Dresser Commission

Man I get angry at myself.  I am always neglecting to get a good "before" photo. This dresser was dropped off with a request that it be painted off white in a shabby chic style. The dresser was in very poor condition; someone had used a belt sander; naughty, naughty.  I like to restore the top to the natural wood, but the client wanted an all white finish. All for the better, as the natural wood top would have accented the uneven sanding.

Belt sanding can do so much damage unless you are REALLY experienced and the grit is very fine (400) and the wood is very hard.  

The dresser had been through a lot; I could and did pull the dresser apart, easily and with my bare hands.  LOL

Nothing that some glue and clamping won't fix.

Both sides and the back had to be clamped and glued

 

The drawers had to be glued together and existing hardware holes filled.  Dan made a new drawer slide for the bottom along with drawer guides.  This poor dresser had really seen better days.  I was very nervous about how she would work out.

Oh she is so pretty.

I went with hardware close to the colour of the dresser. The flat grey hardward provided looked a bit harsh against the warm white. There is no other dark colour on the piece to use as a contrast.

I am very happy with how well this poor dresser turned out...

Knechtel Three Drawer Dresser

I was lucky enough to happen upon this Knechtel dresser.  When you see anything made by Knechtel you are pretty sure of the quality and workmanship.

The veneer was so damaged on the drawer fronts that it had to be removed.  I sanded the fronts to a smooth finish...I think that the wood under the veneer is cherry

At sometime in the life of this dresser, it had a cat as a room mate.

I always sand prior to painting and sand between coats.  I final coat all my furniture with satin varathane for a smooth finish and that added protection.

The dresser is 40 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 73 inches at the tallest point.

The mirror has etched detailing at the top.  It has a few "age spots" but they only add to the character of this vintage piece.

$200.

Primitive Cupboard Commission

This commission is a home made cupboard.  When the client dropped it off, I really wasn't that impressed with it.  I wasn't sure it was anything I would have picked up for myself.

The doors are very rough; you can tell someone used a chisel to make them. I was starting to really like it...has lots of personality.

 I suspect that at one time this cupboard had been heavily waxed.  The paint would not stick!  I REALLY had to sand off the old finish.  It is made of pine or fir so it is pretty soft wood for sanding.

I kept the original hinges, but spray painted them to match the drawer hardware.  The cupboard looks great.   

I hope the owner is as happy with the results as I am.

If I ever happen upon a rough little cupboard like this in my travels...I will surely pick it up.  I love the rustic look.  A diamond in the rough

Storage Unit Blues-Cedar Chest Restored

This poor cedar chest had been in storage for five years and storage conditions were not good.  

How disappointing to retrieve your grandmother's cedar chest and find that moisture had warped the veneer and REALLY damaged the finish.

The veneer was completely detached from parts of the chest. 

One of the legs had fallen off.

She was pretty sad looking.   The veneer almost looks like fabric and not wood!

So....

We glued the legs, removed the warped veneer, wood filled, sanded and sanded and sanded.  I stained the lid a rich dark walnut colour.  After a couple of coats of paint and a varathan finish coat, we have one pretty little cedar chest.

I painted the exterior a warm white, gently distressed by sanding and finished with a couple coats of varathane for strength

The cedar chest is 40 1/2 inches long, 18 1/12 inches wide and 19 inches tall.  It is a small cedar chest that could easily fit at the bottom of bed.  I did consider upholstering the top, but I liked the trim too much to cover.

I love cedar chests that are on legs and don't sit flat on the floor.

$200.

For *&%#'s and Giggles

This is a very plain, very boring little table.  Stained a blah dark brown, over not very interesting wood.  There is a little handle to add interest, and interest only as there is no drawer.

So...I thought I could brighten it up a bit just for fun.  I have wanted to try spray painting over lace for ages.  I have a collection of lace that I have picked up over the years just for this.  This is not good lace by any means, machine made but with a nice pattern that I could cut out.

And this is what we have.

$40.

One Beautiful Buffet

 This buffet had been stored in a very damp basement for a number of years.  The drawers and doors were almost impossible to open.  The large bottom drawer fell apart when opened. The backboard was broken and was just nailed together.

And this buffet is big!

You can see the nails holding the scrolled detail in place.

The bottom drawer had fallen to pieces, sides missing, bottom warped and split.

And here she is today. She looks like she is wearing ear rings!  

I gently distressed the buffet to accent the scrolled front detailing. 

The buffet is 66 1/2 inches long, 21 1/2 inches wide and 41 inches tall.

$350.

Repurposed China Cabinet

Originally this was a china cabinet.  I took off the door and opened it up thinking the piece would be good in a child's room or kitchen.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, asked if the shelves could be removed.  A lot of interest but no buyers.

So.....

We had a beautiful walnut table top in the shop that we repurposed.  Isn't she pretty?  

The Cabinet is 41 inches tall, 17 1/2 inches deep and 33 inches tall.  The single drawer is 9 inches deep for lots of storage.