Buffet Makeover

It's funny how life works sometimes. It must have been meant to be for me to end up with this buffet from Aaron's Great-Grandmother. A couple of weeks ago when I was just starting my furniture rehab projects my mother-in-law said that she had this buffet that no one wanted.  It even sat a whole weekend at the garage sale in Ord. I don't know how many people probably walked by it that weekend, but I guess no one saw what I saw.  She was beautiful! Straight out of the 50's. I felt a vision coming on.  Not only was I looking for a buffet/server for my dining room but how cool is it that this piece of furniture has been in the family for close to 60 years.  And now she was mine, all mine!!! I kind of felt bad that I was going to change the entire look of the piece but I was assured that NO ONE else in the family wanted it.  So here is a before picture...




  Notice the checker board on the top three drawers. I initially loved it because it was so different but then I had an idea.  What if I sanded them flat?? Aaron didn't think I had it in me but I was out to prove him wrong. So I got out my 60 grit sand paper and went to town.  (I will admit, I was A LOT apprehensive. I mean, what if it didn't work and the drawers are ruined?) Where there's a will, there's a way. It took some tenacity and some muscles but the end result turned out awesome.   Here is the after....

I stripped the top and re-stained it a dark walnut color and painted the rest a color called Swiss Mocha.  I lightly sanded all the edges just to make them pop a little bit and glazed it with a light tea stain glaze.  After a couple of trips to every single Menards, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. store in town to find harware I finally decided on these, and I LOVE THEM!!! It doesn't even look like the same piece of furniture.  On Wednesday night Ken, Audrey and Kim came over to see it and LOVED it!!! If they are happy them I am happy!!  :)