Morgan from The Brick House has shared her latest thrift find with us: an aged, tall dresser in need of some sprucing up. She uses an old wood regimen to breathe life into her vintage finds. The process is actually quite easy to do and the outcome is amazing.
While there are plenty of "how to’s" when it comes to reviving vintage wood, what I like about Morgan’s is her message about vintage pieces in general: they had a previous life. The harder the life they had, the cheaper it might be to give them a new one.
Morgan says this regarding her dresser:
Over the last sixty years it’s been used and misused. Vintage wear and tear goes with the thrifty territory, but I prefer to live with furniture that’s been well used and developed an understandable patina. This way, instead of fearfully living with a perfect museum piece, you can knock stuff around and use pieces day in and day out without getting heartbroken if something gets dinged or nicked.
After reading her preference, I raised my hand and sent her an imaginary high five. My house is full of those pieces. Just about every piece has at least one scratch or dent that’s on there for good. Morgan calls that aged wear "character" and she doesn’t mind adding to it. I feel the same and will use Morgan’s wood regimen on each piece all the while accepting those flaws and appreciating them as "character."
• Read More:
Morgan's Vintage Wood Regimen: Refreshing Vintage Wood at The Brick House
Morgan's Thrifted Tall Dresser: Thrifty at The Brick House
(Images: The Brick House)
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SO glad it was refreshed and not painted! So sick of people painting nice furniture simply for a change.
Looks great :)
I love Danish oil! Super easy product to use. I actually just did 2 dressers and may use it on a desk soon.
Beautiful work!
I have the same dresser and it has marks on it where someone put multiple stickers and then peeled them off. What do I do about that?
YES. Our house is full of these for the exact same reason. I work in museums, I don't want to live in one. Plus, the curator/historian in me would be terrified of nicking or dinging or putting water rings on a perfect historical piece.
My favorites are 1930s and '40s versions of Federal style furniture. It's still solid wood, but it's cheaper than modern solid wood furniture and comparable to new particle board crap. We've so far gotten a mahogany highboy, rock maple dresser/night stand, mahogany(?) armoire/chiffarobe, cherry secretary desk with glass-doored hutch, and an adorable dark wood bar on wheeled legs. Love it.
I generally clean with murphy's oil soap and then polish with Old English scratch cover in dark wood. It gives a nice luster and covers up the nicks, scratches, and chipped veneer.
Oh, and @pedalpowered - I would try a citrus-oil-based cleaner like orange goo-gone if there's still any residue and then use scratch cover to fill in any finish that's been taken off.