I got this dresser on the last day of an estate sale. The family was trying to get rid of everything and was willing to practically give it away.

Originally, I had planned on using it for my son's Bigger Big Boy room but we ended up going with the MCM dresser instead.

I started by giving it a thorough cleaning with diluted TSP. Although the dresser didn't look dirty, I must have used an entire roll of paper towels wiping until they went from disgustingly brown to nice and white.

Since I was using General Finishes Java gel on the dresser top, I only scuff sanded the surface so the stain would adhere better.

For the body and drawers, I painted a base coat of General Finishes Driftwood and then lightly glazed over it with Winter White using a damp sponge. I followed the same technique as both of my MCM-style dressers. You can find more directions here.

Since I was refinishing this dresser to sell, I choose a neutral color scheme that complimented its original Art Deco style.

I soaked the filthy hardware in TSP too and scrubbed with an old toothbrush. Look how sparkly and clean they turned out!

To get perfect coverage, I applied two coats of Java gel stain to the top, which completely covered the imperfections but still allowed the wood grain to show.