Jill picked up this old dresser for $25 with the intention of refinishing it as a gift to her brother. In order to match some of the other furnishings her brother already has, Jill decided to go dark with this blond dresser…
After removing the old handles from the dresser and doing a little patching, Jill stained the dresser a bit darker. To further modernize the piece she replaced the old handles with new, shiny drawer pulls. The juxtaposition of dark wood with shiny stainless handles gives the dresser a modern and masculine look.
Check out the full post, along with many other before and after projects, on Jill's blog — Junky Vagabond: A Walk on the Masculine Side.
(Images: Junky Vagabond)
Before & After: Emily Henderson Transforms a Senior's Studio Space
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Four-P...
On Saying No to Paleo: Why Eating Isn't One Size Fits All
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
Gorgeous!!
incredible! I love it!
Oohhh Sexy!
one of the best before & after's! simple updates for a huge impact. love it!
I am so glad she didn't paint over the dresser....she made it look modern without taking away the integrity of the wood. Wonderful!!
I'm so imagining this in a gorgeous room... totally my cup of tea ! The handles are an amazing touch that really finishes the piece off !
Nice!!
One of the best before/afters.
Ooooooohhhhh.... lovely. Manly, yes-- but I like it too!
And I'm not being spelling/typo gestapo, I swear-- mostly because I suspect it's more of a Freudian slip. I know it would be in my case, because I often call my sib my "bother" too :-}
I actually like the before AND after. Agree with 'R.K'; thanks for not painting over.
REALLY NICE JOB.
A nice, classic piece. Good refinishing job. What is the top surface? For me the new stainless handles ruin it, but obviously most people like them.
Great makeover. I was fearing one of the horrible paint jobs we've seen lately, but this kept the wood, albeit darker, and added contemporary handles that mimic the originals. Overall, a great homage to the original design while adding a modern flair -- good work!
Amazing!
Wow, that's really beautiful!
love love LOVE! And, I think this might be the first Before & After without a single, negative comment from ATers---you should feel proud, Jill!
Me likee the refinishing, as it brings out the wood grain. Me likee the metal handles. Me NO likee the metal handles with the dresser as they are not integral with the rest of the trim on the dresser. I hope you kept the handles and someday someone will put them back (possibly with a contrasting stain).
Beautiful. Love the handles... I think they were a great choice.
Wow! where on earth did you find those handles?!
Nice job, preserving the quality of the original piece and amping up the modern edge!!
Can I have the old handles?
Wowwwww, it looks fantastic! I wasn't expecting it to turn out as amazing as it did; well done!
i liked the before - is this a Haywood-wakefield piece? The handles were so art-deco elegant. Shame to mess with that.
Oooh, it's beautiful!
Refreshing to see stain as opposed to paint
I don't think the new handles modernize it at all. It looks to me like a beautiful late 30's piece. I love it.
really nice. kudos
Beautiful !!!!
That's gorgeous! Yay for not painting over the wood!
Everything about this Before&After is perfect. I'm swooning!
Thanks everyone for the lovely (and sometimes constructive) comments! To answer a few of the questions:
1) this was not a Haywood-Wakefield piece
2) I did keep the original handles and plan to use them somewhere else
3) I got the handles online but don't remember from where. If some really wants to know, email me and I'll search for them again.
I love it, and most importantly, my brother absolutely loves it.
This is perhaps the best dresser revival I've ever seen. I'm curious, though, how much those (cool!) new handles cost. My guess would be much, much more than the cost of the dresser itself...
IzzyIzzy: they were $48 total and I justified the extra cost by knowing the dresser was going to my very deserving brother. As a result of years of Air Force wandering, and then law-school-induced poverty, he hasn't had a proper dresser for 20 years! It was a gift from a big sis to her much loved little brother.
It's all about the hardware!
Would still look great without the stain.
I'm not usually a fan of stained wood (yeah I know..I'm crazy) but this is really a beautiful transformation, especially if it's for a dude. Great job!
This is how you freakin do it! Looks great!
I agree with Patmac above. While I did like the old handles, the new ones work for me too. I can visualize Jeeves opening up the drawer for Wooster's socks.
So glad it was stained and not painted!
Absolutely gorgeous. A perfect transformation!
THIS is how you do a before and after! Wonderful
Very handsome. Lucky brother :)
wowie zowie!!!! Amazing!
I loooove it!!! I now need to be on a search for a dresser like that on craigslist.
Awesome. Can I be her brother's boyfriend???
Great job! Lovely!
Love those handles!
Wow well done. What a beautiful transformation. Those handles are worth every penny. Great Job!!!!
Shouldn't someone be commenting and saying she should have painted it and stuck wallpaper to it? ;-)
I do agree with some of the commenters that I personally liked the old handles better. I think that a lot of the personality and uniqueness in the original piece came from the handles. But, if you needed something more sleek and modern to blend in with your brothers decor, then bravo on a gorgeous choice. I do love that you found new handles that echo the arch of the original. And the job you did refinishing the rest of the piece is fantastic. Overall, a really great job and very inspiring!
ACK! I can't believe you removed those gorgeous deco-like handles!
So hot!!!
*stands up and applauds*
Love the new look! The darker colour has more richness and shows off the grain so well. For me the handles are a huge improvement, adding a contemporary feel to the piece and more personality. Practically speaking, I also much prefer a handle one can curl one's fingers around to open rather than the original handles which one needs to 'pinch grip' to open. What a lucky brother!
Love, love, love! I think the dark stain is a perfect color choice, particularly when matched with the metal.
I love this!
Wow! :)
hmm... i guess im a minority here, but i think it looks dingy. i wish you had made it alot darker! maybe a warm dark red stain. but i love the new hardware!