I snagged this dresser at a Savers for around $7. I fell in love with the beveled drawer fronts, the angled peg legs and awesome original hardware. It was covered in BROWN PAINT! And a terrible attempt at "wood grain" technique on top of the brown paint. Underneath was a sturdy solid-oak frame, and under the shelf paper lined drawers was beautiful mahogany veneer in each drawer. My husband helped fix a loose leg, and we stripped the paint, sanded (and sanded and sanded) everything down to bare wood. Stained it in a red-oak color & had the finish professionally done with shellac. We buffed the hardware bare and sprayed with polyurethane to seal (the knobs are solid brass and the plates are a silver color). Although we love the piece, the only thing we'd change if we were to re-do it (and we might some day) is to finish it in a more matte or satin finish. But for now, the shine has held up to much use and it now lives in our living room.
