Last summer a friend of mine contacted me asking if I would
be interested in two dressers they had “inherited” from a previous owner when
they purchased their home. The dressers
had been sitting in a barn and had certainly been through a lot.
I decided to start with this one.
I loved the shape of the legs and it seemed
in better shape than the other one, although still far from perfect. The veneer along the top and the drawer
fronts definitely had to go. Not only had the top been used as a bird's outhouse, but sitting outdoors had affected the glue and
the veneer had come loose and was peeling off.
I started by removing the veneer on the top. It came off fairly easily with only a few
spots that needed some work.
I wasn't sure what I would find under the veneer and was happy to find solid wood I would be able to clean up. After sanding,
I stained the wood with a dark stain and finished it with a few coats
of glossy polyurethane.
The veneer on the bottom drawers also came off without a
problem. Unfortunately the veneer on one upper drawer
put up a fight and was definitely NOT as easy to remove.
It
took a wet cloth, a very hot iron, a burned finger and a LOT of time to get it
off. Because of the thin wood “frame” around the upper drawers, I had to be
careful to cut around the frame with a blade before attempting to remove the
veneer.
The dresser base and drawers were sanded, primed and sprayed
in a beautiful dark blue and finished with a glossy clear coat.
The interior of the drawers were all sanded
down and cleaned up and I will be be lining them with fresh new vinyl.
I originally refinished this piece with the intention to put
it in my sons room, but shortly after finishing it, I came across another
dresser that was going to work a little better for him, so this one gets to
find a new home.
If you have a spot in your home that this dresser could
fill, let me know! This dresser should be ready to go within the next few days.
Thanks for popping by!
