Makeover : Dresser to Changing Table

We don't have a ton of space in the nursery so decided to double the changing table with a dresser. 

One of our aunt & uncles on Kelly's side gave us this dresser that had been passed down from their aunt and uncle for their child. Also, it was built in the town where we grew up and still live today. And it was the perfect size. Pretty wicked awesome, huh?

With all of it's lovely, sweet history, this little guy still needed a makeover.

I really really adore all of the fresh painted furniture makeovers that I've been seeing all over Pinterest. How cute would this dresser be if it was painted a bright coral or sunshine yellow? Except, I was torn. This piece should keep being handed down for as long as it still stands, and a radiant, lime green piece of furniture doesn't really work for just any household.

What will always be in style is stained wood, so that's what I decided to go with.

Here are a couple pictures of the original dresser after the wooden knobs were removed.

This use to be a very popular color, but you now don't see much of it in furniture stores, and it didn't match any of the furniture in our home. 

A few nails had become loose over the years and had to be tapped in tighter.

The first thing I had to do was strip this baby down. I used my trusty Black + Decker Mouse detail sander and went over the whole dresser with very coarse sandpaper until all of the shiny varnish had disappeared. For the second pass, I used a very fine sandpaper to smooth it all out. 

What remained was actually a very pretty color! 

It got wiped down with a wet rag and blown off with the air compressor to get all of the dust out of the teeny tiny cracks.

Then it was time to bust out my all-time favorite stain that I use for everything - Minwax Interior Wood Stain in Ebony.   

Aaand I almost die every single time after the first swipe of stain. I think omg omg omg I have ruined this beautiful wood! But then, it wipes away and I almost die again...

I was jumping up and down and am pretty sure I let out a squeal or two when I saw the final color. Love is an understatement. The color is so rich and dark and has a tiny hint of red coming through, just beautiful. 

Then, after a coat of polyurethane and some new knobs, voila! 

And one more before & after...

I'm very happy with how it turned out and can't wait to stuff it with diapers and blankets and all sorts of stuff! 

Have you done any furniture makeovers recently?