Scavenger Chic

Abandoned, Neglected and Ready for a Makeover

• By Joan
• July 24, 2017
• 6 Comments

Normally when you think of curbside rescue you picture a piece of furniture sitting in front of someones house or at least next to a dumpster. This lonely looking dresser was plopped down in the middle of a parking lot.  He looked so sad and lonely I knew I had to bring him home.

Look what I found honey, can I keep him? He was  neglected and abandoned on the street, he has no one.  There were thunderstorms approaching  (this is actually true) and I couldn’t just leave him there.  I’ll take care of him, I promise.

I wrestled the guy into the back of my car. I had forgotten it was already kind of full with a few items I was supposed to take to the dump for my son.  That stuff would just have to move over.

The dresser was not in the best of shape but with dovetailed drawers and solid wood my little orphan was worthy of a makeover.

This side looked like he’d been run over by a truck.

And this side  had some serious veneer problems.

Most of the drawers were intact and solid but this one may have been attacked with a hatchet…I seriously have no idea how you could damage a drawer like that.

I always like to start my projects with the easiest part so it looks like I’ve actually accomplished something.  This time it was the top. A nice coat of paint stripper, a 15 minute wait while I ate breakfast and that paint was bubbling away.  

A little cleaning, a little sanding and the top was beautiful again.

The  hatchet drawer needed several coats of plastic wood and a good sanding to cover up all the dents and dings.

The side that was the biggest challenge was the bubbly veneer side.  

Turns out that it was not just the veneer, the plywood underlayment  had serious damage.  If I had looked inside the dresser I would have had a heads up and seen that the damage went all the way through. 

I cut out the remaining veneer then pried up one layer of plywood just where it was bubbled.

I’m leaving everything that hadn’t bubbled on the plywood level intact and the last layer, even though it has bubbles too, so I have something to attach to.

Cut a sheet of thin plywood, the exact width and length of your opening to cover up all the ugly.

Use builders adhesive to attach.

I added some heavy books and let dry for a few hours. If you have any edge gaps that can’t be covered up with paint, fill those in with a paintable caulk.

The side that looked like it had gotten run over by a truck got a nice sanding…that was just surface stuff.  

An overall final sanding with fine sandpaper and the dresser was ready for painting.

I stained the top a dark walnut and let dry overnight finishing with a couple coats of varnish.

The drawers were painted with a linen chalk paint and finished with wax.

I originally thought that one of the knobs was missing but I found it hiding in a drawer.   Sometime in his life someone had painted the knobs gold.  A lot of the gold was worn off but the remaining gold was sanded down. The knobs were finished with a dark walnut Varathane, stain and poly.

The top drawer that looked like it had been attacked with a hatchet is perfectly smooth now.

This was the side of the dresser that looked like it got ridden over by a truck.  All it needed was a little sanding.

This was the lumpy, bumpy side.  Looks as good as new now.

So fun to give new life to my  sad, abandoned dresser. You may want to reconsider your Grandma’s furniture 🙂

Stay inspired and have a great week.

Shared at Salvaged Junk Projects,

Talk of the Town,  Metamorphosis Monday,

Related posts:

Dumpster Dresser ready for a Makeover Green Chalk Paint Entry Table Painting a Nightstand and Creating an Heirloom Kitchen Island from a Dresser