Serpentine Dresser in Antique White

Yes, it’s true, I have a thing for vintage serpentine dressers. I seem to be powerless to resist those curvy numbers. I spotted this one at a garage sale and just couldn’t say no. And those paw feet? Well that just sealed the deal for me. Here it is the after my makeover.

It wasn’t in bad shape at all. It didn’t need any repairs and was very clean inside. It had been painted head to toe, or paw, in white paint that had become quite dingy. The paint job wasn’t the best, but fortunately, it only had one layer of paint. For a number of reasons, I have adopted a general rule that I will no longer take on previously painted pieces. Because this dresser had so much going for it, though, I decided to make an exception to my rule.

I stripped the paint off the top and then sanded it down to bare wood. I applied one coat of General Finishes java gel stain and sealed it with 4 coats of General Finishes High Performance top coat in satin. The original casters were missing, so I added new wood casters.

The brass keyhole covers were tarnished and covered in paint. I carefully popped them out, stripped the paint and then shined them up with Brasso. I also added some new knobs from Hobby Lobby. They are a warm gold glass that match the brass on the keyhole covers.

I sanded the rest of the dresser and the drawers smooth. I then painted it with 3 coats of General Finishes milk paint in antique white, sanding lightly between coats. I then sealed the piece with General Finishes High Performance top coat in flat. I used my daughter’s second grade self portrait for staging this piece. She is definitely a creative soul.