In desperate need of new dressers to hold my schtuff, I sought these out on Craigslist.
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| Hi, I'm Chester, and I'll be your project this weekend. |
I wasn't a fan of the color, but this solid wood dresser and matching nightstands had character and room to hold my clothes (which were overspilling the two tiny closets and shoddy Rubbermaid bins they were stuffed into). Despite the massive size I managed to load all three pieces into my Kia Spectra and haul them across town.
I decided to go balls out on this one - strip, sand and refinish. Try to restore these to their former glory if possible. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Applying the paint thinner revealed the history of these pieces:
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Black on White on Pink on Wood. Yikes
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Three coats of paint masked the wood underneath. I ended up making several trips to the hardware store for more thinner and supplies. This was a BEAST and a half. What I had hoped would be a weekend project became a test of endurance and a month-long "when I have time" side note. Frustration abounded, but the end result was worth it. Let's see how we got there:
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| This was my WTF am I doing chaos realization photo. |
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| Partially stripped detail at top |
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| Dresser mostly stripped |
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Great detail on the legs/corners, but a PITA to strip and clean out. Toothbrushes helped
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| See what I mean? Hello pinkish goopy mess. |
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| But they're so pretty - very classic shape and beautiful hardware. |
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| Nightstand mostly stripped |
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| Stripped and sanded, ready for varnish! |
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| Ta-da! I love how the stain came out on these - I think it was called
"Bombay" and it totally fit. I could see these pieces chilling in a
Caribbean retreat amid palm trees and bright tropical flowers. |
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| Side view - love it. |
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| From the top - my imperfect hand sanding gave the surface an unintended gradient, but I like it - adds flair. |
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