Dresser Turned Kitchen Island for My Sis

My younger sister got engaged to a fantastic guy this past New Year’s Eve, and I couldn’t be more excited for her and her husband-to-be!

Not long after they got engaged, I told them that I wanted to do a piece of furniture for them as a wedding gift and to start thinking of what they would want or could use.  She came back to me and suggested a dresser that they could use as an island in the kitchen, so I started on the lookout for the perfect piece that was not too wide and a good counter-top height.

The search didn’t last long before I snagged this awesome piece for $15 at my favorite thrift store!

It had several gloppy coats of paint over the years that were stripped off.  It was more than my orbital sander could handle on it’s own, so I used Citristrip.  The body was painted with an off-white oops paint. I kept the top wood and stained it with several coats of walnut stain for a dark, rich color which also served to abuse it had obviously taken.

I followed up the stain with a new top coat for me, Tung Oil (I used Minwax brand), and it’s definitely a new favorite!!  It’s super easy to use, self-leveling for a nice, smooth finish, food-safe (so perfect for a food prep or eating surface), heat resistant (also handy for the kitchen) and just a super-gorgeous glossy finish for your wood.  The only down side is that you have to wait 24 hours between coats, and I applied 5 on this dresser/island’s top.  Just brush a generous coat on with a disposable foam brush, wait a day, and repeat the process until you have a nice, glossy finish with no dull spots.  With a little patience, I’m sure that you’ll love the results as much as I did. 

The finishing touch was these fabulous Mexican Talavera knobs that I picked up on Etsy.  They’re using Fiestaware dishes, and I thought it would be fun to play off the Mexican design element.

So I hope that it’ll be something that they will use and love for years to come.  Who knows: Someday it may even be reincarnated as a changing table for my future niece or nephew!  ;)

Summer is kicking my heinie here!  Between the horrid heat and having all four kiddos home, I’m not cranking furniture projects out as fast as I would like, so I apologize for my lack of posting.

But I did manage to finish up a lovely gilded pair of French side tables the other day as well.  I’m sharing them over on the SNAP! Blog, so head on over and check it out!

Sweatilly yours,

 

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Primitive & Proper