As we PS-ed in last week’s rug post, our hunt for a new master bedroom dresser recently came to a surprise end. We’d been trying to find something to replace this old Malm dresser that we’ve had for 5+ years (we literally bought it on an Ikea stop the day we moved from NYC to Richmond in a big red minivan) which will soon go live in the guest room.
It’s clearly too small for the wall. It’s not 100% functional anymore (the middle drawer got little wonky during the move) and it has a few visible battle scars from bouncing around our last house (at various points it lived in our bedroom, our guest bedroom, and finally the sunroom).
So we wanted something bigger. And something a little curvy and ornate (for some contrast to the modern elements in the room, like Ed the Bed and our big snowball-ish light fixture). Because we don’t want our bedroom to feel like a modern furniture showroom, we want it to have that layered, collected over time look. We both liked the idea of a dresser that was up on turned legs, especially since our bed also has a leggy design, so that similarity might tie the old dresser and the modern bed together in a not too obvious way. You know for a nice marriage of old meets new. And of course we wanted something that we could rescue (who doesn’t love “saving” sad old furniture) but we’d been unsuccessfully perusing thrift stores and stalking craigslist for weeks with nada. And then it happened. A dresser miracle. The perfect piece materialized seemingly out of nowhere. And by nowhere I mean my parents’ bedroom.
My mom and dad are actually prepping to downsize to a smaller house (now that their nest is empty) so they’ve been trying to find new homes for lots of their old stuff (I’ve already inherited stacks of old photos, school papers, childhood art projects, etc). So when we spotted my dad’s dresser on a recent visit we asked if they were planning to keep it (since it was old, leggy, and pretty much the perfect width). The answer: “Nope, we’re planning to put it on craigslist. Unless you want to take the old clunker off of our hands?”
“Uh, yes please.” Cue the cartwheels by Sherry in the background.
Turns out they’d be in our neighborhood to babysit our nephew two days later so they brought it down (we assumed it might take a few weeks to mosey over). Best dresser surprise ever. And that’s how we ended up with this beauty pretty much out of nowhere:
It’s bigger than our old Ikea dresser, so it fills up that wall properly. It’s also more traditional looking, so it balances out the modern pieces like Ed the Bed and the light fixture (just as we hoped). It also makes us really excited to get some old night tables in a similar tone and shape to further tie our whole old meets new thing together. Possibly with the same cool ring-pulls (we could also order those online and add them later) and a few drawers for concealed bedside storage, which we’ve always wanted.
And just as we hoped, it could use a little love (one of the drawers was busted when we got it, so I whipped out my screwdriver and whistled while I worked to get it secure again). Took about ten minutes. But (spoiler alert) that’s pretty much the extent of our “work” on the dresser for now. We’re not planning to paint or stain it. Even though we were excited at the idea of re-staining or painting an old seen-better-days piece, we just can’t justify that whole dog and pony show this time around. And this isn’t the polite way of saying that my parents wouldn’t let us touch it (in fact, they were dying to see what we’d do). We actually think the warm wood color works really well with the cool tones on the walls and in the bedding (while bringing out the honey tones in the curtains, the jute rug, and the gold leaves in the duvet). Plus as you can see from this shot…
… the rustic wide plank floors in the bedroom need more than just a little work (they’re discolored, stained, and splintering in a number of places). So we plan to refinish them in a darker mocha tone, along with the rest of the hardwoods in the house for a nice cohesive effect. So that should make the warm wood dresser feel even more special once it doesn’t blend into the floor quite as much. Especially if we have two antique-looking nightstand friends going on the other side of the room in the same warm wood tone (maybe we’ll get to refinish some old dark craigslist/thrift store finds with some lighter stain to get a not-perfect-but-good-enough “match”).
We’re totally charmed by our hand-me-down dresser’s imperfections, and love how they preserve the history of the piece. Maybe we’re being overly nostalgic since this is our first item of inherited “antique” furniture, but there’s something special about knowing the back story. My dad bought it from his cousin back in the ’60s for $100 and has used it ever since. It still boasts a scratch on the front of one of the drawers from when he transported it in his car’s trunk over forty years ago.
We don’t know exactly how old the piece is, but it has a stamp in the back of one of the drawers that says it was made by the “Abernathy Furniture Co” and they appear to have started operations in the 1850’s in Kansas (thanks Google).
After a couple days of using it I realized it possesses some weird auditory memories for me. When I heard Sherry opening and closing the drawers from the other room, the sound of the metal pulls clanging against the wood gave me distinct flashbacks to hearing the same noise coming from down the hall growing up. Weird how sounds can do that to you, right?
The only other “work” it really needed (besides a few screws to secure that broken drawer rail) was some help getting the drawers to slide more easily (each one of them stuck and dragged a little bit). Sherry had heard the old “rub soap on them” tip a few times, so she broke out a bar of Dove that we had leftover from her mom and stepdad’s visit (we use Dr. Bronner’s soap, but she worried “eco soap” might not be the same).
Off she went rubbing the dry bar of soap on each of the rails. Both on the bottom of the drawers…
…and even on the tracks inside the dresser itself, in an attempt to “wax” them so they’d slide more easily without catching.
The verdict on this little trick? It made a noticeable difference, but it didn’t solve things 100%.
For being a totally free solution, we’re happy we gave it a try. But if you guys have any other suggestions for helping this baby slide a bit better, please share ’em. We’re thinking we might try wax or something.
As for what’s on the dresser, the big white lacquered box is a charging station that we got at Pottery Barn Outlet a while back (as seen in this road trip video), the ceramic egg crate is full of Sherry’s jewelry, the table fan is for the summer, the two white bowls are full of Sherry’s bracelets/necklaces/glasses, and the three frames are pics that Sherry and I snapped on each of our wedding anniversaries. And yes, there’s a ceramic animal friend worked in there too thanks to my weird wife (a bronze ceramic pig that she found at HomeGoods for $6 a few weeks ago). I actually think the dark bronze twist is kind of cool, but don’t tell her I said that or it’ll feed her strange addiction.
Now for the bigger picture. Here are some more bedroom photos, just so you can see how the new dresser plays with the other things in the room (which is most definitely still “in progress” and in need of some art, a nice long bench, a big white built-in or cabinet to the left of the bed to balance the door, those aforementioned leggy honey-colored night stands, and maybe even some new table lamps among other things).
Should be a good time (or not, depending on what we find and how many places we have to go- haha, there’s the husband perspective on shopping). In the end, as exciting as resolving our dresser dilemma is – one of the best parts is that we’re finally able to move some of our clothes out of piles in the closet and into proper storage (four full drawers of it). Which means after 3+ months of living here with mountains of shirts and pajamas on the floor of the closet thanks to a smaller dresser with one inoperable drawer, we officially have no more excuses for not organizing things. Uh oh.
So that’s our first antique hand-me-down adventure. Or “furniture inheritance experience” if you’re fancy. And I’m not gonna lie. It does feel kind of fancy. The idea that we own something older than my dad is, in the words of Miley Cyrus, “pretty cool” (anyone else watching SNL lately?). Even if it’s a little beat up and didn’t come from an auction house. Have you guys ever gotten something especially awesome or particularly sentimental handed down from a family member? Anyone run into the moral dilemma of whether or not to make changes to it? We got lucky in this instance (since my mom and dad were more eager to refinish it than we were) but we know that might not always be the case. Sticky.
Pssst- Wanna see how we completely refinished an old craigslist dresser with stain and paint for Clara’s nursery? Click here.
Lindsey d. says
Pretty much my entire house is made up of hand-me-downs from family, some antique-y and awesome and others, well, not…
Sitting room:
– Coffee table handmade by my grandfather from cypress driftwood he and my mother pulled from the Tangipahoa river in LA, let dry for two years and made into tables.
– 75-year-old piano (I don’t even play)
– Bubble glass china cabinet (The glass is rounded and looks like bubbles — similar to this: http://www.carrocel.com/product/436.aspx, but less ornate)
– Not nearly amazing hand-me-down love seat from my brother
TV room:
– Lots of my brother’s hand-me-downs (tv, overstuffed couch and chair, etc).
Kitchen:
– Vintage MCM light fixture that was a total steal at $10 from Craigslist.
Master bedroom:
– Awesome MCM chest of drawers that used to belong to my aunt
– small dresser from my mom
– My brother’s old Lego chest given new life to hold linens
Guest bedroom:
– Headboard that belonged to my grandmother.
And I’m waiting for some things from my grandmother’s house (at nearly 90, she’s likely finally downsizing from her 5,500 sq. ft. house this year), like an amazing set of Swedish modern bedroom furniture, a fabulous couch, crystal and china, etc. I can’t wait to be able to give her beautiful things a new home and new life!
Abby C. says
My mother bought an antique, bird’s eye maple tall dresser when she moved into her first solo apartment after colllege. The stamp on the back says it was made in 1936 in Albany, NY. When I moved into my first solo apartment, she gave it to me. Right now, it’s in storage at my parent’s house again, because it doesn’t fit in the small 1 bedroom apartment I share with my fiance. But you’d better believe it’s coming to live with me permanently when we buy our first house!
Page says
If you really want to make this baby shine, try some beeswax finisher’s formula. I was at Ace Hardware looking for something to revive a beautiful sideboard I had inherited from my aunt, and the saleslady said this is what all the antique dealers use. I tried it (for about $6, why not?, and I couldn’t believe the difference it made. And by adding several coats over time, the finish just gets richer with more depth. Try it!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- we’d love to try it! Sounds awesome.
xo,
s
Meghan says
To help with the sliding try bowling wax. You can usually find it at any home improvement store. A little goes a LONG way, so apply sparingly to all the places where you applied the soap. My stepmother suggested doing this with an old dresser of ours and it works like a charm!
debbie c says
Forgot to mention….I have a spinet desk from my grandmother that my grandfather gave to her in 1925 when they got married. My grandmother actually kept the receipt (that I still have)….he paid $27.50 for the desk and $9.00 for the chair. He put $1.00 down and paid $1.00 a week until paid off. Its my most prized possession in my home. Each time I look at it I remember my grandparents!!!
Alecia says
I love the colour of your dresser also! I have an old dresser and side tables from my grandmother that I’ve used since I was a kid . Just this week my parents gave me an old desk/dressing table that used to belong to my great grandmother. I haven’t done any refinishing to them yet, but have thought about painting the side tables and dresser white. I’ve never re-finished furniture, so it seems like a big task to me.
Mara says
Beautiful dresser! I love inheriting vintage furniture from family. Manufacturers just don’t make them like they used to. Here’s hoping Clara asks to own it one of these days!
My favorite piece is a birds eye maple dresser that belonged to my grandfather. My grandmother gave it to when I was in high school a few years after he passed away. The drawer fronts where beautiful but the sides and top of the dresser were beyond refinishing. My father and I painted the top, sides and wooden knobs black which really pops against the birds eye on the drawers. That dresser goes everywhere with me… to college, my first apartment and now that I’m married it’s in our bedroom. My grandmother loves that the dresser is one of my favorite possessions and I love all of the memories I associate with it. When I have kids I’ll tell them that it was their great grandfather’s and that their grandfather taught me how to refinish it. In my opinion that’s way better than buying a new dresser out of the Pottery Barn catalog.
Adam says
What a beautiful piece of furniture! It looks great in your bedroom. Both soap and wax are quick fixes, but they don’t last all that long. Try a can of aerosol silicone lubricant. Spray it carefully not on the drawers, but on the rails inside the dresser (remove any clothes from the drawer below first!) It dries in just a few seconds, but makes an invisible and super slippery finish. It should last much longer than soap or wax.
Lindsay@Tell'er All About It says
Dresser looks great! We have hand-me-downs all over the house (including pretty much ALL of our bedroom furniture) and it’s both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I don’t feel guilty about re-doing some pieces, but other pieces are just too sentimental to touch. And they aren’t necessarily as functional as I would like so now I have the pleasure of trying to find a way to “replace” them with something better. It’s a constant challenge, but making them over is oh-so-fun!
Bethany says
Hi guys! Loving the bedroom so far!!
I just had a question about the floor-length mirror that you have in your bedroom. I love the look and I’m looking for a similar mirror for my bedroom. Where did you get it or did you DIY it? The ones from Pottery Barn, West Elm and so on all seem to be priced around $300 … and well …. that’s not happening. :D
YoungHouseLove says
That was actually a wedding present from John from West Elm (so I could look at myself in my dress before heading out the back door to get hitched in the yard) but we’ve seen a nearly identical mirror at Ikea for $99. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jordan says
It’s perfect! I had never heard of the candle/soap trick. Thanks for yet another tip!
Paige says
love the dresser. I love the feel of antique/vintage pieces. I just recently snagged this couch off craigslist as my “early bday present”
http://myjonesblog.com/index/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=95:new-couch-&catid=37:personal&Itemid=53
anyway–I have my eye on a few of my parents pieces! Before my sister and I moved out we went through the house (in FULL battle) claiming pieces for our own…so now I’m just waiting to receive them from my parents when they find replacements…ha
Stephanie G says
I love you guys! I know it’s not my business (at all), but I’m really glad you didn’t paint it and are keeping natural wood!
DaniPhillips says
I love hand-me-downs!
My husband and I got married in May of last year and moved into our house in June. The only new pieces of furniture in our house are the dresser and jewelry chest in our bed room–Yeah for IKEA!! The rest of our things are ALL hand-me-downs (great ones at that!) My parents also downsized so we made out like bandits. My aunt is an antique nut and when she decides to change things up I slide on in and start claiming left and right.
My favorite hand-me-down is our dining room table. It was my Nana’s. When I was 14 (now 24) she moved out of the house my Papa built and into a retirement community. My father having amazing foresight went down and claimed the dining room table. My parents kept it for ME for 10 years (they do not show favoritism, I am an only child) until I was finally able to have a permanent home for it. The table is 50+ years old and made out of solid cherry. It didn’t have a scratch one it—notice the past tense? But it is well loved and has great memories!
Connie says
I got a dresser and night stand from my best friend’s mom after I graduated college and was trying to decorate my first apartment on the cheap. They were furniture she had already used herself, then passed on to her daughter, and at the time they were sitting in storage. I’ve had them for about 5 years, and recently started redecorating my bedroom. I LOVED the pieces, so I’m updating them by taking decorative paper and decoupaging it onto the front panels of the drawers, the sides and tops of each piece. It looks fantastic! I’ll be doing my own DIY special over at my blog as soon as they are done! You guys inspire me!
Jocelyn Stott says
I love it! It looks so beautiful. Also – I could not be more obsessed with the floor in your bedroom. So charming!
Corey says
Wow. I love that dresser. What awesome luck you guys have. My wife and I are always searching craigslist, but haven’t gotten as lucky as y’all have. Sadly, most of my family “heirlooms” aren’t actually that old or good looking.
I can’t wait to see the floors. I have always been a little overwhelmed by the idea of refinishing floors.
The Orchard says
I pretty much adore everything you guys do, but…can I just say that I am not loving the display above your bed? I love those items, but not loving where you put them.
But hey, your house is a heck of a lot more put together than my house. Just my 2 cents worth!
Tricia :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I know waking up under a ram’s head isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it totally makes my morning. Haha. As we mentioned a few posts back we’re not sure if they’re staying there (might be too dinky for that space) but they’re there for now and they make me laugh so who knows how it’ll all shake out!
xo,
s
The Orchard says
Thanks for your comment back about my comment. It felt soo wrong saying something negative, but I figured you wouldn’t mind. I think what you said hit the nail on the head – maybe the items are a little too dinky for the space. As I said, I love all the amazing things that you do and I am by no means an expert. I appreciate that you took the time to respond!
Thanks!
Tricia :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, no worries at all!
xo,
s
Lisa says
We just inherited my brother’s childhood dresser for our office/walk-in closet room. I experienced the exact same sense-memory with the metal rings clanging against the wood! It totally took me back to when my brother and I had rooms next to each other in the house we grew up in. I had to fight the urge to run into the room and say something snarky and little-sister-y to my husband!
Marie says
Love the new/old dresser! I have a tiny 1930s house and am continually on the look out for great vintage finds on CL (just like everyone else :).
BrickHouse has a great article on “Refreshing Vintage Wood” pieces – for those finds that you don’t want/need to completely redo.
http://www.the-brick-house.com/2010/09/refreshing-vintage-wood.html
Kim says
I’m usually ruthless when it comes to painting wood, but I actually really like it au naturale as well. It looks really nice but not matchy with your wall color and curtains.
Rachael says
Beautiful dresser – I really love the color against the green curtains.
I haven’t heard of using soap for making the drawers easier to slide, but I have used candle wax before and can attest that it really does make a difference.
Lindsay Ewing says
I have actually been looking everywhere for a sofa table, but I have been holding off waiting to see what you both come up with when you make one for Karl! When are you going to be tackling that project?
YoungHouseLove says
Not sure, we kind of bounce around from room to room depending on our money situation and our mood, haha. Maybe within the next month or so? Here’s hoping…
xo,
s
Carol N. says
We have been blessed with having a lot of hand me downs. In our guest room is the bed and dresser that were in my husbands room when he was young. It actually belonged to his grandparents. The neatest part is the original price sticker of $12 is on the back of the dresser! I am fortunate to have items from my side of the family as well; a dresser (that has been painted) an old treadle sewing machine, old mirror, two large old radios and my grandfather’s banjo. All of those bring back wonderful memories every time I see them. Love that you left this natural and think that it really adds to the room.
Emily H says
Hi guys! I read on another blog that running a little bead of hot glue on the bottom of sticky drawers can help them slide better, in addition to reducing noise. I haven’t tried it myself though, and don’t know how permanent of a solution it is (which can be good and bad I suppose, depending if it peels off, or if you don’t want it permanent because it’s antique.) Good luck!
Annette says
Sadly, all of my grandparents died when I was too young to have any use for the beautiful old furniture that was theirs.
Especially my dads mom had some really great old closets and sideboards in their house. Some of it was split among my older cousins, which I’m quite glad about. I would’ve hated for it to get thrown out.
But back then, mixing old and new furniture wasn’t really in fashion. What a pitty.
jamie says
I have refinished an entire set of waterfall bedroom furniture that belonged to my grandparents. I always loved the style – the angles of the wood panels and the subtle curves. So when it came time for my first apartment 5 years ago, my Grandmother was super pleased that I actually wanted to dig the pieces out of the basement and put them back together. They were pretty beat and the finish had yellowed so I refinished them in a darker shade. I wasn’t able to salvage all the pieces of the vanity – and I really didn’t want to since I really wouldn’t use it as intended. Instead, I am using the two drawer units as nightstands. They work perfectly. I can’t imagine ever giving up on this set of furniture.
Oona says
The majority of our furniture is retro/antique hand-me-downs… Nothing beats it! I do constantly run into the issue of whether or not to refinish/paint them. So far we have left everything as-is except for a ’70’s media console from my grandparents and an ’80’s china cabinet from my parents. I love that you are planning on leaving him the way he is.
jen says
I have a bedroom set that has been in our family for 100+ years. 25 years ago my dad installed plastic drawer slides and they still work great. They are like uhmw shims.
hjc says
I totally thought I was reading a “Sherry” post until I got to the sentence, “And by nowhere I mean my parents’ bedroom.” What? I thought the dresser was from John’s family…scroll up – oh – John is writing. 500 points for correct apostrophe usage by the way. That is rare in blogland!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- go John!
xo,
s
Sarah says
I thought it was Sherry up until that line too!!! Crazy.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, John must have been channeling me! I love it when we trick you guys. Haha.
xo,
s
Jane says
Try rubbing a candle instead of a soap.I have been rubbing candles on zippers, furniture and all the like and it improves a lot.
Teale says
I like your new dresser. Reminds me of my dresser and headboard/footboard and vanity set that was my grandmothers. She bought it all in the 1930’s and it sat at my grandparents house until they passed away, and then into storage at my aunts house. It wasn’t until I was graduating high school and wanted to redecorate my room did the furniture come out and get a little TLC. The finish was awful, and very scratched up, but my dad sanded it all down (with the intention of painting it black) but once the natural wood grain showed, it was beautiful and we just did a clear coat over it, and replaced the drawer pulls with more modern ones. Whenever I have friends come over they compliment me on my cool furniture, and it’s just so neat to have something so old, and sturdy be an everyday fixture in your life. As my dad always said, they just don’t make furniture like they used to.
Melissa says
I love to mix vintage and modern pieces. A few months ago, I painted the campaign dressers that we had inherited from my in-laws. I’m a little obsessed with how they turned out: http://inspirationandroughdrafts.blogspot.com/2010/09/campaign-dresser-update.html
It’s been fun seeing your new place come together. We might attempt a photo gallery wall soon!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- those came out awesome!
xo,
s
Cara D says
I love that dresser. I am normally a paint it girl but I like your dresser just the way it is. My mom gave me 2 old dressers that have long curvy legs and the wavy fronts on the drawers. They were in pretty rough shape so I didn’t feel bad painting them. They are just primed but will be turquoise someday for a nursery. The candle wax trick worked on them. My grandma gave me a completely torn apart rocking chair so I am going to try to work some magic on it. It is torn down to the springs. Luckily I am in an upholstery class right now. The chair is so old the stuffing is straw. I love to get old pieces at auctions so then I don’t feel bad painting them. My grandmother is giving me a really neat carved cedar chest too. Luckily she wouldn’t care if I refinish it. I LOVE old furniture.
Pamela says
My 12 year old inherited her great-grandmother’s chest of drawers about a decade ago when she passed away well into her 90’s. The drawers stick a bit but it is in remarkably good condition and we treasure it. We talk about painting it one day but haven’t had the heart to yet. I’ve got to try to pinpoint its pedigree/approximate age…hope it’s marked like yours. Enjoy your treasure!
Sara @ House Bella says
I think it looks fantastic, and I can’t wait to see your new mocha floors!
Allison says
The dresser looks great in the space! I love the legs.
You mentioned getting some old photos, papers, memento-type stuff from John’s parent’s who are downsizing. My husband is going through the same thing right now and his parents were savers. Any tips for how to save only the things that really jump out at you (and not feel guilty for ditching stuff his parents moved from house to house, state to state all these years!) and how to store what you do keep?
The good thing is we both agree that “we will not do this to our future kids!” It’s just too much STUFF!
YoungHouseLove says
We just go through everything and only keep what we love (which amounted to a few childhood drawings that we plan to frame in our hallway photo wall). We figure if our parents don’t even want that stuff anymore there’s no pressure for us to fill our closets with it! Haha.
xo,
s
Suzanne says
If the sentimental bug is in high gear, try taking pictures of all that stuff and making one scrap book (or disk, or powerpoint, or photo album…whatever floats your boat). It can be a lot of fun to go through it and put together in a new way that takes up lots less space, and will alieviate the guilt.
Patricia says
About 10-12 years ago, I received my grandfather’s desk. An antique rolltop desk that he’d had since before I was born (1982) and there are pictures of it from the 70s. Not sure exactly how old it is, but as a kid I fell in love with it and told him I wanted it. I was so happy when he did actually give it to me! I’ve thought about making small holes in the back so that I can use it as a computer desk and be able to feed the cords through it. I also have my grandparents old coffee table and end tables.
Wrenaria says
Loving the dresser. It’s a beautiful color.
My dining table used to belong to my great grandmother. (It looks kind of like this: http://www.thefurniture.com/store/Images%5CLegacy%5CDining%5CCasual%5C701-121.jpg but it’s oval in shape.) I’ve toyed with the idea of redoing the top piece in a darker espresso type color, but never have followed through (it’s a bit scratched up and worn in it’s current state, which is understandable seeing how old it is.)
Someday I’ll probably want to switch to a rectangular table (I just like them better), but the idea of getting rid of such an old table makes me feel a little guilty/sad/something unpleasant.
Relevant Notes says
That’s such a pretty dresser! I love how it looks in the corner.
Krissy says
Your new mirror would look fabulous over this dresser. Just sayin’.
YoungHouseLove says
Since we have a mirror above the sink (which is on the same wall) we’re worried about mirror overload, so we’re going to go for art above the chair and the dresser instead. Who know what type though…
xo,
s
Jamie Rae says
Nice save guys! When y’all mentioned the dresser hunt I was picturing a much big and more ornate style which I wasn’t too sure about. This, however, is perfect. I love it’s simplicity and glad y’all didn’t do much to it because I love the soft warm color of the wood. Can’t wait to see what you find for the side tables!
Marilyn says
Love it, it looks great. When we moved into the family farmhouse, we inherited 2 wash stands, one oak and the other birds eye maple. And more recently an Ethan Allen Early American style maple dresser. Not so crazy about the Early American style, any ideas on possible changes; the in-laws would probably croak if I painted it. I was wondering about maybe making it darker with a stain. For me it is a challenge to get incorporate these antiques into the old house without it looking too staid.
Beth says
I really like the new/old dresser. It really complements everything else in the room. Definitely keep it as it is!
I, too, love hand me downs…furniture included. I was lucky enough to acquire several of my grandparents belongings…sewing machine, cedar chest, kitchen table (the chairs that went with fell apart), old ceramic bowls, flour sifter and even my grandpa’s metal antacid container (how’s that for sentimental) and grandma’s sewing box. I don’t think I could part with any of them!
Thanks for today’s post. It really brought back good memories!
Rachel says
Actually i got my mum’s beautiful red italian leather sectional which she loved but her husband is a cowboy and not into modern. So yay for me! The dilema: i might be moving out of the country… Option A: Keep said couch in storage for who knows how long. Option B: Sell it for some nice change. Honestly i just feel a little weird to sell it – i love it, my mom loves it… so yea, not sure what I’m going to do about that one! Give my mom the money!? No clue! *Enter dilemma”
Andrea says
Love the dresser! I agree no need to refinish! If you want to “work” the scratches out a bit there are a few products at Home Depot in the stain section that can help!
I have a few antique pieces from my great grandparents, but have no desire to refinish at all! Although I am acquiring a buffet from my grandmother who is moving in to assisted living after my grandfather passed away and I completely instead on painting it black instead of the ugly color it is, but everyone was ok with that!
Pat E. says
Love the hand me down! (I actually found a great dresser in the alley behind my house a few weeks ago!) I’m wondering where you got the cool metal fan on top? I’ll be needing another fan once it reaches the triple digits here in AZ and would like something that doesn’t look cheap and plastic. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from Bed Bath & Beyond I think (it’s a stainless steel hunter fan with lots of power for hot summer nights).
xo,
s
susan says
Much better. I’m thinking plant and a lamp on top. What do you think? susan
YoungHouseLove says
We’re probably going to go with some big art hanging on either side of that wall (both above the dresser and the chair) for some nice balance. Plus where else would I put all of my jewelry and our fan? Haha.
xo,
s
Johnna says
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!!!
When does the post about your presents come?!??
YoungHouseLove says
Tomorrow! After a weekend of celebrating I’m just writing it up today!
xo,
s
Nadia says
Art-related question: what ever happened to that adorable bee painting you got from etsy??? I loved that one! :)
YoungHouseLove says
We’re going to hang that in a spot of honor right near the front door (we hope to grow our little oil painting collection for a cool entryway arrangement)!
xo,
s