Two-Drawer Dresser Makeover

 

Two Drawer Dresser
Before

This cute little two drawer dresser was original much lighter and our customer had wanted a completely different look, so she chose two stain colors, black stain on the body and a warmer wood tone on the drawers and top. It was a great choice. We used “Minwax True Black” and “Varithane Carrington” for the wood tone. The two colors married well to create a dynamically elegant piece of furniture. 

Two Drawer Dresser After

She had also wanted artistic gold tones to highlight the bottom decorative scallop and edging as well as the natural curves along the bottom front and side edges. 

After Jim finished with the stain, I applied a craft ink called “Vegas Gold,” to achieve the accent paint she had wanted. I used a small sponge to dab the ink on the scallop decorative area and switched to a tiny paint brush for the thin criss-cross lines on the drawer fronts. I love doing the “crafty” parts of restoration as this gives it a unique look that stands out from the rest. This one was a real beauty.

Antique Parlor Cane Chair Refinished

Cane Chair Before

Cane Chair After

This was a lovely antique parlor chair with a broken seat that needed new caning. A few areas also needed to be regaled and tightened, otherwise the chair was in great shape. I had done a similar chair in size a couple of years ago and knew this one was of the same era, approximately 1870’s,  making it a true antique. It had nice lines and was a great accent chair. Its soft curves made it perfect for a ladies boudoir.

The first step was to remove the old, broken cane then open up and glue the loose joints, leaving them in clamps overnight. Although the customer didn’t require this chair to be refinished, once it had been glued I removed the cane and determined there was so much grime on the chair from handling over the years that I would go ahead and surprise her with a full strip and refinish. There wasn’t much to it so it didn’t take that long and turned out to be all worth it, a perfect canvas for new caning.

I chose early American stain with a semi-gloss polyurethane (two coats). I always allow the poly to dry completely before beginning the long, tedious process of caning. This I do indoors in winter but love to do it outdoors on my deck in the warmer months. Luckily I have a lovely sunroom with three window walls and have plenty of natural light which is necessary to work on any caning job.

The most difficult part of this is keeping my two cats, Chelsea and Sadie from biting into the cane while I pull it through the slots. Cats think that anything longer than 3” is something worth playing with, i.e. batting at it with their paws or grabbing it between their teeth and tugging in the opposite direction that I need it to go. They absolutely love the scrap cut pieces I toss at them while they jump a foot off the ground to paw at it. But no worries. I don’t allow them to actually bite the cane I’m working on as I don’t want it to break halfway through a pull-through. Caning requires to be soaked, so the kitties also enjoy watching that process. I call them my two “Snoopervisors,” an adequate description for their careful observation with large, green eyes not missing a thing.

All in all, it’s a good system and the end result is as great as it is time-consuming. The customer was very happy with the chair and was surprised at the “bonus” refinishing job. This chair was completed on Christmas Day, after gift opening. Why not work on Christmas? It’s not like I had to cook since my daughter did that. It was indeed a relaxing yet productive Christmas!

To see a couple other small caning chairs, click on these links:
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2017/05/caned-parlor-chair.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2018/11/antique-parlor-chair.html

Waterfall Dressers

Waterfall Dresser Before

One of my favorite furniture styles is from the 1940 era, such as this gorgeous waterfall style dresser. It's named waterfall because the top edge is curved, gently sloping downward in a graceful, flowing style unique to that era.

Many types of furniture featured the waterfall style; cedar chests, tall and low dressers, vanities and footboards. This dresser was one of two dressers in the second bedroom set I had restored. The tall dresser has five drawers, but identical handles, which were still in perfect condition.

But the same thing I love about this style makes it the most

Waterfall Dresser After

challenging to refinish because stripping and sanding that sloping curve so that you are able to expose the bare wood evenly takes patience, time and dedication. This is not something that can be rushed. It has to be done slow to do it right. It also has to be done by hand. It takes longer, but it's worth it as the finished results speak for themselves.

Tall Dresser Before

The tall dresser had a decorative top panel which was attached to the back. We removed this piece so it too could be stripped and refinished separately from the dresser.

The five drawers each had their own personality and

Tall Dresser After

looked different from one another because of the way the veneer was put on the front of the drawers. They were also tricky to put in the correct drawer slots, likely custom fit at the time the dresser was made.

Once the stripping and sanding was complete, we used golden pecan stain, which brought the natural beauty out for these lovely vintage dressers, adding a rich, deep tone in the wood that was hidden beneath years of oxidation and dust. Now these dresser can live on to be used for the next generation for many years to come.

Old Oak Dresser

Oak Dresser Before

Oak Dresser After Paint

A great estate sale find! We estimated this dresser to be about 80 years old and it showed as it needed more than cosmetic work. The interior was a bit chopped up and the exterior was in rough shape, so we chose to paint instead of refinish this piece. It was absolutely the right choice because the end result was a stunning old dresser with a "new" contemporary look.

We replaced the original wooden handles with modern glass handles, and replaced the missing center skeleton key lock holes with new brass ones. The knobs became the "jewelry" for this stunning piece of now usable piece.

When the wood doesn't look good, paint does the trick!

Check out another great dresser we've breathed new life into:

http://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2014/12/charlevoix-cherry-antique-dresser.html

Antique Recliner

Recliner Before

My black buffet customer had a second piece of furniture she wanted

Recliner After

refinished, this antique recliner. This was an unusual piece since it had a brass bar that held the back of the chair in place. The way to turn this from a sitting position into a reclining position was to lower the bar manually. (This was built long before the days of La-Z-Boy!) It was made of solid tiger oak, very solid and sturdy.

We replaced the hinges with new brass ones. Someone had butchered the original hinges, cutting one of them to make it fit. We cleaned up the brass bar and polished it as well as the rest of the brass on the back of the chair. This piece had some great details, which were greatly accentuated upon completion.