain on the rest of the dresser turned out to be trickier than I anticipated, and fiddling with shades and finishes took quite a bit of patience (and money).

Step 1: Pretty simple: I had Home Depot cut a 2×4’ sheet of plywood to size (almost). They won’t cut smaller than 12”, so I did have to cut some off with my table saw, but they got me half way there.

Step 2: I framed out the tabletop using ¾" x 1" boards. I made pocket holes in the large center piece with my Kreg Jig, then attached the frame boards using wood glue and pocket-hole screws to secure everything snugly. I then filled any small gaps with plastic wood.

Step 3: After a light sanding, I began playing around with different stains combinations. I landed on a mixture of Jacobean and Red Chestnut. Once I was done, I realized I probably could have just used walnut, but I’m not sure haha. I started with a 50/50 mix, and that didn’t look right, so I switched to alternating one coat of each- for whatever sciencey reason- that worked better. I did probably 3 layers of each (I don’t remember exactly how many, but it felt like a lot). I did do one more layer of the red than I did the brown. The brown over powered the red by a lot, so I needed a little extra of Red Chestnut.

Step 4: I applied a coat of heavy duty polyurethane to the top with a paint brush. Unfortunately, the poly changed the color of the thin frame, so I had to adjust the frame color with some more Jacobean.

Step 5: The most fun: new hardware!! I love this hardware! It’s the perfect mix of feminine charm and masculine edge — stylish, sturdy, and just the right balance for any room. I love the color and the quality is fantastic.

I think each project teaches me something thing new about life and about myself. Life as a stay-at-home mom of six has taught me that beautiful things are often built from imperfect pieces — a mismatched chair reupholstered with love, a meal made from pantry finds, a song belted between carpool runs, clever DIY solutions that save money, design ideas that make chaos feel cozy, and real-life tips that help me (and you as I share) thrive without losing sense of self. If you take away one thing, let it be this: small, consistent choices add up to a life that’s intentional, joyful, and uniquely yours.