Wednesday, October 10, 2012

A Keeper

It's times like this when I wish I could whistle
because I would SO be belting out a cat call at this handsome dresser.

After
I won this piece at an estate auction earlier this summer.
It was one of the last items auctioned and I bid against only one other guy ... 
I won it at $13!  
Afterwards he and I chatted and it turns out he wanted only the wire 
that was inside the drawers.  
I told him that I would give him the wire for free if he would help
me carry the dresser to my truck (90+ degree temps & high humidity)
... that worked out well for both of us.
Before
Here's the rundown of what work I did:
- re-glued the veneer on the sides
- reset a side panel that popped out of the dado slots in the frame
- beefed up frame support of the bottom drawer
- glued the split wood from the hinge screws in the cubby door 
- tightened & re-glued the dovetail joints on all of the drawers
- replaced the bottom of the lowest drawer
- beefed up the drawer guides
- sanded the entire piece, inside and out
- painted it with Old Fashioned Milk Paint Pitch Black
- waxed it with clear and tinted wax
- scrubbed the nasty nasty grime off of the hardware



I put a clear wax on everything but wanted the details to stand out more
 so I then applied tinted wax to help 'frame' it.


Of course I wanted to keep it for myself ( I'm a bit of a cubby/drawer/storage freak)
and my daughter wanted it as well
but it went to my fabulous husband ... who has silently suffered through
a tiny beat up dresser and very little storage for years.

Ok, so the pull is a little askew ... I was excited and took the pic before I tightened the hardware down.
While setting this piece up in the bedroom last night I
realized that I would rather furnish my entire house with vintage/antique
pieces of furniture from auctions & yard sales
than go out and buy brand new pieces (with the exception of
Restoration Hardware's Churchill Collection).
I love the excitement of the hunt, the thrill of getting a bargain and the
complete satisfaction of being able to transform it however I want!


Linking up with:
Domestically Speaking's 147th POPP
The Shabby Creek Cottage Transformation Thursday
Redoux
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20 comments:

  1. I'm with you on how I want to furnish my home. My husbands bedroom set is on it's way out, slowly so he doesn't catch on, but it's outta' here!
    That dresser is perfect! Love the color, love the distressing...

    Ang

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  2. Wow, that dresser looked pretty rough. But, I too would have bought it! Especially at that price. I really like it in the black. I have been painting a few things black lately and am loving the look.

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  3. Wow that is just beautiful! Great transformation! Megan

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  4. You really did a great job. What a lot of work, but it is worth it.

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  5. wonderful work...some people have the vision and the moxie to make it happen...you do...really wonderful

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  6. WOw, I love that you kept the vintage feel but still updated it into something so pretty!
    Thanks so much for linking up last week and we would love to have you back for today's link party!
    http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/the-humble-brag-link-party-2/

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  7. What a great piece! I love what you've done with it. It still looks old, but in a graceful way.

    Have a lovely weekend!
    Deborah

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  8. That piece is gorgeous! Thanks for linking up to the Power of Paint Party. I'm featuring your dresser in the Spotlight this weekend.

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  9. Love it and the coloration on the black is marvelous...Can you share more about how you 'tinted' the wax to give the color differentiation?

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    1. I didn't tint the wax myself ... I used a tinted Briwax (Tudor Brown). You can purchase it in about 8-9 different colors ;)

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  10. Wow, I'm not so sure I would have even given the original piece a second look. Did you get any history behind the piece? I'm just curious as to how in the world someone's dresser comes to look like that? You have done wonders, and are obviously very talented in many ways. Be proud.

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    1. I didn't get any history on it, but judging from the contents it was used in a garage or workshop somewhere. It had a bunch of different wire, gunked up paint brushes, tool lube tubes, gas can tops, washers, screen spline, mounting hardware, and lots of other 'junk'.

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  11. Gorgeous piece. All it takes is the vision to see what a down-and-out item can become. I'm so glad this piece found you. Your refurbish is remarkable! I'm featuring it on my Once Upon a Firefly FB page.

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  12. This is absolutely gorgeous!
    I love the color, great find, you did a wonderful job
    What brand is the Milk Paint?

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    1. The brand is Old Fashioned Milk Paint and I have a link to their website in my post.
      I have purchased online directly from the paint company but have found a somewhat local business that sells the bags so I get the paint from the local supplier so that I don't have to pay shipping ;)

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  13. Once again, you've transformed something into a masterpiece! Thanks for telling me about it. I definitely wouldn't want to miss out on seeing this. Looking forward to more...
    Your neighbor,
    Carol

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  14. WOW!!! I cannot believe the before picture turns out to be the after! You have a very lucky husband! I am sharing this gorgeous work at my party tomorrow. Thank you so much for linking up! -K

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