Some of you might remember when I showed you the vanity in my dressing room.
Well, it may not look like it in the picture, but it was in horrible shape.
I covered it with all sorts of things to hide the damaged veneer, but it really needed to be fixed. Plus it was kind of dirty looking from sitting in an industrial shop for years. I had polished it, but it never looked right.
Anyway, one day I had enough of looking at it and went to work.
I'd never done anything like this, but I figured the worst thing that would happen is that I would end up having to paint it and if you know me and my hatred of painted antiques, you know that's a very last resort ;)
I started where it was coming up and it was pretty easy going at first.
And then I realized that I was just removing the top layer.
This is about the time when I asked myself what the hell I was thinking.
Many hours later, I brought out the sander which helped get the glued on second layer of the veneer off.
Good Lord.... look at the mess!
I got a little carried away while I was chipping it off, so I used some wood putty to fill the craters chips.
All sanded and ready to stain :)
Although, a stain might have ended up looking better, I just used Briwax, because it's easy to apply and it doesn't make any rings when you set a drinking glass on it.
Much better!
Now for the very sad drawers.
Taking off the hardware was easy peasy.
Before...
After sanding...
And a coat of Briwax.
Drawers before...
Drawers after...
And done!
Well, except for trying to get all the dust and wood chips out of the carpet ;)
Anyway, I think it looks much better.
By the way, I haven't had time to visit all of you or to reply to comments lately, partly because of projects like this, but things are slowing down now, so you'll be seeing me around :)
xo
rue
That looks great! Wow! I've never been that brave. Those veneer pieces that I passed on are all flashing through my mind now. Oh, for wood shards, try rolling duct tape around backwards on the roll and roll it over the carpet. Will at least pick up quite a few slivers - like a powerful lint roller 😊 Have a beautiful evening.
ReplyDeleteGreat job Rue. It now looks so rich! I don't like painting antique pieces either.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Friday and a wonderful weekend ~ FlowerLady
Well done! You must love it!!
ReplyDeleteMy mom has stripped and sanded a few pieces of furniture back in the day and it was worth it. Yours turned out beautiful, did it have an attached mirror at one time? And the drawer pulls, gorgeous! I love vanities:).
ReplyDeleteKathleen in Az
I don't believe it had a mirror, but I could be wrong. If it did, it's sadly long gone.
Deletexo
It is gorgeous! What a great idea to use the Briwax.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Deb!
Deletexo
Wow! Your project turned out fabulous!!! You make me want to take on an old treadle sewing machine. I always enjoy seeing what you've been doing. fondly ~ Lynne ~
ReplyDeleteVery nice! We have a lot of mid-century furniture around here that could use some serious love. I am always afraid to do anything because I don't want to ruin any of it. But I may tackle the coffee table soon as it spent years in a garage and is ick. Maybe I should get a small sander?
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful difference!
ReplyDeleteClever girl! Looks lovely! I love turning ducklings into swans...
ReplyDeleteI do too, Pat and thank you!
Deletexo
What a beautiful job! It looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great! Glad you saved those Bakelite handles. Sally
ReplyDeleteI ran into the same problem with a coffee table I redid once. It was a real mess! Your finished product is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Lots of work, but look at your finished product. It will terrific! Great job Rue
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend
Jeannette
Thank you, Jeannette!
Deletexo
Goodness! What wonderful change you made with a lot of elbow grease. (Smile) I'm not brave enough to try such a project. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Billie :)
DeleteIt took me about 6 years to finally do it, so I'm not really that brave either lol
xo
Rue, this is an amazing redo! It absolutely shines! Kudos to you for a job well done!
ReplyDeleteMagnificent! You did a lovely job; you are such an artist.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous job, Rue! I can't believe how much work you did. I can see that in the long run, it was worth it. That is such a beautiful piece of furniture.
ReplyDeleteIt is improved, and if you like ti that is all that matters!
ReplyDeleteIt looks terrific! So glad you didn't paint it...that would have been a sacrilege! ;)
ReplyDeleteIt would have been! lol Thank you, Donamae :)
Deletexo
Very nice!
ReplyDeleteGrace & Peace,
Pam
Wow you did an amazing job!! I would have never thought to take of the veneer, I didn't know it would look so good!
ReplyDeleteYou are an amazingly brave woman to tackle that veneer! I would have probably freaked out about halfway through!! Looks amazing, Rue!! Xo
ReplyDeleteWow Rue what a great job. It looks fabulous.
ReplyDeleteHappy Weekend.
Kris
What an awesome job you have done on your dressing table! I used to refinish furniture, there is a lot of work, but when I see the end result, it was so worth all the effort! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSue
Wow! That was impressive! I am working on a table... I am encouraged. xoxo Su
ReplyDeleteWell done !!!
ReplyDeleteI must say I was a bit afraid when I saw the first pictures but in the end it was amazing ! Such a good work !
fantastic job, rue!
ReplyDeleteand thank you for the product tip!
Great job on the desk! And I love your needlepoint chair!😍
ReplyDeleteGorgeous job, Rue. It looks fabulous. This is a great example of what kind of wood is under a veneer.
ReplyDeleteI am really impressed Rue, what a fabulous job you've made of this. It looks brilliant.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
my heavens it is a lot of work. It's beautiful! Hard work paid off.
ReplyDeleteLooks awesome!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a transformation! The Briwax really brought out the wood grain and warm tones of the wood- beautiful. I've never heard of Briwax before, I'll, need to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteXO,
Melissa
What a transformation! I too have started projects before and then thought to myself...what was I thinking...lol! Your thinking was spot on though because it looks beautiful. Happy Sunday evening!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Vicky
It looks lovely! I have always been afraid to tackle a project where the veneer is coming up and I couldn't just glue it back down. Now that I see what a wonderful transformation your vanity has undergone, you have given me the confidence to try it myself. Thank you friend!
ReplyDeleteYou amaze me, Rue. I can't imagine all that work but it was sure worth it. A truly beautiful job on a wonderful piece of furniture that really fits in your old fashioned life. And that wax, must write that down for future projects.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing transformation, Rue! The whorls on the drawers are gorgeous. The whole dresser became an heirloom.
ReplyDeleteNice job Rue! It looks really lovely. Some people are loathe to restore old furniture but I always feel that the original owner would like it done.
ReplyDeleteLots of work I am sure but it turned out so well. I think you were smart using Briwax.
It looks amazing ; you did a wonderful job!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how much effort it took, but it turned out great.
ReplyDeleteLooks fantastic! Great job, Rue. I once took veneer off a beat up table, and on the pesky pieces that wouldn't come up I used a steam iron. It works pretty well, but definitely not something one should do with ones good iron. Just sayin'. ;)
ReplyDeleteBravo! You put a lot of work into this project, but it paid off with a piece that you can be very proud of. Striping off old veneer can be a tricky process. I love it!
ReplyDeleteConnie :)
It is amazing what a little love.....I mean hard work will do for a piece. Great job, looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteGee... missing your posts!!
ReplyDeleteHope all is well.
diana in illinois
So sorry, Diana! I've been awfully busy, but things have slowed down. I hope to be posting more.
DeleteThank you for missing my posts!
xo