Vintage Dresser Refinish - Before and After

by Susan @ Saw Nail and Paint

I picked up this vintage dresser at the Goodwill. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the finish was in rough shape and the mirror was no longer with the dresser. I knew with a little elbow grease, this old piece could be gorgeous once again.

vintage dresser refinish before and after, painted furniture

I stripped off the finish from the drawers and discovered some gorgeous wood grain. I sanded and then stained the drawers with one coat of General Finishes java gel stain. I then sealed them for protection with a topcoat. Here it is all finished.

I painted the body with a custom mix of General Finishes milk paint and then sealed it as well. I cleaned and shined up the hardware with Rub n Buff.

That old hardware is so pretty.

You can check out my blog for all the details and more photos.

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5 of 8 comments

Beatriz Orvis on Dec 09, 2016
Gorgeous! and yes, I am going to try this by myself; which brings me to my question. I just purchased a desk for $50. (see picture below). The top seems to be peeling. I am able to lift part of it up with just my nail, but I can see the top layer it's thicker than what I'm peeling off. Should I remove the entire thickness or just what I'm able to peel off?

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Susan @ Saw Nail and Paint on Dec 09, 2016
Hi! Sounds like the top layer of veneer is lifting off. If none of it is missing, I would glue it back down. Removing veneer can be a big job.

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- Beatriz Orvis on Dec 10, 2016
  Actually some pieces are missing, it has deep scratches in the middle and on many areas around the edge, it's separating. I don't see how if could glue it back down since it's only about an 1/8" deep, which leaves me no room to glue. If I do remove it, do I have to replace it or can I just sand the wood under it and stain it?
  
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- Susan @ Saw Nail and Paint on Dec 10, 2016
  Whether you can refinish the wood underneath depends on what you find. I have been able to refinish a few where the underlying wood was really pretty. Others the wood is more like plywood and doesn't look great.
  
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- Beatriz Orvis on Dec 11, 2016
  Thank you so much for your help. Since this will be my first time doing this, I appreciate all the input I get. From the look of the veneer, it definitely needs to go. The unit is quite heavy so I'm hoping the wood underneath will look presentable. One way to find out..
  
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