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Jul 3, 2012

Refinished Dresser

This sad old dresser was just waiting for me at a yard sale a few weeks ago.  After I purchased it, I purchased a vanity at another sale.  Now, there's only room for one larger piece of furniture in the back of our vehicle at a time.  So, I had to drive this one home before I could take home the vanity.  My husband wasn't around that morning, so I had to unload this sucker all by myself. That was tricky.

dresser before refinishing

Now, I love the look of painted furniture.  Obviously I wouldn't paint so many pieces if I didn't.  However, most of my own personal furniture is not painted.  My nightstand is painted, my craft cabinet is painted and I decided to keep this desk that I painted (for now, anyways).  So, for a bit of a change, I decided to not paint over the pretty wood grain on this piece and to refinish it instead.   It was a little bit more work, but I do like how it turned out. 

And, here it is all spiffed up!
refinished dresser after picture

The wooden knobs that it came with were not original to the piece, so instead of taking the time to
refinish them as well to match (which would have been quite fiddly), I just switched them out to metal ones. 

Check out the lovely grain in this piece.  If anyone knows what kind of wood it is, I'm all ears! 



If anyone is interested in the steps I took to refinish this piece, let me know and I will write a tutorial. 
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35 comments:

  1. Thrifty Crafty GirlJuly 3, 2012 at 10:31 PM

    I love how that turned out! I just refinished an old piece of furniture too, but I think yours turned out a bit better than mine!

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  2. Shabby chic SandyJuly 3, 2012 at 10:40 PM

    very nice piece!

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  3. mwimpJuly 4, 2012 at 8:24 AM

    it looks like pecan wood - i have a piece from my great grandparents and it's pecan. the man that restored it for me said that during that time frame (1920-30's) that was normal esp. for the region it came from (indiana). was urs rickety? mine it and i just don't know how to fix that. my hubby keeps saying screws, screws and more screws. i stand in front of it and tell him no way - there as to be a CORRECT way to fix it. any ideas?

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  4. AnneJuly 4, 2012 at 8:59 AM

    Cynthia,
    What a great find.You did a great job!Not all pieces are meant to be painted.And I like mixing wood with painted pieces.I often end up loading and loading furniture by myself.I usually find things when he is at work so I am on my own.Unless my daughter can help.
    (((Hugs)))
    Anne

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  5. TammyJuly 4, 2012 at 10:54 AM

    I think you made a great choice in not painting it. The wood is absolutely beautiful! I really thought I was going to see the Ameciacn flag on it or Great Britian's. :) Glad you are still in one piece from unloading it yourself!

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    Replies
    1. TammyJuly 6, 2012 at 10:40 PM

      Thank you so much for linking this up to Rustic Restorations Weekend!

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  6. SayuriJuly 4, 2012 at 11:07 AM

    Wow, this turned out BEAUTIFUL!!!
    The top grain pattern is so nice, I love it:)

    You're right, not all the old furniture are meant to be painted,I just bought 1940s console buffet,it's old,chipped,and scratched but it's beautiful as is and I have decided not to painted, maybe refinish like what you just did on your dresser in the future.

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  7. AnonymousJuly 4, 2012 at 11:20 PM

    That is so beautiful! I love the grain lines on the fronts of the drawers and on the top. Yes, definitely too pretty to paint over. Great job on refinishing it.

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  8. Courtney @ Brilliant Like FirefliesJuly 5, 2012 at 9:33 AM

    What an amazing find, and great job refinishing it!

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  9. Peggy JeanJuly 5, 2012 at 10:41 AM

    I love that you left it a natural wood color! Gorgeous job!

    -Peggy

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  10. bonnieJuly 5, 2012 at 10:55 AM

    yes, please do a tutorial

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  11. RoisinJuly 5, 2012 at 5:44 PM

    Yes, I'd love it if you did a tutorial. Thanks. Your piece turned out beautifully.

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  12. JocelynJuly 5, 2012 at 8:53 PM

    I love seeing beautiful wood. You did a great job!

    Jocelyn @
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com

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  13. SuttonsDazeJuly 5, 2012 at 9:23 PM

    Love love love it! I have a similar dresser but I painted the insides of the drawers. Nothing is better than these aged beauties. Great job!

    Came your way via Catch as Catch Can.

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  14. JenniferJuly 5, 2012 at 10:31 PM

    WOW, I love it. I love that you stained it so the pretty wood grains would be the star. SO lovely and classic!

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  15. Jo Coastal Home LoveJuly 6, 2012 at 4:51 AM

    Hi Cynthia, Great job...the timber is so warm and lovely! Jo xx

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  16. Mrs. TresidderJuly 6, 2012 at 8:51 AM

    I like that you made a point to say that not all pieces should be painted. I too love to paint furniture, but each piece needs to be evaluated first.
    You did a beautiful job on this lovely dresser; beautiful grain and the finish compliments it perfectly. Please do post a tutorial!

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  17. Mrs. TresidderJuly 6, 2012 at 8:52 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  18. The Cottage Market {Andrea} ♥July 6, 2012 at 9:11 AM

    WOW...you could not be more right...some pieces just don't need the paint! You did a magnificent job here and your dresser is gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing your beauty with us at Junkin Joes first linky party...it sure does shine! hugs...

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  19. MelissaJuly 6, 2012 at 11:28 AM

    What a makeover! It's nice to see some pieces of furniture maintaining their original look. I love painted pieces, but it's nice to see wood in its natural state too!

    Found you over at The 36th Avenue.

    I'd love for you to link up to my party:

    http://lovingthiscrazylife-melissa.blogspot.com/2012/07/its-piece-o-cake-linky-party-14.html

    Have a great weekend!

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  20. the cape on the cornerJuly 6, 2012 at 12:40 PM

    this looks gorgeous! not everything needs to be a painted!

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  21. LindsayJuly 6, 2012 at 8:38 PM

    My husband won't let me paint wood (he used to stain cabinets for a living). It looks great!!!

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  22. SuttonsDazeJuly 6, 2012 at 9:39 PM

    You always have such wonderful projects, ideas, & makeovers on your blog which just makes visiting that much more fun. I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. You can check out all the info on my blog. Congratulations!

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  23. JenWoodhouse.comJuly 7, 2012 at 8:55 AM

    Stopping over from the Funky Junk link party... looks great! And I love the grain of that wood! Beautiful!

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  24. Little Susie Home MakerJuly 7, 2012 at 1:52 PM

    I agree, this has such pretty wood! You just made it shine!
    Having fun at the Junkin Joe party,
    Susie

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  25. Tani@Tagana RoseJuly 7, 2012 at 10:03 PM

    It turned out great and looks so gorgeous now!!!
    Have a wonderful weekend!
    Best wishes from Australia,
    Tani:)

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  26. Megan GunyanJuly 8, 2012 at 10:07 PM

    I like the natural look as well! It looks wonderful. Great choice!

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  27. andrea@townandprairieJuly 9, 2012 at 11:22 AM

    She is much fresher and brighter! Great job!

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  28. AnnaJuly 10, 2012 at 8:27 AM

    it looks so good, you did a great job re-finishing it. I have a mix of painted and unpainted furniture in my house. If I had something with wood that nice looking I would not want to paint it

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  29. RebeccaJuly 10, 2012 at 8:40 AM

    It looks gorgeous! I really like the choice of knobs also, really pops against the wood.

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  30. Shannah @ Just Us FourJuly 10, 2012 at 1:06 PM

    This is beautiful! I love the change to the metal knobs too. I think it adds some dimension.
    This is a fantastic project! Would you consider linking this up at my Pinworthy Projects Party? I hope to see you there!

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  31. Cassie BustamanteJuly 10, 2012 at 3:59 PM

    beautiful job, cynthia! i love the warm rustic look!

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  32. TraciJuly 12, 2012 at 11:27 PM

    So pretty. As a Colorado girl I love the rustic feel! Found you on MMS FFF.

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  33. MaggyJuly 14, 2012 at 9:14 AM

    Your dresser is gorgeous; you did a FABULOUS job! Love the knobs -- they look perfect with it!

    I, too, would be most grateful if you'd write a tutorial! I recently bought a nice older dresser and would like to refinish it, not paint it, but would love some tips and pointers from others who refinished wood successfully!

    Thanks so much :)

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  34. Kelly ShermanAugust 17, 2012 at 10:46 AM

    This is wonderful. The makeover really brought out the grain in the wood. Great job!

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