Destroying a Dresser

We gave away Ethan and Nora's dressers before we moved back to Texas.  Ethan's was too big and dangerous (he climbed up it regularly), and Nora's barely made the trip to Utah without falling apart- it wasn't going to make the trip back.  Wes has never had a dresser.  So last Saturday I went out in search of some dressers.  I found a great looking dresser and night stand for Ethan, which I secured for $55 total.  Then, I got a call from my mother-in-law that there was a dresser and night stand in need of a home.  The father of someone she knew had passed away and they were giving his furniture away to people who needed it (like us!).

It was a great set, solid wood.  Only, a bit dated for a little girls room.  I wish I would've taken a before picture- sorry!

So I set in to refinishing.   First, I pulled out the old handles and all the gold trim.

 

Nora came out and saw what I was doing and said, "Mom! Why are you destroying that dresser?!" 

Then I filled all the holes with wood filler.  I let it dry, sanded and then filled in the cracks and depressions.  Then I sanded again and filled the cracks- and then- well you get the point.  I had to do that several times.

I sanded the entire dresser and night stand.  Just a light sanding. 

Then sprayed them with primer.  It took way more primer than I thought it would.  The wood grain just kept sucking the paint in. 

 

Then I coated all the pieces with a generous amount of antique white spray paint and attached some new handles.

I love how they turned out.  For sure they aren't perfect- don't look too close, they could've used some more filling and painting.  Just right for a little girls room.