My First Rehab Project

I just finished restoring my first piece of antique furniture and it was the most rewarding thing I've done in years. Who knew this abandoned old wooden dresser on wheels I picked up from a hole-in-the-wall antique store would clean up so nicely? It's safe to say I've just fallen in love with the art of rehabbing. This all started a few days ago, after my older sister hired me to do her furniture shopping while she and her husband get ready to buy a house down here in Florida. I mean, it's the least I could do while she freezes AND works her ass off for the Post (NY) while I'm down here living one day at a time soaking up the sunny sun. I'm in school for interior design, so how could I say no? I live for this stuff.
I plan to do more restorations in the future, so in order to keep track of them all I've started this blog. I'm no expert, but I grew up learning from my Dad who's pretty handy and is a stickler for doing things the right way the first time.
Here's what I did:
1. Find a quality piece of wooden furniture. The thing is, furniture was made to last in the 30s 40s and 50s. It wasn't until recently that it was barely-made and only falls apart to be bought again. That's why I love antiques. They hold so much history and beauty and a lot of them are still in good condition today, and could last for years to come with just a little TLC.
2. Clean it up. Grab a warm rag with dish soap and wipe away any old lady or storage locker-like smells. In cases like mine, there's some lovely drawer wallpaper that's more than likely falling apart but tricky to get up. The easiest way to remove it is this enzyme wallpaper stripper goo called DIF. Paint it on with a brush, let sit for 5-10 minutes, and it practically scrapes off for you.

 

3. Sand, sand, sand! The most work you're going to do is prepwork, but after that it's all down hill. Start with the coarsest sandpaper (150grit) and work your way in the direction of the grain and finish off with a super fine grit. Do this and it will be smooth like glass. Clean loose grit with a warm rag and dry off.
4. Prime. Use a tackcloth (found it in Sherwin) to remove any dust and leftover grit. Then add pre-stain.
5. Go balls out! Pick a stain and lather it on towards the grain. I chose ebony and added some fun knobs from Pier1. I think it turned out pretty amazing... you be the judge!