A tall order: Antique Dresser & Mirror

I was given a little creative freedom with this piece, but surprisingly, I wanted to keep it neutral and classic. This was a custom order by my husband's co-worker's wife. This was one of two pieces she had brought to me, and this was a family piece. It came out of her parent's home in Mississippi, and had seen it's fair share of damage. 

To start, the heat had taken it's toll on the wood. If you leave furniture in a garage where the temperature is constantly changing, especially in humidity, the wood will expand and contract and that's why wood can appear warped. There was also holes and cracks that required filling and sanding, and we had to add and replace drawer guides and stops.

As a side note: we are not furniture repair professionals. We don't carry licenses or certifications that say we are. But, to be honest, it's not that difficult to repair furniture so long as your methods are secure, and have a decent carpenter's technique. Youtube and Pinterest are our BFF's.

I chose to go with the two-tone wood and paint contrast. This combo is my favorite! I used a shellac based primer (2 coats) and General Finishes "Antique White" (4 coats). I sealed the paint in General Finishes HP Top Coat in Satin and sealed the wood, stained in General Finishes "Java," in their wipe on poly.

Now that the summer months are approaching, it's important to follow the guidelines regarding drying and application times. I had a few issues with stain coming off during application of poly because it was not completely dry. It was dry to the touch, but not ready for poly application even after 24 hours wait. When in doubt, bring your furniture inside if you can and let it dry a minimum of 48 hours when working with oil based products. 

The top on this piece was very old, which I loved because it had all the character of an antique and the stain absorbed so richly. I loved that the owner wanted to keep everything original from the mirror, to the top, to the knobs. 

These are the original glass knobs. They were grimy, rusty and caked with residue. I soaked them in vinegar for 20 minutes and used an old toothbrush make them gleam!

This lovely wreath was made for me to use for staging my furniture. When I put it up on the mirror, I couldn't dare take away from it so thats why I didn't stage the dresser. And no this mirror is not dirty. I cleaned it like a million times and it's just the cloudiness and rusting from it's age.