When is it better to save the original finish on a piece instead of stripping or sanding to bare wood? That is what I ran into with this old dresser where the finish had darkened and alligatored over the years.
There was much work to be done inside. Beginning with gluing loose dovetails and replacing drawer bottoms to adding missing drawer guides and drawer stops to prevent drawers from tipping down when pulled out. Once all the drawers were sound and sliding nicely it was time for the outside. Time to step back and take a look at the dresser and decide how to accent the positives and down play the negatives. The solid oak top was in fair condition so I decided to sand and stain it while still keeping a rustic feel.
I cleaned the outside with TSP and lightly sanded with 220 grit paper. A coat of clear shellac was then applied to prevent any bleed through.
I planned to paint the dresser in a soft white and because the original finish had darkened to almost black I decided to use it as an accent to the white. I painted a light coat of white and let some of the original finish show through the white, always being careful not to paint the edges of the drawers or the inside edge of drawer openings in the dresser. After the paint dried I lightly distressed using 220 grit paper, adding wear marks around edges of drawers and in spots where natural wear would happen. Standing back it looks to me like this old pieces just put on fresh black eyeliner. Two coats of flat top coat, new period hardware and the update was complete.
