Remember that 80’s Drexel dresser I recently snagged for a friend?  The stain wasn’t my favorite and it had several chipped areas in the veneer, but that hardware.  Oh the hardware!  Brass flip handles that recessed completely into the fronts, with corner brackets.

The coloring is a little off in both the above and below photos, but the worst part was the speckled, wavy finish.

Usually I prefer to completely refinish wooden furniture, but the missing parts of veneer just wouldn’t allow a new stain finish.  Instead, I sanded everything down with 120 grit to prepare for paint.  Sadly, the unstained wood grain was really pretty and made me wish there was a way to keep it natural.

Instead, I filled the missing areas, knowing the dresser would also look amazing with a simple white finish.  To prevent any stains from seeping through, I applied two coats of Kilz primer.

For a durable, satin sheen, I rolled on three coats of Sherwin Williams Pro Classic paint in Snowbound.

Overall, transforming this dresser took about 8 hours, but it shines like the gem it is now.  Look at that hardware; it’s not all wall flower blending in, rather standing out, demanding the attention it deserves.

Those corners add just enough detail to keep the frame interesting.

Fortunately, my friend also loves the new look and will pick it up soon.  In the mean time, I photoshopped it into our bedroom, just to see what it would look like.

I’m kicking around some ideas to put the area at the foot of the bed to use.  Stay tuned for more on that soon.