Vintage Dresser Restoration - Before and After

This antique serpentine dresser was in pieces when it came to me. The bottom two drawers had fallen apart and the middle brace had come out.
It was also covered in thick and peeling cherry stain and varnish. This is the top.
I started by repairing the drawers and replacing the cross piece. I also added a new side support for the second drawer (the original was missing). I then stripped the entire dresser. I was amazed at the beautiful wood hiding underneath.
I sanded the entire piece and stained the top and drawers with General Finishes java gel stain. I painted the rest of the dresser with General Finishes milk paint in Coastal Blue. I sealed the entire piece with a topcoat.
The original hardware was missing, so I added new brass knobs and pulls from Hickory Hardware. The original keyhole covers were in place but had been varnished over. I stripped them and shined them up with Brasso. Back together in one piece!
For more details and photos, please visit my blog.
Susan @ Saw Nail and Paint
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  • Ruby77 Ruby77 on Apr 13, 2016
    I have a dresser exactly like this. It was stripped about 20 years ago and the wood was bleached. I think a poly coat was then applied. Do you know what I have to do to get rid of the wood bleach? I assume it seeped into the wood? I would like the finished product to look exactly like yours. It's gorgeous!
  • Amador Chavez Amador Chavez on Nov 25, 2018

    How long did it take and how much did you sell it

  • Amador Chavez Amador Chavez on Nov 25, 2018

    How long did it take to do and did you sell it and for how much

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