During a recent visit to my house some friends saw the many pieces of furniture that I lovingly upcycled/refinished ;)
They LOVED them all, so while visiting their house just a short time later they introduced me to their $5 garage sale find (she was sooo cute but some schmuck painted her do-do brown) that they needed to do something with (poor thing was in a sad, sad state). They asked if I was up to the challenge and of course I accepted.
I almost forgot a before pic so I got the pic after I removed the drawers (thank goodness) so now you get the idea.
 |
| The drawers, still trying to figure out the "idea" behind these drawer pulls. |
 |
| See they look like someone pounded them with a meat tenderizer. |
 |
| And don't even get me started on this color. |
After stripping the paint off I discovered what looks to be nice looking wood underneath. Hmmm, may need to rethink my paint the whole thing again- but better plan.
Here we are drawers all sanded and holes filled, waiting for the filler to dry...tick tock tick tock.......
The cabinet is pretty much rough sanded at this point, just need to get deeper into those grooves (my nemesis)
See...such pretty wood.
My friends (the owners of the piece) gave me free reign on this little gem. Hmmm, what to do, what to do?? I initially was planning on just paint and dry brushing but opted for something better, after all how often does someone let you redo a piece of their furniture without any restriction...SCORE!!
So here is the finished project, needless to say- friends were super excited and happy about the end result (me too)!!
 |
Total costs:
Dresser- $5
Drawer Pulls- $12
Total- $17
the white is a big no
ReplyDeletei would have done al Minwax Ebony
Lower case I's when referring to yourself is a "big no". It doesn't matter what you would have done, it wasn't yours to do anything with. You don't like it, fine, keep it to yourself.
DeleteThe drawers are also a big no
ReplyDeleteLooks F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S. to me!
ReplyDeleteAnonymousII
Gorgeous! I absolutely LOVE the transformation. The crisp white vs. dark brown contrast is just lovely. The dark drawer pulls were a perfect choice. You did a fabulous job! (I found your dresser via Better After)
ReplyDeletei love it. You did a fabulous job! Lucky friends :o)
ReplyDeleteTerrific! It was a 'gasp' moment when I saw the After on 'Better After' blog this morning! Sleeping Beauty is awake and living at your very-lucky friends' house!
ReplyDeleteI love it!
ReplyDeleteFantastic !!!
ReplyDeleteThanks all for the comments, I was planning on staining the whole thing when I discovered the pretty wood- alas the sides were not so pretty so paint it was.
ReplyDeleteAs for the white was a no-no comments, there was a specific reason I went with white. My friends gave me free reign to do as I pleased with this dresser. Since they just recently moved into their house and have not decorated yet I didn't have any colors to go by. I didn't want to chose a specific color and force them into a certain decorating direction. So white seemed perfect as it goes with everything.
I really love how it turned out (I love the contrast too) and my friends couldn't be happier. Thanks again all!
It looks beautiful!!! And I love the white! The contrast with the dark wood is perfect! Beautiful job!!!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I saw your B&A on Better After... and I just had to see your process! Bravo to you!
I just love this the color combo, it is really stylish.....I am curious to know tho how come you cant see the filler holes from the old drawer pulls, they look like they were big holes and you cant see any at all.....not even minute ones? great job :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jen, I just saw your post but had already answered the question about the holes below, here is my reply..
Delete"It's funny that you ask about the old holes. I was really worried that they would show since they were large and spread out pretty far (no camouflaging with the new pulls). I filled the holes and made sure to sand it really well, then I stained the drawers. After the second coat of stain had dried and I was ready to put the poly coat on I used a pencil and connected the grain lines so that they were less noticeable. They are a bit noticeable in person but no much at all. The holes may look bigger than they really are because the picture that I took of the drawers that shows the filler was before I sanded them down."
Gorgeous, I can't believe someone painted over that beautiful wood, you did an amazing job...i love the contrast, i love the stain you used...i love everything about it. I won't turn my back now on dressers i see at garage sales that look hideous.
ReplyDeleteGinger, I was in shock when I stripped the ugly brown color off. The first thing I did was take a picture and sent it to my friends who own the dresser. We were all in awe. I am not opposed to painting but at least paint it a pretty color. But I couldn't bring myself to cover this pretty wood with paint. Thanks so much!
DeleteGreat work and paint colour is such a personal choice so I think the white was a great idea and easy to change later if they want to. I'm also curious about how there is no sign of the holes being filled, that is a great cover up you did! Found you on Better After.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, thanks for the kind words. It's funny that you ask about the old holes. I was really worried that they would show since they were large and spread out pretty far (no camouflaging with the new pulls). I filled the holes and made sure to sand it really well, then I stained the drawers. After the second coat of stain had dried and I was ready to put the poly coat on I used a pencil and connected the grain lines so that they were less noticeable. They are a bit noticeable in person but no much at all. The holes may look bigger than they really are because the picture that I took of the drawers that shows the filler was before I sanded them down.
DeleteBeautiful!!! I love it! It definitely was a wow moment for me too when I saw it from Better After. Not sure what the first "Anonymous" person is talking about as this is breathtaking. Great job.
ReplyDeleteGreat job! It's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI had the same thought about the holes and the filler, and I'm so glad you already answered that question.
ReplyDeleteI love this combination. It's perfect for the dresser that my
Husband's dresser. I think it blends more with the feminine touches I'm planning to incorporate into our joint room and yet maintains a masculine vibe. I don't think he'll appreciate having to use a girly-looking dresser, and this combination will be perfect!
Thanks!
Wow! I had to click over from Better After! What a difference.... I love, love, love it! I wish I had a friend like you!
ReplyDeleteWow, very impressive re-do!!! LOVE the color combo! Great job hiding the old drawer pull holes!
ReplyDeleteBravo! Well done! Not that you haven't heard it already, but she's gorgeous. I love the contrast.
ReplyDelete