Furniture Rehab: Henredon 70's Vintage Dresser goes Contemporary

I am officially 5 days away from having my second child, and I did the unthinkable...

I brought home a 1970's Henredon Vintage Modern Dresser...and took on a new transformation:

             

What was I thinking?  Oh, so many things.  Possibilities.  Rehabbing. 

And here's how we did it.

Supplies:

Rustoleum Painter's Touch paint in Black Semigloss
2 small foam rollers
2 Fine Grit Sandpaper sponges
1 package Extra Fine Grit Sandpaper sheets
1 small angled synthetic bristle brush
1 small foam angled brush

Cost:

I found this gem at Luckett's Store for $375.00.  This may seem steep, but the quality, size, contemporary transitional quality of it, and just the overall presence of the piece drew me in.  You could not come NEAR a piece this nice for under $800 - $1,000 in any retail store... 

All supplies listed above set me back a total of $29.00 at Home Depot, and I'm pretty sure that included a bag of M+M's and a small American Flag (for Sydney).

Steps:

First we sanded down the entire piece, focusing especially on the top, where there were some water rings and other damage.  We used Fine Grit sanding sponges first, and then Extra Fine Grit sanding sheets to finish it off...  We went back over any spots or scratches in the original varnish that would show up through the paint.  Most of the sanding was just to rough up the varnish to hold the paint, but the final work was to get a really smooth finish.

Then we took a medium-sized mixing bowl and filled it with a little bit of dawn soap and water, and then wiped the whole piece clean, inside and out.  Making sure we got rid of all the dust and grime before moving it into the sun to dry.

Next we started applying paint with the foam rollers, using very light coats.  We coated the top and sides with several layers, and then moved to the front.  Much more ornate, we used the small rollers in the squares, and then the brush around all the corners, being careful not to have any drips.

We continued to add layers of paint, lightly and carefully.  Then we laid it on its back, and checked all angles for coverage in all corners, and around all nailheads and hinges.  This is where the small foam brush came in handy, it allowed us to really get in around the nailheads and trimwork for good solid coverage.

This is where we broke on Day 1.  It was getting dark in the garage, and we needed a fresh set of eyes to check coverage.

Day 2 brought new eyes (my Husband and Father in Law), and renewed energy (well, sort of.  I AM 39 weeks pregnant).

My Dad and I removed the central hardware and cleaned it up with a little gasoline and paper towels (to remove a little paint that had gotten under painters tape).  We painted where the hardware had been, and finalized all touch ups.  Finally, we replaced the hardware, and relocated all the pieces upstairs to the master bedroom.

As you can see, the side doors open from the outside with pocket handles that are hidden from front view.  They have removable/adjustable shelves which we might use for baskets of loose items, or the cable/DVD/DVR boxes that now reside on top.  The center doors have 3 large drawers on wooden runners, beautiful dovetail construction.

I didn't bother to paint the inside of the dresser/cabinet, and I'm glad.  I like the 2-tone quality of it and it doesn't feel unfinished to me at all.

Here it is with just the center doors open.

And here is the final product.  I couldn't be more pleased.