Painted and Stained Craigslist Dresser

I bought this little dresser from Craigslist, just a couple of weeks after we moved in to the new house. So, it sat in my garage while I got more important things done, like unpacking!

The poor thing looked nothing like it does now. It was all a lighter shade of brown. Nothing exciting at all. There was also a lot of wood damage to the top and to some portions of the sides at the bottom.

I have just realized that I never took any before pictures of this dresser. How is that possible? My brain was way to overloaded during moving time, and my husband was away right after we moved. That is my excuse.....

Anyways, although it is not my style, it was a well made piece with dove tail drawers, and solid wood, and I thought it was a little interesting. Mainly, though, it was going to fit perfectly in the space I was intending it for!

The top of it was in rough shape. There had been some patch jobs in the past, and the finish was bubbled in a large area. I did a major sand with my little mouse smoothed out the finish. I chipped away the old patch jobs, which I think also involved glue for some reason...... Then I used stainable and paintable wood filler to fill the patches. It took me at least 3 coats, with sanding in between, to get them filled and smooth.

Here is a close up of that area. I was dissapointed with how the "stainable" wood filler looked. It did not take the color well and looked like sawdust. I thought about just painting the entire thing, but that was too much work. I needed to start using it ASAP. I have NO.PATIENCE....at...all...

One area is mostly covered by a little lamp, and the other area in the front does not bother me as much as I thought it would. Maybe that is because it is between 2 chairs and is not something that you walk by and look down at, as you would in a foyer for example.

I switched out the knobs on the top 2 drawers for glass ones from Hobby Lobby. The metal post that you can see from the front was silver. I just used a little Rub N Buff to change the color to gold. Yes, I know I ruined the finish by having larger knobs on before I found these...... I promise it is not as noticeable in real life...

The hardware for the bottom 3 drawers is original, and was hideous. The center portion had a faux wood paint treatment on it. The ends were dull and dark. With my dad's help we sanded them to ready them to accept spray paint. When we did that we found that they were shiny gold underneath. I was planning to spray them gold..... so...... we soaked them in paint thinner for about an hour. I kept checking them and brushing off the paint with an old toothbrush. Eventually, I just used some fine sandpaper and it took all the old paint off. Next, I used Brasso to polish the handle and end part, getting all the old black dirt off. I love the finished result. Antiqued gold! Just what I wanted.

Here are some more angles of the dresser. I love how it turned out and it provides a ton of hidden storage.

I hope you like the dresser as much as I do. I promise I will try to remember to take Before pictures for the next project!

Today I am linking up with these great blogs: The Craft Dictator, The Pin Junkie, DIY Vintage Chic, Miss Mustard Seed, Southern Hospitality, Green Willow Pond
Confessions of a Serial DIYer

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Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!!!!