We definitely see our fair share of junk, but we do love resurrecting pieces that just have some inherent qualities that reach out to us. But it is sure nice once in awhile to get a piece of furniture, or two in this case, that are well-built and in great shape, despite their years.
If you remember, my neighbor with the beautiful horses moved down south to escape the MN winters (imagine that!). She had a couple of dressers that she claimed had been in the house when she bought it a looong time ago. I told her I'd buy them and breathe some new life into them; she was glad someone would give them some love.
I just loved the classic details of this men's chest of drawers and woman's dresser. Turned legs, grooved details, dovetailed drawers with beautiful wood inside, and a finish that was in pretty good shape.
It always makes me happy to find a piece that has been completely sealed on the back and the bottom, so no unfriendly's have been able to make their home in the drawers!
Even though these were beautiful pieces of furniture, there was room for improvement. The old knobs were interesting, but I do like to update a piece with a little bit of new adornment. And I didn't like the placement of these old wood knobs; they were placed way out on the edges of the drawers with way too much real estate in between.
The wood grain finish was pretty, but must have gotten overheated sometime because the lacquer had bubbled. I decided to keep the two top drawers with their original finish and paint the rest with Miss Mustard Seed Milk paint, which lets all the old age still shine through. On the top drawers, I sanded them with a 150 grit to get rid of some of the bubbling, and then used Miss Mustard's hemp oil to refesh the wood.
I put a dab of Frog Tape on the back of each knob hole and filled with wood glue. I sanded them smooth along with the imprint of the old knob while I sanded the whole piece with 100 grit and my palm sander. I used the compresser to blow off the sawdust and wiped it all down with vinegar water.
I decided on Kitchen Scale for the women's dresser. We always separate the mirrors from the dressers, because everything is better taken apart! The main piece can be used as a dining room buffet, a bathroom vanity, a changing table, in an entryway, or it's original use as a dresser. The big mirrors look amazing in a bathroom, and the harp piece is great upside down corralling a grouping of frames.
This cutie didn't even last long enough for me to get the wood handles on, or get a decent pic. from the front:
The metal and glass handles had a pretty aqua and cream viney pattern. I also painted the oval medallion cream and the lines in the detailed corners cream also. I love how the original wood drawer fronts are enhanced by the Kitchen Scale turquoise.
The men's chest turned out beautifully in a custom mix of Tricycle with some Curio to darken it. I left the top drawers original finish, and also the side panels which you can't see in the pic. I love how the square metal knob accents strengthen the piece and look so much more balanced where they're placed.
I lemon-oiled the insides of the drawers which brought out the beautiful colors of the different woods used. I'm so glad I got a chance to take a good pic. of this one! This one still hasn't found it's home, but sure got a lot of looks when we were open.
It's just so fun to refresh a beautifully crafted piece of furniture!
Sharing this project at:
http://missmustardseed.com/2014/09/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link-party-38/
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