When Rinni picked up this dresser, she knew it was going to need a LOT of work to bring it back to life. Thankfully, she was on the lookout for a time intensive project for her dad, who is temporarily living with her (and her twins) while her husband is overseas.
The ability to look past this battered top to see the potential in this piece is surely the mark of a true DIY expert. Rinni and her dad chipped away at the old veneer until the top was smooth, then used a dark walnut stain and a dark wax to bring this dresser back to life. The finished product is a testament to their hard work and to the resilience of vintage wood furniture. Though she originally planned to sell the redone dresser, the end result was so lovely, she and her dad are keeping it.
For the full details and more projects by Rinni, check out her blog Rinni's Playground.
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I was expecting paint and Anthro knobs....nice job!!
Wow! Beautifully done!
I am so glad it was not painted. Sometimes leave well enough alone. This type of simple design would look great in any style of room- even modern. If it was painted- well it would be limited in design.
Oh that is so nice! Three cheers for old wood furniture!
lololol, the one piece most ppl probably would not outright object to painting (even if they would not prefer it), and it actually isn't.
Good work. I wonder if it would have been better to re-veneer? My impression from comments in previous B&As is that this is not as arduous a process as some might expect....
Beautiful! It's amazing that the wood beneath the veneer is so beautiful.
Beautiful job. Thank you for not covering it with white paint!!
looks gorgeous.
It looks fantastic. SO happy it's not another painted piece with neat knobs or multi-color drawers. Great job!
Yay! With all due respect to paint, this wood is too beautiful to cover.
It looks really nice now. I don't mind the painted furniture but we see so much of it, I don't comment unless it's super awesome. Nice to see simple, restored wood. Although it's not a "makeover" in the same way as painting would be, I think I would be happier with this version in my own home.
Wow I actually don't believe it.
Yeah, I'd be keeping it too!
Absolutely beautiful.
gorgeous. thank you for posting towards preserving the beauty of antique furniture and staying true to the term "restoration"
Whoa that looks amazing!
Amazing. Love the wood grain.
I hate posts that just say, "wow." But... Wow!
No frickkin way! Looks awesome, the top looks so nice I don't know why they'd veneer it to begin with.
That's incredible! Nice to see that you kept it simple and knew that the piece had enough beauty on it's own, and didn't need any Mod Podge maps or flowers :-)
lol, TurkeyLurk, I was thinking the same thing!
I'm always pleased when people use furniture wax- it really does a beautiful job and is easier to take care of in the long run (well, I think).
They're lucky the wood underneath the veneer was so nice - that would never happen with modern furniture!
Love the idea of intentionally seeking out a "time-consuming" project for one's dad. If only my father had the skills (and patience) to do this!
Very nice! Refreshing and "real." :)
Wonderful!!
Beautiful! I'm glad they are keeping it - every time she looks at that beautiful piece, she will be thinking of her dad and the work they did together.
Beautiful. Nice to see some wood furniture not painted!
SAH PRETTEHH!
Yes, hard to believe the wood under the veneer is that good. Looks lovely and I agree with all who are grateful you did not paint this dresser. When the wood is nice, don't paint it!
I *just* painted a vintage table that was beyond repair (wanted to stain, but too many deep stains), but this is just great! So impressed, and the imperfections left over just give it character. Good job!
I couldn't figure out what the 2nd picture was! Then I realize it was the top so I expected this to be painted. And I do like some of the dressers I've seen painted because of their creativity. But THANK YOU for keeping it simple and bringing out it's natural beauty. Nicely done.