Antique Vanity Redo

I have shown you my vanity before.  It came to be mine when my ex spotted it for sale for $50 in someone's yard and bought it for me about 15 years ago.  I've always loved its trifold mirror, graceful lines and curvy legs.  Not so much the dull finish and chipped veneer, but it's something I use every day and like many things, after a while I stopped noticing.

Around mid-September I decided it was time for a makeover.  I didn't have any helpers around so I did the whole makeover right here in the corner of my bedroom.  I stripped the finish off the two cabinet tops using Minwax furniture refinisher and steel wool (wearing heavy rubber gloves, always!) and cleaned off the rest of the cabinet with TSP.  Then I used a wood reconditioner on the cabinet tops, restained in Antique Walnut, and did 5 coats of poly, rubbing with steel wool in between coats.  Shiny!  The body I painted with Martha Stewart paint, which was very nice to work with.  After a nice pretty paint job, I smacked it around a little bit with my palm sander, to give it a little character.  I did nothing to the hardware, I kind of like it the way it is.

I really wish I could have moved it into better light, but moving all the furniture for a photo shoot was not a do-able scenario on my own.  And I have to tell you, photographing a trifold mirror without getting yourself or at least your tripod legs in the shot while you are in a small room is not all that easy!

Below I am showcasing some of my antique treasures while showing you the edge detail on the center console.  The gold perfume vial in the purse opening belonged to my Grandma, everything else was a "junking" find.  I wear those beads all the time.

A little close-up on the details:

This stuff will stay on display, but I will add more "stuff" because I'm cluttery like that.  I just wanted you to be able to actually see the tops in the photos.  :)

This little corner is considerably brighter now, I'm loving my little vanity in white.  I forgot to photo the insides but I painted the drawers in Martha Stewart "Rainwater", a pretty blue-green.  I may do a lighter wash of that color on my walls.

Thanks for coming by.  I'm linkng up with some parties:

Show and Tell Friday

Furniture Friday

Potpourri Party

Feathered Nest Friday