Alternate punny post title: Some Midcentury Microdermabrasion. Ok, so yesterday John explained how we hunted down an old thrift store table and repaired its rickety legs. And since we’re nothing if not honest when it comes to keeping things real-time in this little DIY diary of ours (if something takes two days, it earns two posts – and if a kitchen takes four months, it earns about a hundred) here’s the second chapter for our little dresser-turned-media-cabinet. The title of which could be: How I Showed A Dingy Old Wood Dresser Some Sweet Sweet Love. Or Dr $herdog And Her Scrub-tastic Tricks. You know, depending on your mood.
So let’s dive right into how I brought this 50+ year old piece back from scratched and bedraggled territory. Here are my tools. It’s a pretty simple equation.
Yup, you read that right. Ladies and gentlemen, my first weapon of choice was a Magic Eraser. I’ve found that for old beat up pieces like this, it’s great for scrubbing off years of grime. It essentially does the same thing as very fine steel wool or sandpaper does (but seems to be more gentle on the hands). The cool thing is that sometimes what you think are paint streaks and scratches actually can be buffed off with the eraser so the wood is back to looking downright sexy again. For example, see this detail shot that I took of the bottom right side of the cabinet before I did any scrubbing?
Here it is after about five minutes of buffing that area with a damp Magic Eraser:
I did the same buffing thing all over the top, the sides, and even the legs (tip: you might want to test it on an out of the way spot to make sure it doesn’t mess with your piece’s finish, but if it’s dry old wood like this guy it should work just like high grit sandpaper and just buff things down a bit).
Then it was time to clean out the inside of the drawers. Those were musty and dusty, so it was less about buffing them down to their original glory like it was for the exterior, so my approach changed. I just used an old rag moistened with white vinegar to wipe down the insides of each drawer. That removed all the dust, and since vinegar is also great for absorbing/removing musty smells in old wood, it was amazing how that tangy vinegar went on smelling strongly but then dried to have no smell at all (so those formerly musty drawers smelled like nothing at all as well). Huzzah.
Here’s how she looked after about a few hours of working the outside with the Magic Eraser and the inside of each drawer with a vinegar-moistened rag.
It’s a far cry from the muddled old finish that we saw at the thrift store, right? Now you get the post title, right? It’s like I hooked her up with some nice microdermabrasion, right? Dr. $herdog doesn’t mess around.
The next step was letting her sit out in the sunroom with her drawers all open so everything could evaporate and fully dry out (all the vinegar-wiped drawers need to full air out so the bitter smell dissipates). Then about eight hours later we finally (finally!!) brought her into the living room. Nothing like waiting over two years to find the right media cabinet.
We eventually plan to use a drawer or two for the TV components instead of sitting them on the floor (we can either hinge the front of that drawer for easy remote-access to them or use one of those cool RF remotes that work through wood) but this works for now.
And speaking of planning, we also originally planned to paint the top, sides, and bottom of the piece white (while leaving the rest of it in the same wood tone that you see now – sort of like this but wood where the white is and white where the wood is) but now that we’ve scrubbed it down and brought it into the living room we actually like it just the way it is.
We already have a white desk, a white table, and a white ottoman in the room, so the wooden media cabinet balances nicely with the wooden console that we built for behind our sofa along with the wood-framed chalkboard that we made. We even like the original hardware (although you never know if we’ll see something awesome and be completely seduced). Now that I’m sitting here staring at it, I actually think the existing hardware could look great in an oil-rubbed bronze finish since the curtain rods on both sides of this piece (as well as the dark TV on top of it) are that tone. So that’s always a possibility down the line. Either way you know I’ll keep you posted.
I’d also love to use some sort of wood restoring seal/topcoat to coat the cabinet (since it’s pretty dry and not really very glossy at all) – just to bring back even more luster. I hit up Home Depot and grabbed something that I’m dying to try, so I’ll be back with pics and details for ya about that – maybe along with a tutorial for hinging a drawer for those media components or giving an RF remote a try? Might not get around to it for a few weeks with all of our book tour travel coming up, but I can’t wait to get ‘er done.
Oh and as for securing the TV so it’s kid safe, we use this anchor system to keep it in place (here’s a picture of it with our last media cabinet from this post, but it’s the same system, we just unattached it and reattached it higher on the wall to work with the new cabinet). We’ve also had luck using similar systems for tethering desks and dressers and leaning mirrors to keep them from tipping (more on that here).
Now we’re just basking in the glory of a not-too-low TV that actually doesn’t make the whole room feel sofa-heavy (that side of the room always felt more substantial thanks to the teeny old TV table). Ooh yeah, I’m going to stuff those abundant drawers with all of Clara’s games and toys that runneth over. Momma’s excited about that. Oh and as for the old TV cabinet, we just craigslisted it for $30 yesterday! So in the end this new $59 TV cabinet was more like $29 after you put that $30 craigslist payment back in our pockets.
Is anyone else trying to bring an old piece of furniture back to its former glory? Have you ever used a vinegar wipe-down to de-must drawers? Have you tried the Magic Eraser approach on old grungy wood? I’m not sure it would be a good idea on something super shiny (sealed/lacquered) since it might make tiny scratches in the finish, but for old dry wood that looks beat up and battered already, it certainly removed a lot of things that I thought were deeply rooted into the stain (they must have been sitting right on top). Word up to less-beat-up-than-you-thought furniture.
Courtney says
Thanks for the tip! I will be using that vinegar/eraser thing in the very near future!
bridget b. says
Total score on the dresser! Did y’all see West Elm’s similar version for $800 (http://www.westelm.com/products/311332/?catalogId=11&bnrid=3918508&cm_ven=Google_PLA&cm_cat=Furniture&cm_pla=Dressers_+_Nightstands&cm_ite=West_Elm_Mid-Century_6-Drawer_Dresser%2C_Acorn&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=35-23200609-2)?
Thanks for sharing your tips on getting that old, musty smell out of thrift store finds. That smell alone has scared me away from a few potential purchases in the past.
I’ve also found that the Magic Eraser is good for cleaning handprints off of our stainless steel fridge doors. I just follow it with a rub down with a dry microfiber cloth.
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Love that!
xo
s
Katie says
oh my gosh, I bought one almost exactly like that last year on Craigslist for $20! Glad you mentioned the Magic Eraser might not work on lacquer, since that’s what mine is… almost bought one of those bad boys! Our living rooms are looking oddly similar these days, with the Karl and now this! Looks great :o)
Liz says
Wow! It looks even better than this one at West Elm ($800!)
http://www.westelm.com/products/mid-century-6-drawer-dresser-g815/?pkey=call-new&cm_src=all-new||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_–_-
Ronnie says
Great job! I’ve been hoping to find an affordable MCM console table one day. So sorry I missed you guys in Austin! The website says 1/8 not 1/7.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, today is the 8th right? The signing is tonight!
xo
s
Katherine says
Psst Sherry, the post title shows as yesterday’s date (7th Jan) not today’s (8th Jan) :)
Laurie says
I have a glossy Queen Anne china hutch. We have had it for about 15 years and it is no longer my style but my husband has formed a weird attachment to it. I am more into rustic, vintage, reclaimed furniture these days. I got a great buffet and a dining room table in reclaimed wood but he doesn’t want to let go of this darn hutch. SO…..I am thinking about painting it in that Chalk paint by Annie Sloan. I hear you don’t have to sand and prime when using this paint. Have you used it or do you know much about it? Curious as to whether you or your readers have any suggestions, advice or input about painting this piece. Alternatively, I am thinking about just shipping it off to you and letting you surprise me! HA HA! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes I hear it’s awesome! Although you do have to wax it afterwards, so to me that’s still a two step process like priming/painting. Can’t wait to try it out though!
xo
s
heather says
i’m very impressed. the piece looks great in the room and so much better after the clean up! it may have taken 2 years to find but it looks like the perfect piece.
and good to know about the magic eraser. i actually can’t stand it because the one time i used one it took the paint off my wall. maybe i was doing something wrong though.
Angel says
I am so jealous! I saw something just like that at goodwill near me and my “better half” vetoed it because it was veneer and not real wood and looked about as beat up as yours did. Is yours veneer or solid wood? Crazy to think that veneer would clean up like that.
Anyway its awesome!
YoungHouseLove says
Ours is just veneer (like Clara’s dresser) – it cleans up nice!
xo
s
Marci says
I love the Magic Eraser, can’t live without them now! Do you think the vinegar trick would work on a piece that smelled like smoke? I have an old desk from my grandma’s house that I want to keep for sentimental reasons but it has lived in the garage due to the smell.
YoungHouseLove says
I don’t think it could hurt! Also setting it outside in the sun on a hot day helps with smoke I think!
xo
s
Rachel says
I was wondering the same thing! I scored a cute little secretary desk from our Habitat Restore, only to notice the nasty cigarette smell once we got it home. I tried platefuls of baking soda in the drawers and cubbies, with only slight success. Vinegar is next :)
Jessica M says
Try dryer sheets!! My husband works for Rent-A-Center and they use scented dryer sheets to get the cigarette smoke out of used furniture all the time! Just leave a sheet in each drawer or cabinet. Works wonders on refrigerators with nasty smells, too!
Tracie@MiddleClassMod says
If it is real wood I am a huge fan of teak oil. If it’s veneer or laminate I like polyurethane. It even comes in spray cans!
That’s a super sexy credenza and I like the modern edge it gives your room.
Maureen says
Wow, that’s a great tip about the Magic Eraser, and the vinegar, for that matter. I am so glad you guys didn’t paint this. It looks really beautiful and warm in the room. Have fun in Austin!
Jessica says
Hi Sherry,
Thanks so much posting the tips about Mia’s Microdermabrasion and how the vinegar removes the musty smell. That will really help with my little bookshelf and with another piece of furniture that needs a good cleaning. Now I feel good about buying some of the furniture I saw at the ReStore too! Mia looks shiny and strikingly new for a gal of her age!
marilu says
Looks great. Is the dresser/console also secured to the wall?
YoungHouseLove says
We have a system on order (we didn’t have an extra, but it will be attached as soon as it comes – we get them from amazon.com).
xo
s
Kate F. says
My husband fashioned a media console out of a old 1948 (the same year our house was built) RCA television by removing the television part (You can’t believe how small the actual TV part was!) to create a place for the DVR and DVD player. The TV was $40 at a thift store, and the outside had a few scratches and stuff. We covered the major ones with a wood stain pen, but I am going to try a magic eraser on the smaller scratches that we left alone originally. Thanks for the tip!
Robin O says
A magic eraser?! Brilliant! Can’t wait to try it out.
Have a great time here in Texas! Be careful… Austin is weird. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we put the weird in weird!
xo
s
heather @ like a cup of tea says
I’m loving the natural wood and how it balances out the room. It’s like when you have cabin fever and then the first day of spring comes and you breath in the sweet air and you’re all I FORGOT HOW MUCH I NEEDED YOU and you want to breath it in all the time in a big outdoor oxygen hug.
Wait, that’s just me?
Well then *awkward pause* the MCM piece looks lovely natural and I’m glad you’re keeping it that way!
Have fun on the next leg of your tour!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahah!
xo
s
Dusa says
Hi Young’uns. I did the hinge thing with my upcycled dresser. Got the piano hinges and the magnetic latch at Lowes. Love love love!
Here’s the post: http://brightobjects.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/bring-on-the-popcorn/
YoungHouseLove says
Smart! Thanks for sharing the link!
xo
s
Terri Gilbert says
Other remedies for getting rid of mustiness or other odors are: exposure to sunlight for a couple days and/or a wipedown with vodka (use the cheap stuff).
YoungHouseLove says
Cool!
xo,
s
Ade@fortheloveofpainting says
lOVE IT…GREAT FIND!
Ash @ HumberHomeProject says
Amazing what a little elbow grease can do! What a transformation – it looks great.
We have some really banged up old wood furniture in our basement, I might just need to attack it with a Magic Eraser.
I’ve found that I have to wear gloves when using them though, they hurt my skin!
morgan smith says
oooh wee that looks good. i need to be more like y’all and have patience with thrift stores/craigslist- its hard to check week after week & not find what you’re looking for. y’all have reminded me that it might take a while but it’s out there :)
Jennah says
You can buy Magic Erasers for suuuuuper cheap on ebay, FYI. Just search for melamine sponges. I just ordered about 100 of them (…accidentally clicked twice) for like $10, which is way cheaper than even the off-brand versions. They work just as well!
I’ll have to try this on a table we just bought. It is shiny, but we need to degloss and refinish it anyway, so I can see how much ye ole magic erasers will fix it first.
Jaye @ Just Tryin' to Make Cents of it All says
Thanks for the vinegar tip. We bought an old dresser also and it’s in the process of a makeover, itself. There is this funky, funky smell to it so I’ll see if the vinegar gets rid of it! So glad you anchored the TV. I’ve heard horror stories about the TV falling on little kiddos.
Amy @ a new old house says
What a find! I love Magic Erasers, but never thought about trying it on wood furniture= Awesome!
Richelle says
I’ve never used a magic eraser on old furniture. I can’t believe the difference it made, nice to know!
Courtney says
I just did the same thing you’re talking about doing with this media console! My husband and I found a mid-century-looking dresser at an antique store. We brought it home and I decided to paint the dresser white, but leave the drawers the wood tone. I love it. I wish I could upload a picture of it to show you. We also converted the top 2 drawers into open shelves so that we can keep our components in there and still use the remote. I’m happy with the outcome.
Briel K. says
I can’t believe you guys found that great piece of furniture for only $59! I highly doubt I’d be able to find something like that here in LA for so little! Looks so nice after the cleaning too. Shiny! :)
Amy K says
What a great find!
But what are you going to do about the tv components (cable box, dvd player, etc) I see right now they’re on the floor.
Could you possibly make one of the drawer fronts fold down so you can store the component in the drawer, and just put the drawer front down when you want to use it, then fold it back up when the TV is off?
I think you’d have to make the drawer stationary too, so it wouldn’t pull out and tug the cords out.
Just a suggestion. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, check out the post for that info :)
xo
s
Barbara says
Looks great. For a hinged drawer motivation – check out Marti’s post on Project Palermo – http://projectpalermo.com/2012/01/23/a-harmless-dresser-to-tv-stand-conversion/
I think you guys would like that style.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the link Barbara!
xo
s
Barbara says
Anytime!!
BornInaZoo says
One of the tenants in the rentals my company owns was moving out of their apartment. I went in to do the move-out check & there was a beautiful old table in there. I asked if it was for sale. He said “make me an offer”. I said “tell me how much”. That’s all that was said. I was willing to pay $100. A few days later, I go to see what we needed to do to get the house ready for the next tenant. He left it there so I got to take it home for FREE!
When I was cleaning it up with vinegar (they were heavy smokers) I found a stamp on it where it was made in 1917.
I get compliments on it every time someone new visits my house.
Rachel says
Great story! Did the vinegar take the smoke smell out? I have a smoky piece too that I’m hoping can be revived.
Samantha says
That’s awesome! Looks perfect there! Definitely going to have to try the magic eraser tip!
MamaG says
My husband and I have the same exact dresser in our bedroom but our middle drawers are half drawers! Even the same drawer pulls. It’s from his parents’ original bedroom suite. We have the matching tall dresser and bedside table too. Hilarious! I’ve thought about how to spruce it up a bit after all these years, had considered paint but now might try the magic eraser to give it a good clean first.
Pam the Goatherd says
Lookin’ good, Mia!
I used several gallons of Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean the furniture we inherited from my husband’s aunt when she died. She and her husband were lifelong chain smokers who both lived well into their 80s, so there were decades worth of nicotine and smoke build-up on the furniture – a dining room table and chairs, a small side table, and a rather ornate “Chinese” escritoire. My husband grew up thinking the escritoire was brown, which it was when we got it. As I started scrubbing it down with the Oil Soap I started seeing green. Turns out the thing is a lovely green enamel with vibrant orange and blue painted floral details. I didn’t really like it in it’s “original” brown dullness, but I lurve it now that you can see it’s real beauty!
Kara says
Did you dampen the Magic Eraser with vinegar, or with water? I’m being extra-blonde this morning and just wasn’t sure!
YoungHouseLove says
I just used a damp Magic Eraser (no vinegar) on the outside and a rag dampened with vinegar to deal with the musty drawers (that was just for the inside). Hope it helps!
xo
s
Brynne says
Be careful using a magic eraser – I resell vintage furniture, and I learned the hard way that a magic eraser will bleach spots on certain kinds of wood finishes. Now I don’t risk using it on stained wood or veneer. I just wanted to warn other readers that, while a magic eraser works sometimes, it can also definitely mess up the finish of your wooden furniture.
I love the new console – the midcentury touch is fabulous!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip! Testing it on a small spot on the back might be a good plan.
xo,
s
Erin S says
The console looks awesome! It’s exactly what I am looking for! I am jealous of your thrift store ninja skills.
Sandy P. says
Nice looking piece you found there. Have you ever considered using chalk paint or milk paint? They’re suppose to be very easy to use, no prepping at all and leaves lustrous look to the piece of furniture too.
YoungHouseLove says
I’ve heard good things about them too! Hope I get to use them on some project, even if this guy remains umpainted :)
xo,
s
Erin says
Love the Magic Eraser tip. I have a couple MCM cabinets that are very similar to that and need a bit more love. I used some Watco oil on them to hide a lot of the surface scratches and “moisutrize” the dry wood.
Ali Miller says
This is a great tip for the magic eraser! I have used them on many things, but not furniture!
Also, I love that you left the piece unpainted. I think it looks awesome.
Karen says
That looks beautiful! You did a wonderful job, Dr. Sherry. I really like the wood over there– it does balance out the sofa since it is large and dark. We have the same Karlstad sectional in the same color with a big picture window opposing it and it really looks unbalanced right now. I need a couple low storage cabinets there I think.
Have you ever heard of Restor-A- Finish? I read about it on Centsational Girl- she used it on an antique piece. I have not tried it, so I can’t say if it lives up to its claims, but I am itching to thrift a piece ro try it with. They have some demo videos online if you google. It is more for pieces where you would be having to do a full refinish. It looks like it opens back up the finish chemically and allows scratches, water rings, etc, to sort of get smoothed back into the stain.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I hear it’s awesome! That’s actually what I picked up from Home Depot to try. Will keep you posted!
xo
s
Kristi - SimplePrettyThings says
I love this! Don’t you dare paint that classic piece it’s perfect just the way it is. Wow the cleaning up of that turned out amazing. I’ve been drooling over mid century pieces for awhile now so I’m in love.
Michelle says
I’m going to have to keep your tip about the magic eraser and the vinegar in mind for future projects.
I’ve refinished two wood pieces, and I wish all they needed was a little cleaning and leg tightening. My first, a dresser project, needed some vaneer repaired (http://goo.gl/1BvoV)My second project was a media console, and as well as having to repair some damager vaneer, I had to replicate some missing moulding which involved using chopsticks – http://goo.gl/p21sc
I love your new console – i think it really suits the room.
Stephanie Oh says
Love it! It adds even more character to your room while still being non-competey. I also love the hardware as is. You guys always find the best stuff!
Britt F. says
I love it! Well done and an awesome find, Sherry! I love the feeling of waiting it out to find the perfect piece and then being able to bring her back to life. Did it make you all giddy on the ride home from the thrift store???
YoungHouseLove says
Totally was excited to finally bring it into the living room!
xo,
s
Gem says
Looks great! Although I have to say I’m surprised, I was totally expecting you guys to get your stain on with that piece. But it looks awesome as it is and definitely evens up the room some!
ellen says
Oh so good! so good! so good!
We’ve got the previous owners schmeg on our kitchen cabinets that won’t come off and I can’t wait to try the magic eraser on it now. Thanks for the tip!!
The new tv stand looks good. Yesterday I was thinking that I might have liked the one stacked under this one at the store but you picked right!
Julie says
Love the piece and the idea of re-using antique pieces and bringing them back to life again. But…. Really feel it is a crime to paint over beutiful midcentury pieces and hinge drawers etc., they loose their market value. Please, Keep awesome pieces like this and the changing table dresser with their authentic look!
Sarah says
It looks great, what a difference a bit of TLC can make!! One thing I did with an old wooden coffee table was to use a mix of olive oil and vinegar to polish it up (3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar) and it really restores an amazing shine and colour to the wood as well as removing scratches! I was sceptical but it works well and the oil soaks in so it’s not sticky or anything.
Great job on the console, worth waiting for the right thing for sure!!
Karen F says
wow, that looks amazing! it’s such a great piece and it’s wonderful that you’re giving it a second life. I wish pieces like this came with a little note in the drawer that said where it came from and who used it (I guess in some cases we wouldn’t want to know, would we? But I think it’d be very interesting!)