The Dresser, Such as it Is

Since I made a big hairy deal of the dresser I was refinishing I suppose I should show you the finished product.  I’m not over the moon about it.  It’s only been a few days that I’ve been able to walk past it without grimacing.  Having said that, it is funky and quirky and really livens up our guest bedroom. 

If you’re just joining us this dresser was a salvage from a house that Derek and Dean of Second Bloom in Dorchester stripped last year.  Dean and his wife Sue salvage wood, iron grates and other things from old houses that are set for demolition and create beautiful new custom furniture and decor items from them.  Derek recognized the dresser had good bones, as they say but it had been through a few previous lives that made it impossible to simply refinish. For example, locks had been removed from the drawers and the holes puttied over.  My first attempt to decoupage it with Beatles song sheets went horribly wrong.  It looked like it would work until the next morning when the previously flat and perfect paper developed bubbles and wrinkles.

I tore off as much of the paper as I could and sanded off the rest.  I painted the top white and varnished it.  For the drawers I used naugahyde and decorator’s tape (Duck Tape brand) with a bamboo theme.  For the top drawer pulls I found little hands at Lee Valley and used just regular black pulls on the two bigger, bottom drawers. As I made these choices I had in mind the lamp that would go on top of the dresser. It’s the leg lamp from the classic Christmas show, A Christmas Story.  It’s the one the Dad wins and remarks when he sees the box is marked Fragile:  “Fra-gee-lee – oooh, must be Italian!”

Dresser as described with leg lamp in the centre, a box and small clock radio on the left and a couple of books with a vase shaped like a baby's head on the right

Yes that is a vase shaped like a baby’s head!  I found it at an antique store.  I use it for spare change.  When the baby’s head is full it’s time to go to the bank!  Now here’s a close-up of the drawer pull.

small, black hand held out as if it's about to be kissed, in the centre of a small drawer

The guy at Lee Valley said people either think they’re creepy or cool.  I think they’re cool. Then again I have a vase shaped like a baby’s head for spare change.  Maybe quirky is more accurate.

So that’s the end of that story.  It does brighten up the room and it’s serving a purpose. I no longer want to reduce it to kindling but I sure don’t love it. On to the next project.