You can’t fall in love in the dark… It’s true.
I am always on the lookout for a good find. I’ve been known to spend my Saturdays driving to strange new places to find new inspirations and projects. I have paid too much and too little for everything I have loved, which will always be my life's blessing. The best, however, is the free find that actually pays off!
If you haven't done so yet, download the “Free Stuff” app. It is a cumulative collection of all free things posted. I do not want 98% of what is on there, but I can admit to having been the lucky one a time or two. A few weeks ago, I inquired about a table. The lady was quick to respond and hopeful for a swift pickup. I had plans to visit friends nearby and was able to add this to my list of destinations for the evening. She quickly added she also had a dresser, making it a firm plan for me. 2 PIECES FOR THE PRICE OF NONE!
I could not fit all the pieces in one trip, so this became an investment of time from the beginning. My pickup was after dark and from the curbside of a great neighborhood. Let me tell you though… You can’t fall in love in the dark.
I got the table home, unloaded quickly, and turned right back around for the bonus dresser. I had been looking for one with interesting lines and old age and she fit the bill. A little wobbly but none too far gone for a lover of dismissed items. The next morning I was so excited to get that table sanded, worked, and sold! With holidays around the corner folks are moving, redecorating, and settling into the feeling of home. A table is a great fall project and I was certain of a quick turnaround. I pulled her outside and took a good overall look. I knew some pieces were in need of repair, but a deeper look revealed it was all MDF underlay and she was not worth saving. The board was completely damaged by water and was not going to be the salvageable treasure I had recently celebrated. This was disappointment number one. I properly planned her disposal and moved my attention to what would come of that bonus dresser. After all, I had not sought her out, but she was entrusted to me. I knew she was old and in need of TLC, but I was not prepared for how much work she needed. Disappointment number two. She had overall thick layers of paint and drips and mystery funk. Her drawer fronts were sanded down but the rest of her had mismatched chippy paint everywhere and the backside was coated in thick old white paint. Her drawers had paper liners common to that timeframe that were stuck in place and covered in who knows what. It was going to be a challenge to get this cleaned, stripped, and sanitary. This was also going to be a challenge to desire to work on, but like usual, her potential held my interest and I moved on.
I decided to not get overwhelmed and instead look at what I could do in steps. Then I would accept that I had to give adequate time to work on each step, and the grace to love small progress. Here was my plan: - Strip out and peel back all paper liners - Vacuum all dirt and dust inside and out - Cover this dresser everywhere that needs a good sanding with a stripper to work through those thick layers and allow the chemicals to eat through anything I was afraid to touch - Wash away stripper - Sand and reveal natural wood beauty - Seal in character and age with wood wax allowing her mark to be the distinction of beauty.
Each step revealed a challenge and a reason to instead light this dresser on fire.
I stuck with it through slow progress and waited. I focused on the original build, the character of the lines and intricacies, and the integrity and story that comes with every battle scar and realized that like life, things don’t always go as planned. Even after all that work, I didn’t love the color difference. The drawer interiors were still awful, so I thought about adding some peek-a-boo coloring to the insides as a fun hidden feature, then waxed to provide protection. After putting it all back together, I white-waxed the remaining areas to create depth and age. I also added a little peek of color to the backside.
Still, I felt something was missing. She was beautiful, and yet not. She missed cohesion and intentionality. Another change to the top and sides, adding paint, bringing forward a clean, fun feel with the new color. I finalized with sealer, rephotographed, and stepped back to reexamine. I considered rough sanding to allow age to show through, yet not be the primary feature, and thought “Go for it! She has been through worse.”
As you can see… It was not love at first sight, first sand, first paint stroke, first pictures, or first anything. She was right there the whole time but I could not see her. The best recreated things take time, and in it, I often find a little bit of me too…
