Dresser for the Newlyweds!

And back we go to the newlyweds. Turns out not only where they short a table but had no where to put their cloths! We started looking for a dresser to refinish online but didn't find anything we liked. After I did the chair, however, my mother-in-law suggested a trade. The chair for a dresser that she had in her home. The dresser belonged to my wife's grandmother but it may be much older - probably 1920's to 1930's - my best guess based on the hardware used to stop the drawers from closing to far.

 The dresser was in rough shape. Most of the drawers had separated at the joints and there were dings and pieces of laminate missing. The body was also coming in a few spots. I love the detail however and I could already see how cool it would end up looking.

 

 

The hardware appears to be brass. I love the wheat looking detail at the top of the piece and the flutes going down the sides (I need to learn the technical names).

 

 

I am sad that we lost the cool design at the bottom of the piece. The feet and pennants are also very nice.

 

 

The garage is a little cold so I moved inside. I have been using the basement during the summer but decided to paint close to the tree . . . I love Christmas.

 

 

So we decided to do a two-tone paint job. We went with Old White and French Linen, both Annie Sloan brand.

 

 

I decided to paint the hardware to match the rest of the piece. I used a Rust-Olieum Country White spray paint that's a paint and primer in one. I painted the hardware in the garage where it was still cold and it took a little longer to set up. The spray paint white is very close to the color of the chalk paint.

 

 

Back in the basement. I also decided to paint the inside of the drawers to clean them up a bit. I used the clear wax inside the drawers so that they would have a nice finish. I have read that the dark wax will stain clothing even after it has set up.

 

 

 

All done. I tried to go light on the distressing and used the dark wax a little more sparingly.

 

 

The wheat (or whatever they are called) turned out very nice. I like how the dark wax brings out some of the detail. I also distressed the hardware which bring some of the old brass back. I used a little dark wax on the hardware as well.

 

 

We surprised my daughter and her husband on Christmas eve with the dresser. The person in the middle is out Aunt Beth - my wife's aunt who has Down's Syndrome. The dresser had been in her old room.

 

 

The mirror came later. The mirror was given to my daughter by my mom for the wedding reception. It is also an antique and was originally a gold color. The details on top were broken and needed some repair and then I painted the frame with the same Rust-Oleum spray paint and distressed it. The design of the mirror and the design details on the dresser are very similar. I think they go well together. I don't know the history of the mirror for sure but I believe it may have belonged to my grandmother. I told my daughter to call it the "Grandma Set" because it represents both sets of grandparents and possible great grandparents. Now she has place to put her cloths! (those walls seem a little bare . . . . they could use a shelf or two.)

 

Five Dollar Find!

 

I have become a DI regular! There is a Deseret Industries thrift store very close to where I work. Every few days I stop by there to look for smaller items that will fit in the trunk of my car. I found this side table for $5 and with the legs unbolted, it fit nicely in my trunk. The table had some water damage to the top veneer, but the rest was in very good shape. I like the shape of the legs and the drawer works perfectly. 

 

 

 

I'm trying to get better at taking before shots. I actually started cutting away the damages veneer and then realized I forgot!

 

 

 

I used a utility knife and a scrapper to cut away the part of the veneer that had lifted away from the particle board. I'm guessing the table is somewhat newer because it is particle board under the veneer and not plywood. The hardware and the bolts that hold the legs to the table top seem more dated. The hutch I did for my mother-in-law also had particle board under the veneer and similar hardware. We know that the hutch has been in the family for maybe 50-60 years.

 

I used wood filler and sanded to repair the damage. I sanded the rest of the top. I probably should have gone over the top a few more times with filler - building up and feathering. On the finished table you can see the X through the paint from where I removed the veneer. It's not hugely noticeable but it's something that I want to try to avoid. If I were keeping the table I would probably sand down the stop and do it over.

 

 

The completed piece (I slacked on the step-by-step photos . . .) I went with AS French Linen and Old White for the paint, and used Fibber & Son's finish wax with AS dark wax for antiquing. I like Fibber & Son's - it went on smoother and seems to have a better finish then the AS. I replaced the bolts that hold the legs to the table (a few were missing) and also painted the drawer hardware with a bronzed nickel spray paint. I distressed and waxed the drawer hardware as well.  

 

 

 

Time to list it and see what happens!

 

SOLD!!!!

 

My first official sale happened on New Years Day! I think this must be a sign of things to come! 

Table and Chairs for the Newlyweds!

I'm really excited about this project! A few months ago Kristy and I were driving around one Saturday, doing some shopping. She spotted a high table and four chairs on a FB yard sale page for $30. We spoke for it and went right then to pick it up. The table had been sitting on the back deck of a house, being used as a barbecue table. It was dorty, the top had scratches in the finish,  and a few of the chairs were missing bottom stringers. Otherwise the table and chairs were in really good shape. We took the the table legs off - had to borrow a wrench from the seller- loaded it in the back of the SUV, and off we went. What a find!

Our original plan was to flip the table and chairs . . .

The old chair flip!

The chair flip - I found sold old wooden chair at a local thrift store. I was in the neighborhood and decided to check it out on a whim. What a find and for only $5. And best of all it fit in my trunk. The chair is heavy and sold but was loose in a few places. After doing some online research, I pulled apart and re-glued it. I had some longer clamps that worked on the back and used some tie-downs I had on hand to hold the base together. The rest when rather smoothly. I painted with two coats of Annie Sloan's Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint, did some light sanding to smooth out the paint and give it the distressed look, and then applied wax. I applied a couple of coats of the clear wax and used an old, small brush and steel wool to apply the dark wax, another technique I learned online. I like how it turned out. Anyone want a chair? It's for sale (much to Kristy's dismay).

Its off to grandma's house we go!

With my new found enthusiasm and wanting to test out my "Paint Your Piece!" idea, I went in search of my first victim. I soon found her: my mother-in-law. She agreed to allow me to paint an old china hutch from the 1950's - my uneducated guess - that belonged to her mother. The whole thing was done in her dinning area where the hutch had been sitting. It took less than a day and was indeed transformed. The success built my cobfidence in the Paint Your Piece! concept. Here are the before, during, and after photos. 

What did I learn? First, that a one-day flip is possible, even though it took most of the day. Second, that flipping a piece in place is also do able.  And third, it's totally fun. What would I do differently?  I like how it turned out but I may have over - distressed a bit.