I really didn’t want to return this antique dresser back to the client. It was gorgeous. But it had lived a lifetime and then some, so scratches, surface damage, and overall wear was really causing this beauty to show it’s age. It just looked rundown and deserved to glow again!

My first priority was to protect the wood and history at all costs. That meant stripping, not sanding, so the impact on the wood would be next to nothing. Stripping is a labor intensive process and effectively requires me to work in small sections to dissolve the old finish, wipe it away, and repeat over the entire piece. My favorite stripping agent (when not stripping paint) is Watco Furniture Refinisher. The old finish is removed using steel wool, so you don’t have to scrape it off. (I often find that scraping can lead to inadvertent nicks in the wood’s surface so, though this takes longer, I believe it’s worth the extra effort. Not to mention this is a one of a kind vintage piece! I’m not taking any chances.)

Here is what the top looks like before and after stripping the old finish off:

I continued stripping the entire piece. I didn’t worry too much about the marks left behind by the handles. Since the original handles were going back on, it didn’t seem warranted to go nuts removing their shadows.

Almost done! (That top door wasn’t stripped yet, so you can really see the difference!)

Once the old finish had been completely removed, it was time for the fun part. It’s no secret that I love Danish Oil. Unlike stain that sits on the surface, it works deep within the wood to harden it and give it gorgeous color. I went over the entire piece with Danish Oil, waited 15 minutes, then wiped off the excess. I then repeated until it had two beautiful coats and was absolutely radiant.

You might notice that the bottom drawer has a slightly different tone than the rest of the piece. It appears to have been aggressively sanded and worn. I of course worked to make it match the rest of the piece, but it definitely illustrates why I avoid harsh sanding. In the end, it just looks flatter and has fewer warm tones.

I rejuvenated the hardware with a good CLR soak and wipe down. I removed years of tarnish, but stopped short of making them look completely new to maintain that vintage character and charm.

Here is the finished product! (Doesn’t he just look like a Walter?!)