Lowboy Distressed Dresser

I apologize for not posting for so long but the holidays, work, new laptop, transferring files, and taking Photoshop classes slowed me down a bit!

That being said, it's been a long time comin' but it's done and in use.  Hooray!

This dresser was a nice find at a barn sale late last summer.  By chance we showed up at the sale on 1/2 price day and were able to get this little gem for a steal.  Don't you just love those kinds of surprises?  Heck, I would have paid 5 times the amount they were asking but let's not tell the previous owner!

The dresser is heavy, all wood, and was made by Kimball right here in Indiana.  Some of you may recognize the name Kimball as a piano manufacturer.

Source Wikepidia - W.W. Kimball and Company was the world's largest piano and organ manufacturer at certain times in the 19th and 20th centuries.  The Great Chicago Fire destroyed all of Kimball's commercial assets in 1871, but he continued selling from his home and rebuilt his dealership business.  The Jasper Corporation was founded in 1950 in Jasper, Indiana to make television cabinets, kitchen cabinets, and home and office furniture.  In 1959, Jasper, Inc., purchased the W. W. Kimball Company as a wholly owned subsidiary.  Jasper moved its Kimball piano manufacturing to West Baden Springs, northeast of the town of Jasper, Indiana (and French Lick, Indiana).  Company leaders realized that the Kimball brand had far greater popular recognition than the Jasper brand, and in the 1974, Jasper changed its name to Kimball International.  Around February 1996, the last Kimball grand piano was signed by every worker and company executive, and remains on display at Kimball's showroom in Jasper, Indiana.

                                         

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This project actually started out on a beautiful summer day.  There was a little water damage on the top left corner where the veneer had lifted a bit so I glued it down and clamped until dry.  Some wood filler smoothed out most of the warping, too.  

 Note: This is why I LOVE the distressed look - it is VERY forgiving as you'll see in a later photo.  Once you've painted and sanded the edges you can barely tell there was any water damage. 

After putting a new Masonite backing on the dresser I was ready to work on the drawers - all nine of them!  

The old drawer pulls had 2.5" centers, meaning the holes were drilled 2.5" apart, and today the standard is 3" centers so I got a great tip from Steve's dad on how to plug and conceal the holes. 

DIY Tip:  He said to buy a dowel rod just slightly smaller in diameter than the holes and cut pieces to fit the depth of the drawer front.  These were cut and glued into place and a little wood filler on top closed the gap.  I got a little sloppy with the glue and when I sanded the wood filler the glue got warm and softened and made a gunky mess!  The next time, I'll use Gorilla Glue as I understand it can be sanded and can be stained if needed.  Learning new things all the time!

Steve's dad also helped me by cutting a new drawer runner to replace a missing one - he's a wonderful woodworker!  I drilled two holes the size of my nail through the runner, nailed and glued it in place. 

Now on to the fun part - painting!  I love to paint!  

Two coats of a paint+primer was used on the dresser and drawers to give it a richer look.  Next was sanding to give it a naturally distressed look 

and then a light coat of glaze for an aged look.  Here's one drawer glazed.  See the difference?

DIY Tip:  I took a bar of bath soap and rubbed it along the wooden drawer runners and now the drawers open and close with ease (and smells good, too!).

I searched far and wide to find just the right pulls to compliment the dresser and am very happy with the look.

Here it is with new drawer liners and loaded with clothes!

Hope you enjoyed this post and found the DIY tips useful!

Never a dull moment. . .on to the next project!  Here's a sneak peek of my antique headboard.

Does anyone in the family recognize this baby?  

My gate is always open,  Jeri

Feel free to take a look at the items on The Stockpile page that are waiting for a new home.  These items can be beautifully refinished in a color to compliment your home!

HO HO Hold On!

What a transformation!

With a complete makeover in Santa’s workshop,

this little sled is as cute as can be and sure

to live a jolly life for many years to come!

 

Remember the days when it was fun to go outside and play in the snow until your cheeks and toes went numb?  Those were the days!  Was there anything better than growing up near a good sledding hill?  Whether it was on a toboggan, a sled with skis, saucer, or a big piece of cardboard, the anticipation would mount while you waited your turn to ride the hill. No matter if you made it all the way to the bottom or crashed and tumbled part way down, the ride was exhilarating!

photo copyright of Charles Schulz

 

On one of my recent adventures, I was rooting around in a dusty old garage and there, leaning up against a wall was this dry, frail-looking, little sled.  I loved it!  It instantly took my memory for a long ride back to the sledding fun we had had as kids.  

 When I rescued this little guy it was rough, dried out, and its red, faded paint looked so sad.   So off to Santa’s workshop it went.  Off came the rotting nylon rope.  Then this little orphan got a good cleaning and sanding with fine-grade sandpaper.  Ahh, that’s better!

Next a repair was made where screws that were too big had split the wood.  DIY Tip: It’s always best to first drill a hole that is slightly smaller in diameter than the screw you will be using.  This will prevent the wood from splitting when you insert the screw.  After I removed the screws, I glued and clamped the area and let it dry overnight before drilling holes and re-inserting screws.

A coat of pretty, red paint brought the handrails to life again!  I was very careful not to get paint on the wood that was to be stained.

Now for my favorite part of this project. . .the stain.  Not that I love to stain, but the dry wood literally soaked up the dark walnut stain and the transformation was instantaneous!  Look at the beautiful wood grain.  I was thrilled with the result!  

Just a little bit of brown glaze over the red paint and a light sanding on the edges gave it a nice vintage look.

And at last, the finishing touch. . .a new jute rope. 

This little guy was a Reclaimed Treasure indeed!

The little sled is now awaiting adoption into a new family who will love it as much as I have.   Wouldn’t it look great next to a fireplace, on a front porch, or used as a prop to sit the little ones on it for holiday pictures?

Here's a link to the Craigslist ad

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/atq/3449890023.html 

Do you have a favorite winter-time memory?  I'd love to hear about it!

My gate is always open,  Jeri