It all started when my husband asked me to marry him. After saying yes and the initial shock and excitement of that moment began to wear off, the planning commenced! I knew from the beginning I wanted a simple, yet chic wedding with lots and lots of vintage flair. I figured it made sense because of the love I have for all things from the past, especially furniture! Early on, I knew I wanted our guest table to feature a beautiful antique one-of-a-kind that has been restored to its former glory by me. My husband and I found this dresser tucked in the very back corner of a local antique shop one day with a ton of other items stacked on top of it. It was in such a deteriorating condition we actually passed on it at first, which is rather surprising since I generally tend to go for the pieces that need the most work! However, after we left, I could not stop thinking about it and made my husband turn back for it before we made it all the way home.
Work on the huge transformation began immediately. The oak veneer on the side panels of the dresser experienced severe water damage and turned brittle, leaving the veneer cracked and lifted; beyond repair. So, the first thing that had to be done was to remove the existing damaged veneer and tediously re-apply new oak veneer. Next, the dresser top, legs and drawer faces were stripped and sanded down and prepped for stain and finish. To really bring out the beautiful oak grain pattern, I selected General Finishes infamous Java Gel Stain. It was then sealed by a hand-rubbed technique with General Finishes Satin Wipe On Polyurethane that added a lovely antiqued patina. The dresser side panels and the pieces in between the drawers were painted using General Finishes Antique White Milk Paint and sealed with Flat Out Flat Top Coat. The dresser also features its original brass escutcheons, Regency style lion handle pulls and stunning decoupage lined drawers. After the immense amount of love that went into this piece, and after all of the blood, sweat, and tears, this piece was truly restored to its former glory and was absolutely perfect for the day my husband and I said "I do."
