Vivid turquoise paint lined this Nineteen Thirties dresser, from its flat picket high to the turned legs beneath the drawers. Chips alongside the sides uncovered patches of wooden, whereas ornate steel pulls remained hooked up to the blue fronts. What lay beneath the paint was far much less sure.
Reddit person u/themoondood purchased the dresser believing it was strong walnut. A stamp studying “WAL” on the again appeared to assist that description, however the first restoration try revealed a mixture of woods beneath the end.
The venture grew from eradicating paint into taking aside sections of the cupboard. The restorer labored by means of cussed coating, sanded the uncovered wooden, and selected walnut gel stain to convey the completely different surfaces nearer in colour. The completed dresser retained its authentic form with out the brilliant blue paint.
Turquoise Paint Coated the Nineteen Thirties Dresser
The unique dresser had two small drawers above three large drawers, ornate steel ring pulls, and a scalloped apron between its turned entrance legs. Turquoise paint lined the wooden, with chips alongside the highest edge and scratches throughout a number of drawer fronts.
Regardless of the worn coating, the drawer association and ornamental particulars remained intact.
Eradicating the Paint Led to Extra Work Than Anticipated
The restorer started with chemical paint stripper and sanding, switching between each strategies when elements of the previous end resisted elimination.
Because the work continued, the drawers got here out and the cupboard body was uncovered. One {photograph} reveals the inside rails and again panel, whereas one other reveals two drawers returned to the stripped body for a match verify.
The creator had not deliberate to dismantle a lot of the dresser. Eradicating the highest, aspect panels, and drawer slides grew to become a strategy to attain paint trapped in corners and alongside joints.
The Body Was Taken Aside for Sanding and Staining
With the drawers eliminated, the slim picket rails, aspect panels, and curved decrease apron had been accessible. The body acquired a darker brown end, whereas the inside retained a lighter wooden tone.
The restorer sanded most surfaces to 150 grit earlier than making use of wooden conditioner. Because the cupboard contained a couple of wooden species, the conditioner and stain helped cut back variations between the items.
Walnut Stain Changed the Blue End
The reassembled dresser has a walnut-brown end throughout the highest, drawer fronts, and legs. Wooden grain stays seen, with darker areas round knots and alongside the sides.
The restorer used walnut gel stain to mix the wooden tones and conceal traces of previous end that would not be eliminated. A number of coats of satin wipe-on polyurethane accomplished the floor.
The completed entrance retains the unique steel pulls, drawer association, and curved apron. No new paint colour was added over the wooden.
The creator described this as a primary restoration and acknowledged errors with supplies and preparation alongside the best way. Taking the dresser aside grew to become a part of studying how its body and drawers had been constructed.
The Blue Dresser Had Extra Wooden to Supply Than Anticipated
The before-and-after comparability reveals the turquoise dresser beside the restored walnut-brown model. The identical steel handles and turned legs stay, with the chipped blue coating gone.
The unique “WAL” stamp didn’t imply the dresser was constructed from strong walnut. The restorer got here to imagine it referred to the previous walnut-colored end, making the ultimate selection of stain a return to that look relatively than a declare in regards to the wooden species.
Would you’ve got saved the blue paint or restored the wooden? I desire the walnut end, particularly with the unique steel pulls.
Challenge and pictures: Reddit person u/themoondood, First Try at a Restoration, r/furniturerestoration.
