project: old dresser

I've always been interested in interior design.  When I was young, I would insist that my babysitter help me rearrange my bedroom furniture before my mom got home.  I had this weird thing about not getting my mom involved, but I'm pretty sure she was unphased.  You see, I'm the third child out of four in my family (which you can read more about here) and my mom might be the most laid back woman there is....  For instance, I used to wear every single layer of long underwear that we owned (three girls in different sizes= lots of long underwear) at the same time all winter long with a tutu on top.... ANYWAY, my nanny, unlike my mother, was an OCD cleaner, who insisted on making each of our bedrooms immaculate.  She would vacuum under the beds and other furniture, dust, and do an overall disinfecting deep clean while we were rearranging, so it was actually music to my mothers ears to hear that we had done some decorating while she was out.

Later, in boarding school, I would budget my (very small) allowance/savings to buy linens and towels and odds and ends for my dorm room.  At 14, this was not "normal" behavior as far as my roommates were concerned, but it always made me so happy!

And that trend continues today.  I subscribe to a wide variety of home goods and home improvement magazines, and I receive oodles of  catalogs each season.  I save my money for side tables while all my other friends shop for clothes and read about the Kardashian marriage headed to splitsville (ok, clearly I'm not slacking in the rumor-reading department, but you get the picture).

I said in my post yesterday that I was excited to share some bits about me improving old pieces I already own.  Remember, I'm in my mid-twenties and I'm on a budget, and this is all in the name of creating beautiful things for functional spaces, so bear with me.  I'm about to get creative!  This is jawsie taking a bite out of life:

Project #1: The Dresser

Yes, that blue sticker is from the van lines that moved my parents furniture to a new house six years ago...
Mom=laid back 

I am well aware of the following:

cons: 

• missing 2 knobs (hope to find some great replacements for the whole piece at anthropologie!)
• some old tape/sticker damage to the middle two drawers (a sander will do the trick)
• uneven tones throughout (I'm going to paint, seal, and embellish this puppy!)
• holy moly, what a disgusting top you have.  (the better to urge you to fix me with, my dear.)

pros:

• solid wood!
• beautiful lines 
• mucho potential!!!!!
• free!  (this is a Mom and Dad's basement special.)

They sure don't make them like they used to...

It's going to be a big job... I'm off to find a sander!