A Non-Painted Furniture Makeover

Contrary to what you'd think, I don't paint every piece of furniture that comes my way. To be fair, about 95% of them get a coat of paint, but not every one.

This piece was one of my non-painted makeovers.

I got this Victorian Eastlake Washstand from Craig's List. It was in the next town over and the woman who owned it was the sweetest person. She is actually an antique dealer. When she picked it up, it was painted white. I believe she used the term "shabby chic". Wanting to restore it to its original state, she had a friend strip it down to the bare wood and stain it. She kept it for a good while and then decided to sell it...to me!

When I picked it up, I fell in love with it right away. It was so gorgeous and I realized this was a piece I wouldn't paint. Instead, I spruced up the finish and did some minor repairs. This video goes into more details.

Can I just say how cool it is to have uploaded my first video to YouTube? On a different note, there has to be a way to choose a more flattering thumbnail photo.

Enough with the video. On to the pictures! The details on this piece speak for themselves.

The carvings on the front won me from day one.

The cove and pin joinery on the drawers won me too. It's also called a Knapp joint because the inventor of this type of joint was Charles Knapp.

Whenever you see a piece of furniture with this type of joinery, you know it's old. These joints were only used from around 1870 - 1900, so at it's youngest, my piece is 116 years old.

The drawer fronts are pretty too. See?

The door has the same carved details as the drawers.

This wreath was one of three from my wedding. You can read up on how I spruced them up here. (You can also see a picture of my pretty engagement ring!)

Some juniper and glittery pinecones did the trick!

I kept the staging on the washstand itself simple - an old book and a pretty lantern.

No need to gild a lily, right?

Overall, this furniture makeover was subtle, but there were still features that needed a little bit of love. I'm super happy with the way it turned out and I hope it will be the perfect piece in someone's home. It's on its way to Morgantown Market along with the smalls I picked up on my last antique picking trip. Stop by if you'd like to see it in person!