Gel Stained Dresser | 2020 Flip List Item No.1

In this world of consumption, it grounds me to create instead. I think that’s probably why you’re here too is it not? To get inspired by what you can make out of the world’s sloppy seconds? Or open your eyes to what can be rescued from the dump?

Sometimes it feels like we live in what I call a “Disposable Culture”. Things aren’t really made well enough to last and it doesn’t matter anyways because you can instantly replace it on a whim. If there’s one thing this pandemic has taught me it’s that almost anything you want is available for delivery and on demand. But I wonder how our consumerism affects what we find value in. On the one hand, I can’t complain because I’m in the business of making things from what no one else wants. But on the other hand does the ease we can waste and replace lessen our concept of worth… and how far does that infection go?

Stories like George Floyd’s haven’t been lost on me. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the footage because I knew how wrong it was.

No person should be disposable.

As a middle-class white woman, I can’t say that I’ve felt the knee of the BIPOC struggle. And it’s a hard pill to swallow. My color automatically classifies me as a contribution to society. And not everyone is afforded that luxury.

I know, I know.  I don’t normally open up about such galvanizing topics here at SMH.  And if you came here for the furniture, I will get to that. It seems trivial to keep using this platform just to talk about design and not first acknowledge that. After all, it has been a true joy for me to find the value in what others may have dismissed.

Can’t we all try to do the same in each other?

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Last year, I stumbled across a free dresser on the Facebook marketplace. It was a little beat up. It was missing the original legs. And the family had no use for it because the daughter was tired of the family hand-me-downs. I wanted the chance to restore it so I scooped it up and hoarded it in the workshop for a few months, and eventually added it to the 2020 Flip List to hold myself accountable.

But like most things in 2020…

Things did not go exactly as planned.

It was in overall good shape - I only had to add legs and repair some damage to the trim work. The wood grain was so beautiful that I didn’t want to do my usual finish. But the location of the repairs would make it tricky to match the original walnut stain. I still love to play with contrast in details so I decided to try gel staining for the first time. I chose a black stain that I hoped would allow me to mask the compound repairs on the trim while darkening the wood grain instead of loosing it to a flat paint finish.

I was loving what I was seeing! The blacken body helped play up the warm wood in the legs and highlight the sculpted details on the trim work. Yes everything was going according to plan.

Or so I thought…

See, I blatantly ignored the instructions on the can of gel stain choosing to seal it with my go-to soft wax finish instead of the recommended polyurethane. And as I applied the first coat of wax, I found that most of the dark stain I had painstakingly left to cure for 36 hours was wiping right off!

Now it wasn’t the end of the world but it certainly wasn’t the finished look I was imagining for this piece. Don’t get me wrong, the gel stain still did it’s job and overall darkened the existing wood grain while masking all of my repairs. I can still count it as a win, but I had wanted more contrast between the black stain and the warm walnut details.

Instead this dresser ended up with a moody finish from the varied shades of black stain.

Although the finished product wasn’t intentional, this was a valuable learning process for me. And ultimately, I’m glad I took the risk even if it didn’t turn out the way I had imagined. I still spared this piece from a trip to the dump - and found a way to keep it relevant in this new-is-always-better world.

It still celebrates the warm walnut tones but in a more rugged way than my signature matte paint finish.

For styling, I deconstructed a Thonet rocking chair. I know that may be a crime to some, but to me was a crime of opportunity - I’m just in love with those cane shapes!

This piece has sold.

But if you are interested in a custom order like it, email me at cate@stylemutthome.com

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Thank you for letting me share my raw thoughts along with my finished pieces. I appreciate having this space to be creative and honest and I hope you are continually inspired to do the same. It takes courage to be vulnerable. But I think that makes for good soil to do some beautiful things.

Catch up on the 2020 Furniture Flip Bucket List

Gray Tallboy Dresser

A while back I flagged a dresser I liked on facebook, buuuuuut was too slow to seal the deal and pick it up.  But sometimes the furniture fairies give me second chances (like here for example) and just a few weeks later, I come to find out that not only was it Chelsea who nabbed it, but she had decided to clear out her private inventory and was looking to unload it!  And this time friends, I was first in line to buy it off her.

Once I got it in the workshop, I realized one of the knobs was bent out of shape (can you spot it?) and there was some small damage to the side.

So I went about conducting repairs and decided to paint and change the hardware completely.

I’ve worked with a lot of mid century modern pieces over the years.  In fact, I now exclusively prefer to restore and refinish them.  I enjoy updating their inherently clean lines with interesting paint techniques and modern hardware.

Although it had tapered legs indicative of a mid century piece, there were a few elements that made it feel more “traditional” than my usual project - the trim on the top drawer fronts, the squared-off base.  So I decided to lean into it’s existing personality and go with a more traditional look - a neutral gray for the body.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love how gold knobs play off a warm gray.  It’s a classic look that can suit clients of all ages and style sensibilities.

I replaced the pulls on the top drawers with some brass whistle knobs and swapped out the double breasted pulls on the bottom with sleek anglular center pulls.

To ground the piece a little, I kept the legs a dark walnut which only needed a little oil to help them shine again.

If you’ve been following along with us for a while, you may have noticed I tend to style my pieces with a little quirk.  Sometimes it’s a strange piece of art or sculptural element.  Sometimes it’s how I hang the art or where I place it.  But with this piece, I just wasn’t feeling my usual oddball accessories.  Eventually, I decided on a classy monochromatic color pallet - the glimpses of gold and touches of nature quietly compliment its traditional flare.

This handsome 5 drawer devil got picked up this weekend so he’s not available in the shop but if you’re interested in a custom order like it, hit me up!

Gray Tallboy Dresser
SOLD
36”W x 18”D x 44.5”H
$495


If you are interested in a custom order like this piece, email me at cate@stylemutthome.com

Pop of Red Dresser

When it comes to repairing old dressers, I’ve seen quite the spectrum of original conditions.  Water damage, bent hardware, chunks missing, splitting veneer, broken legs, and even dog pee.

But this piece...

…this piece might take the cake. 

The previous owners had been keeping it practically unsheltered in their carport for who knows how long.  Exposed to the elements, every inch of the cherry veneer was clinging on for dear life.  As soon as I touched it, the veneer started flaking off like bad dandruff.  Poor thing. The state of this thing meant I couldn’t restore all of it back to its former glory. The drawer fronts, although in need of excessive touch-ups, were mostly salvageable.  But the sides were an irrestorable tragedy that would have to succumb to a good coat of paint. But this meant I had a fun opportunity on my hands… a chance to play with color:

So if paint had to be on the agenda, I chose a sassy red-orange to play off the red cherry tones in the drawers.

The drawers had a lot of chipped veneer around the edges which I painstaking patched and painted to match by hand.  Then I reoiled the wood to bring it back to health like a good moisturizer for cracked hands in winter.

The original wooden pulls were also too damaged to keep so I replaced them with brass whistle knobs that match the brass keyholes in the top drawers.

I was able to keep the original gold capped tapered legs however!

To style it, I used my painter’s pallet and the most exquisite golden foliage I could find.

GAH! This is why it’s my favorite time of year to style with tree branches!!! (I can’t help myself - just see here and here and here).

Pop of Red 8 Drawer Dresser
Now Available for Sale
33.5”W x 18”D x 48”H
$495


If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, email me at cate@stylemutthome.com