Found a campaign style dresser on Craigslist. Can’t wait to clean it up and refinish it.
It is from the manufacturing company Dixie, and is estimated to have been produced in 1972. It is solid wood, and has beautiful dovetail joints on the drawers.
Even if you live in an apartment, there is always room for this tiny little miter box for your projects! At 8 inches, this little jem is capable of being tucked away for storage, but offers plenty of flexibility when it comes to your crafting projects. I have used it in school for my 3d design projects, and now for mitering the corners of the trim I am replacing on the dresser.
The dresser was missing trim when I bought it, and after asking around for a friend-of-a-friend wood craftsman, I found someone who was able to replicate this impossible to find molding.
Living in an apartment, I only have a little corner of a room to dedicate to my refinishing project, and so tools that are small enough to keep in a tool bag in the closet (now I see why my father took over half the basement with his woodworking tools when I was a child) are a MUST.
3. Choosing Refinishing Options for your Vintage Furniture Piece
Before choosing your refinishing material (wood stain vs paint) it is wise to make the decision whether any flaws in your piece will be determining the finish, or if you will be replacing any parts with flaws.
Example: The dresser I am currently working on had a large stain on the surface of the top of the dresser. From just looking at it, I couldn’t determine whether it was a surface flaw (i.e. could be sanded out) or a penetrated flaw ( goes deep below the wood surface) and I would have to replace the top panel in order to fix it.
It turns out the large stain on top of the dresser is penetrated deep into wood. Meaning, unless I plan on painting the piece, the wood panel needs to be replaced in order to fix the issue.
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When choosing a finish, it is wise to look at many samples. Paint changes color under different lighting conditions (day lighting, incandescent, fluorescent) and so look at the colors under the lighting you will see it in everyday. If staining, rubbing the wood with a wet rag will show you what the wood looks like with only polyurethane on it. Stain on top of it will change the color from that hue.
I love to use accent colors on pieces. The particular piece I’m working on has some wood trim with a strip that would easily benefit from a contrasting color. I’m thinking of using that for my accent. For less ornate pieces, stencils can add some flair to the piece.
I used to LOVE Ikea and all other mass retailers. I thought the idea of offering modern design at affordable prices to the masses was brilliant. At one point I aspired to be an Ikea furniture designer.
However, once I started studying design I realized the pitfall of offering furniture (and any other item for that matter) to the masses at low cost. Quality. Quality suffers when you take a great design concept and value engineer the conceptualization down to an affordable manufacturing price. Suddenly, that gorgeous new chair you just bought falls apart or the veneer is peeling off a year after you bought it. And like a drug, you’re back for more, right were you got the last piece.
Its terrible because when you get down to it, virtually the same amount of material goes into creating a quality piece that will last a lifetime as one that’s a fast-fix (i.e. You just got your first apartment, are broke but still want a beautiful living room). The omission of proper joints, material type, and high quality hinges (which makes for lower manufacturing costs), in fact makes furniture that after using and abusing (and hauling out of your living room, into a moving truck, and into your new apt next year) will in fact will be reduced to the sheets of MDF that compose it.
That being said, I have a crush on vintage pieces. They really do not build furniture like they used to. Plus, since these pieces are “dated” you can find them for *free* on craigs list or *cheap* at resale shops. Take my advice and pick one of these lovelies home and personalize it. Just cuz it may be “dated” doesn’t mean that it can’t be quaint, classy and rock way more style than the bedside table you picked up at Target last weekend.
**Stay tuned for my favorite ways to personalize and update your vintage furniture.
Ciao bella
