TA....DAAAA IT IS FINISHED! This old dresser turned out to be even nicer looking than I thought it would. My DH was very surprised!
What I was most happy about was purchasing Low VOC/Odorless stains. I have to say, stain has come a long long way baby! Near as I can tell we found there were no "off gases" either. Once the stain was dried we moved it into the bedroom right away. My DH is highly allergic to paint and stains - we are talking serious here and he had no problem what so ever.
Remember this picture?
Well, in all honesty, this dresser sat in my hallway for 4 weeks. I knew I would have to get to it, but I was afraid of getting sick from the stains. You are probably wondering - why subject myself to the chemicals? The truth is I really enjoy the process of refinishing furniture. I have not done it a lot, but the pieces I have worked on turned out beautiful, the cost was way cheaper than buying brand new, and it was fun.
I did not do before and after pictures on this Buffet Side Board, but here is a picture of it finished - the picture is somewhat dark - but you get the idea right?
Back to the dresser. In total the costs were very reasonable : $15.00 for the dresser, $15.98 for the stain, and $35.99 for the hardware: total: $66.97 - how awesome is that?
Now - back to the stains. I applied the coat of stain to the dresser, (windows, doors open, with a fan blowing) and although it was not completely odorless, it was darn close. I did have a slight head ache and felt a bit "off" for an hour or two - but compared to stains I used years ago? Way, way better! During the staining process, I am happy to say my DH had no problem at all.
Then the next day, came the application of the Oil Based Hybrid Vanish. This was amazing - virtually no odor at all! Once the first coat was applied, three hours later it needed a light sanding, and a second coat of varnish. This time I got no headache and I felt good as new.
Here is a side view - see the tongue and groove drawers? They sure do not make them like that anymore.
Then we needed to buy new drawer handles....cheap tacky looking brass would not do. The handles we bought were labeled "Matte Black" which goes well with our Wrought Iron Bed. Here are a few more views:
And a side view:
I love my new dresser. It may not be everyone's style (my daughter loves ultra modern) but it is mine. For $66.97, some elbow grease... you gotta love that.  🙂
That's a very pretty dresser! Using good old elbow grease is so cathartic, isn't it? I used to love to finish furniture too...too busy now, but maybe someday when the kids get older I'll get back to it. I love the dresser - great job! 🙂
Thanks Erin! It was indeed a pleasure to do! 🙂
It IS beautiful!
Thanks Janet...it was fun to do too! 🙂
Yay!
It looks lovely!
Thanks Asmita - we are sure happy with it! 🙂
Waw! The furniture looks so beautiful! A though job well done, Ina! 🙂 You should be very proud!
Congrats too on buying your own company! 😉 xxx
Thanks Sophie! Good thing the dresser was finished before work got sooo busy! 🙂
I love the fun things you share on your blog. It just shows your talents go way beyond the garden and kitchen. Thanks for sharing!
Karen
Thanks Karen for your kind words! 🙂
What a stunner, such a nice piece of furniture may even encourage someone like me to actually put clothes in it and not on the floor or left in the dryer. I have a table I'm working on right now, well actually I'm typing on it right now, but I know the spirit will move me shortly. I'll be using a product called Seafin, it's used on marine surfaces -- that should help when I drip coffee on it. 😉
Thanks Tom...you make me laugh! I am sure this Seafin will most definitely do the trick! Have fun staining... 🙂
I have a dresser just like this! The only difference is the handles, mine has bakelite handles. I love the dresser. I didn't restore mine, my next door neighbor did it for me 🙂 I admire that you did this yourself.
Thanks Carol it was fun doing the restoration. Sounds like you have a great neighbor! 🙂
Wow! What a transformation a stain does! Great job 🙂
Thanks Kiran - we were quite pleased with how it turned out too! 🙂
Thanks Kiran - we were pleasantly surprised at how well the stain turned out! 🙂
Gorgeous job, Ina!! Will definitely be using that type of stain in the future, too. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Shirley
Thanks Shirley! Happy to share...the stains were great compared to yesteryear! 🙂