Distressed Dresser and Night Table

For years I have been using boring and junky MDF dressers, usually found on the side of the road (though I do love free things) I had been keeping my eye out for something better.
Due to my Grandma downsizing we were given a really good quality dresser and night stand set that she had bought in 1956.
Extremely heavy, well built and beautiful and other then some water damage on the top of the dresser, in great condition. I didn't like the color of the finish as it didn't match our bed frame or anything else, so I decided to refinish it. I really love the white distressed vintage look, So I decided to go for a nice creamy white. We happened to be at Canadian Tire while they were given away miss tinted 1 gallons of paint (Yay! free!) I didn't get much of a choice of color, but it was free! The total cost of the project was about $56, not to bad! To repaint the hardware I used a nice black gloss spray paint I already had. I chose to use a eco friendly stripper, as I was going to be doing this inside.
The the thing  took about 12 hours as I sanded it by hand, which took a very very very long time. Borrow  a power sander if you don't have one. Trust me.

Before

You will need
- A piece hard wood furniture
- Furniture stripper ( I used EZ Strip, from Home Depot)
-Tupperware fro stipper
-Brush for stipper
-Scouring pads or steel wool
-Paint scraper
-Sand paper (I used 80, 100 and 150)

-Gloves
-Drop sheet
-Paint
-Painting suplys


 1. Remove hardware and set aside for painting later




2. Apply a layer of stripper, following the instructions on the container. I found that using a really really thick layer did NOT make it come off better it made more of a mess, I had to let it sit for about 40 mins.



3. This is a really good time to paint the hardware

4. Scrape, scrape and scrape some more. I used used steel wool and Scouring pads on the round legs.

5. Once all the paint is off, give it  a good wipe down with a wet cloth to remove any residue.

6. Sand, sand and sand some more.

7. apply your first coat of paint, be patient so you don't get any runs.


8. Once the paint is dry, With 150 grit sandpaper, distress and "high traffic areas" such as corners, edges and around the drawers. If you want to chip the paint in any areas, go wild with any kind of tool. (this is the fun part!)

9.Wipe off the sanding dust, replace hardware. and congratulate your self on a job well done!