Monday, September 30, 2013

Oh So Knotty Pine...

Last June I received a call from my cousin about a naughty (knotty) hitchhiking dresser across town.  No need to tell me twice, I hopped into the Durango and rescued it.  Here's this little runaway when I found her...


Life had not treated this dresser well.  It had deep gouges, scratches, pink glitter nail polish and ink doodlings of names all over it. 
 








The top was in really bad condition with it missing a chunk of it's corner.  Handsome handy husband removed the top and we determined there was enough of an overhang that we (he) could trim the damaged section right off.  Once that was done, I went to work sanding while he went to work on the Triple Rocker.  


We patched up the holes on the lower drawers because we were switching from two single knobs to one long drawer pull for each of the four bottom drawers.  The top row of drawers looks like four little drawers, but it's not.  It's two drawers masquerading as four drawers.  I told you this was a naughty dresser.  Kind of a little prankster if you ask me.

I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone and paint this yellow.  Well, that looked beyond ugly.  So, I played it safe and repainted it all white.  It looked good.  Until the knot holes showed up AFTER it had been painted and poly'ed.  I should have known better.  I plead too excited about the Triple Rocker that I wasn't thinking straight on this one.   That and I was distracted by my husband's handsomeness and his way around power tools.  By the way, that fly above DID NOT live happily ever after.  Actually, that may or may not be true.  I might have killed one of his relatives and not actually him.  Either way, I exacted my revenge on the little bug(ger).

Let me tell you about this point I was cursing the paint I was using.  As is our way, if we have paint in our stash to use up, we use it up.  The white paint we had on hand.  I will never buy the brand again.  I'll be glad when it's gone.  It's not that it's not pretty, it's too thin and requires several more coats than should be necessary.  After the knot holes appeared, I had to begin again.  Priming it a few times and then repainting it.  Success.  Triple H then poly'ed it again using his sprayer.  

While the body of the dresser proved a challenge, the top went rather well.  We applied a dark walnut stain to it, giving it two or three coats.  I honestly can't remember.  Then Triple H gave it three coats of poly.  I love the top now.  That picture to the right is it BEFORE the poly.  So, that picture doesn't show how awesome it really is.  It.  Is.  Be.  You.  T.  Ful.  

I purchased bird knobs and long cool pulls.  I painted the little birdies to match the pulls.  I'm quite the expert at matching paint.  One of my many hidden talents.  Triple H replaced the missing drawer guides while I attached the knobs/pulls. 

Let's check this little birdy dresser out now...
And a top view...


There you be!  The poor beat up knotty pine dresser that had been set outside for the trash is getting ready to live a life of luxury with it's new family.  I hate to see it go.  I'm gonna miss it.  It taught me a lot, this little dresser, but it's been sold already and it's time for it to move on.  It'll enjoy a nice view of the river and some trees at its new place and can watch a little girl that calls me "Taffy" grow up.  



If YOU have a furniture flip you'd like us to share with our readers, well, what are you waiting for?  All you have to do is email me at furnitureflippin@yahoo.com with the before/after pics and all of the details.  Get busy!  

Thanks for following along with us as we did this furniture flip.  Be sure to come back tomorrow for another great flip from one of our fellow furniture flippers AND check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.  


~ Stephanie

 





17 comments:

  1. Wow, what a fantastic transformation! I love how the dresser turned out, great job!
    Debbie :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Debbie! I kind of want to keep it. lol

      Delete
    2. thanks so much for this post ! it looks great, and enjoyed this post because you let us who are reading it , know that things dont always work out right and extra work and change of plans happen while re-doing furniture. and yes we learn a little each time from each piece. love to see your talent.

      Delete
    3. Thanks so much secondhand rosie! :-)

      Delete
  2. Awesome transformation!! One of my favorite styles to do a piece of furniture!

    I have a dresser similar to this one that hubby found along side of the road. I want to make it look similar to this too, with the dark top & white base & dark handles. Mine has a bit of missing wood at the top of one of the 3 smaller drawers in the top row, so I have to make a creative cut in that drawer....someday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that will take some creativity there Beth. Can't wait to see what you do to it!

      Thanks so much for your kind compliment. I love the look, too. I'm going to have to do that one again. ;-)

      Delete
    2. Have you ever seen/used a product called U-Glu? It's supposed to be great at filling in missing places on wood.

      Delete
  3. Hey you guys! I bought some banged up French provincial dressers and found missing parts. I used Bondo to rebuild them and it turned out great! My first batch hardened almost immediately but then I got the hang of it and didn't add too much of the hardener and it gave me lots of time to play with it - just like Play Doh! Sanded and painted great.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really nice job, Stephanie! Back in the "old" days we were told to put a thin coat of varnish over the knots so they wouldn't bleed through the paint. Now the new primer formulas are supposed to be able to block the bleed through. I'm hoping that's true because I have a whole flippin room in our 1 1/2 story house full of knotty pine paneling to paint. Wish me luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, PamO it was a pain to do this dresser! I have heard that shellac is the best thing to use to guarantee no bleed through. I used Kilz Premium primer and it said it would cover over the knots. I can't tell you how much I read up on this. One poor woman did her knotty pine paneled room and it was great over the winter. Come springtime when she went back the knots were bleeding through. I'd love to see your room when you are done! Love house makeovers, too! Our house is a 1 1/2 story home, too. ;-)

      Delete
  5. Awesome transformation love the handles you chose.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Linda! I think those handles made that dresser!

      Delete
  6. I just redid a desk with the same exact style - wood on top, white base and black accents. Great minds think alike! What did you do with the broken rear piece?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to see your makeover!

      The back corner piece that was missing a chunk of wood? There was enough of an overhang that allowed us to remove the top and make a straight cut along the entire length. We were going to repair it but that would be the point where a person would grab when moving the piece and didn't think that was a good idea. As it is, you'd never know that the top of the piece was a tad bit bigger than it is now. :-) ~ Stephanie

      Delete

Talk back! I'd love to hear from you.