Ugly Duckling Turned Beautiful Swan ~ I Had My Doubts

It was a long, long time ago when I found her; an old dresser abandoned by the roadside.

The drawer fronts were not attached to the drawers and leaning against one side.

The old mirror and frame that holds it in place were dismantled and leaning on the other side.

She was old, broken and dirty...the perfect curbside find.

The mister reattached the drawer fronts to the drawers and after a good cleaning she was used for storage in a spare room at our old house.  Jumping ahead a number of years and after moving to our current home, the base of the dresser was used on the screened porch for a while and for the last couple of years it has been stored in the garage.

As I shared in my Guest Room Sneak Peek, I was searching the attic, garage and all my stashes to pull this room together with little to no cost.  This dresser came to mind and as I pulled her from the garage, seeing the condition it was in, I had my doubts about ever using it again.

She looks awful here, but just wait! :)

Not only covered in dirt and grime,

there was mold here and there from being on the porch with potted plants sitting on top.

Much of the veneer had already come off but there was more to be removed.

I removed the rest of the veneer by using a slant edge putty knife with a sharp edge.

Some of the veneer was loose and easy to remove.  Other areas took a bit of muscle to remove.

After removing the veneer I gave her a good cleaning; inside-out and top to bottom!

Next, I painted on a couple coats of Annie Sloan Louis Blue chalk paint and finished her off with a little clear and dark wax.

I tell ya!  That Annie Sloan chalk paint is a miracle in a can.

It's so easy to use and the results are always amazing!

The drawers were lined with pretty paper with a sweet faint scent and the finishing touch was adding crystal knobs with little silver details.

This dresser is old and though she's been given a new beginning, she is still showing her age.

You can see it in the mirror where the silver backing has been slowly turning black over the years...I love it!

After a little elbow grease, a good cleaning and paint...here she is!

The ugly duckling turned to a beautiful swan and is perfect for our colonial farmhouse style guest room!

Did you see the guest room reveal?  You can see it here.

Be sure to check out this week's features and inspiration at AMAZE ME MONDAY!

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