The Dresser

After building the new waterbed, it became obvious that we were in need of a matching dresser.  

My mom's church has a huge garage sale every year, and this year I had some money put back and had my list.  A solid wood dresser was on that list.  The Lord says to ask and it shall be given (Matt 7:7-11).  The dresser was there at the sale, and the price was right at $25!

The color and finish was not what we wanted but it was solid wood, well made, and in good condition.

Once we got it home, the real work began.  I wanted to completely refinish it, and change out all the hardware.  My goal was to give it a bit of a 2-tone color and keep the natural distressing that it's acquired over the years.  To do that I sanded the layers of factory clearcoat and stain....but left a hint of the old finish....

The dresser body plus 9 drawers, a center door, and 2 mirrors....

I started with a heavy grit sandpaper....

Then sanded enough to smooth the wood a bit.  This center door was a real challenge....

As were the mirrors.  Here's a little comparison of before and after...

Once all the pieces were sanded, I began staining.  I wanted to match the finish I had done on the waterbed.  The one on the left has a layer of stain, the one on the right is sanded and ready...

It didn't take long to start to see it all coming together....

I think I matched the finish of the bed pretty well!

We still have to get new drawer pulls and mount the mirrors and center door...

And now to make a headboard and night stands!