This little chest started out as a not-so-remarkable dry sink and turned out to be quite the little gem when finished!

See the unremarkable before (above)…but we saw the potential in it!

I started out doing a few minor repairs to the lower part of the unit. One of the legs needed some fill and there were a few minor dents and dings. Next I gave it a good cleaning; not only to the outside but all the drawers and cabinet area too. The top seemed to be in good shape, so we decided to give that a good sanding to see what was underneath. This was the real surprise here!

There was some gorgeous wood hidden underneath all the grime. Since it was in excellent condition, we decided this piece needed to keep that beautiful wood grain top. The lower part of the cabinet would receive paint since it required a few repairs and therefore wouldn’t look so great stained.

After sanding that top smooth with first coarse sand paper, then fine, it received a nice walnut stain and then 4 coats of sealer. (This is what we used as sealant)

The bottom was painted with two coats of creamy off-white chalk paint and sealed with the same sealer as the top.

The existing handles that were on the cabinet were also covered with some terrible grime. I really liked the the style of the handle with the cabinet so I decided to reuse them. I began by cleaning them up with this great cleaner. But once cleaned I didn’t really like the metal underneath! It turned out to be a slightly discolored gold and pinkish color, almost coppery, but NOT very pretty. Sort of cheap looking… Because of the horrible looking metal color, I decided to come up with a plan B!

After some deliberation, it was decided they needed paint! I used the same color chalk paint as the cabinet and then added some antique gold gilding paste to the raised edges. (All I used was my finger and just glided across the backplate and handles. Very easy to do.) But wow! I just loved it! The handles turned out beautifully. They really added a stunning detail to this sweet little dresser and really pulled everything together.

We just love these little dry sink/small dressers. They are such a versatile piece of furniture, great as an entryway table and absolutely wonderful as a bedside table. I have also used them as an end table in my living room! Watch for more of these sweet little pieces being done, we have found our clients really snatch them up!

Shop Our Decor: Hydrangea spray / Wisteria Spray / Vase

 

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