About 4 months ago, I bought a bunch of second-hand furniture. A hutch, dining room set, antique mirror and this dresser — painted a dusty rose.

Before + After: antique dresser

Before + After: antique dresser

The dresser is well made of heavy wood, with tongue and groove joints, but needed some attention. The paint was worn and the hardware did nothing for me. Enter Adam and his favorite stripper:

Before + After: antique dresser

Before + After: antique dresser

Before + After: antique dresser

Before + After: antique dresser

Before + After: antique dresser

Before + After: antique dresser

Surprise! There are five layers of paint already on this thing. Let’s sand it down and see what happens…

Before + After: antique dresser

Wait. That’s kinda pretty as is. Or as Adam said, “Someone would pay $1000 for that at Anthropologie.” 

Before + After: antique dresser

I loved the antique barn wood look of this when it was outside. And when I installed the new hardware. And when I lined the drawers. All until I finally got it back upstairs and in place. I’m not sure if it is the lamp that’s throwing me off, or if it just looks too shabby now that I have it in place.

Before + After

Before + After: antique dresser

Am I fugly? Or unique? Hmmm. 

Interwebs, what do you think? Change up the lamp? Repaint the dresser? (The original idea was a bright barn red.) Change up the lamp shade? I’d love to hear what you would do.

Also, many thanks to my trusty sidekick and his stripper. They are quite the team!

~K

UPDATE: I am going to repaint this red. After looking at these photos, I can’t help but think this looks like a Pepto Bismol massacre.