I got this beautiful dresser! What color do I refinish it with?

Question

Antique, beautiful lines, and dove tails! Oh I lovvve it so much! Need to pick a color that will do it justice!

Answer 1

know what kind of wood it is made of then go to a hardware store that has samples of finishes.  ask if they have the samples of the finishes on the same wood that your dresser is made of.  if not, pick something that is at or close to the color you want and test it on a hidden portion of your dresser.  be advised, if your dresser is made of pine or maple, it will blotch (absorb unevenly) when you apply a stain.  for those woods, i use and suggest transtint dye.  it's easy to use and will go evenly into the wood.  one bottle can go a long way when mixed correctly.  you can see sample pictures here:

http://www.veneersupplies.com/advanced_s...

That's also the cheapest place I could find to purchase it.

use distilled water for mixing it. prewet the dresser to raise the grain then sand lightly with 340 grit sandpaper a couple of times before applying the dye.  just use a rag or sponge to apply the dye.  do two coats of the dye to get rid of any lap marks

once the dye dries, it will look flat.  don't worry, an oil coat or topcoat of varnish will give it a nice look.

Answer 2

Okay, I really don't want to dampen your enthusiasm! BUT be prepared. A lot of times even very fine quality furniture has unattractive things on the bare wood -- things that you won't see till you strip the finish. Example: there's nothing wrong with veneer, but once the varnish and stain are removed, you're going to do more than apply a coat of clear finish.

You might need a stain that can hide variations in color. Semi-transparent, semi-solid, and gel stains are good for this. They can be applied with a rag or a brush. Totally transparent stains won't hide anything.

Also, stay away from finishes that combine polyurethane with stain. It's really hard not to end up with lap marks.

Try out your color on a hidden area. A "mahogany" stain can look very red; "walnut" can be purplish in some brands.

Good luck! Work slowly and carefully, and you'll enjoy that dresser for decades.

Answer 3

http://www.indobase.com/home/painting/de...

I bookmarked this some time ago because I like this technique