The Painted Key: Beautiful Blue

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.