Finding the "New" in the "Old"...

I love a good furniture re-do don’t you?  Taking something that looks like it belongs on the curb for the garbage man to dispose of and turning it into a cherished piece for our home.

That’s kinda how this little Craigslist find was for me.  I didn’t really want to buy anything that day.  Honestly!  

Actually, I was researching and trying to get an idea of how much to price some things that I was trying to get rid of when I spotted her. (that's my story and I'm sticking to it)

There she was…all brown and banged up with her little tear-drop handles all covered in rust.  She was just crying for some love!  I wish I had a photo to share of her before her makeover but somewhere between start to finish…the before photos were lost.  UGH!

Suffice to say, she looked a bit like this… 

  

But oh did she have potential!  In all honesty, I have a thing for old vintage things in their original state.  I could’ve just lived with her as is if not for the horrific smell!

I’m thinking she was used as a kitty litter box…or close to one???  It was bad people!

So I busted out the sander and went to town.  There wasn't much left of the original finish so sanding went pretty quickly.

First I used a 120 grit sandpaper all over to take off all the paint splatter covering her and give her a smooth finish.  My initial thought was to restore her back to her original beauty but the more I sanded, the more I realized that was not going to be possible.

The wood had some cracks in it that needed to be filled and some warping issues that needed, well some caulk!  So I had to come up with a new plan of action.

In came a sample pot of Behr paint that I’d gotten in Antique Tin.  I loved the color and just had to get a sample of it…but had no clue where I was going to use it. 

Considering it’s a small piece, I figured this would be the perfect place to try it out!

I removed the drawers, tapped off the top, slapped on a face mask and filled up my paint sprayer with paint and off to paint’in I went!

After the first coat of paint dried, I sanded it lightly with 220 grit paper and then applied a second coat…sanded again with 220 grit then applied a light third coat for good measure.

In between coats of paint on the chest, I started staining the drawers.  I used my all time favorite stain, Minwax in Special Walnut.  LOVE IT!  Can never go wrong with it.

Once the chest was done drying, I applied three coats of the same stain to the top, let that dry for 24 hours and then applied a coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax to the entire piece…let it sit for 24 hours, applied a second coat of Wax…waited 24 hours and then buffed her to a shine!    

I just love the way she turned out...don't you?

She's the perfect blend of rustic and chic!

You may find this post partying in the following places:

Monday:  Debbie Doos - The Girl Creative - Skip to My Lou - Craft O Maniac - Lisa's Craft Blog - The DIY Show Off -Everything Under the Moon

Tuesday:  Not Just A Housewife - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Clean and Scentsible - Crazy For Crust - recipes - Uncommon Designs

Wednesday:  Savvy Southern Style - Seven Thirty-Three - Someday Crafts - Michele Raven Designs/

Thursday:  Delightful Order - Something Swanky - Recipes - The How To Mommy - A Little Nosh          

Friday:  Dwell on Joy- Finding Fabulous - Chic on a Shoestring Decorating - Fingerprints on the Fridge - Shabby Nest - Whipperberry – Miss Mustard Seed - French Country Cottage - Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate), Bacon Time, Fusion Friday (Jane Deere Blog).