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.
Sara says
I could totally see this with some dipped gold legs (only about halfway up)… Great working cleaning her up!
Anne F. says
That is one hot media cabinet. I am super jealous of the find! Vintage mid century modern stuff can go for a crazy premium here in CA where I live. Boo.
As for your media compnenets…have you considered mounting the TV on the wall and then putting the compnents underneath it on the top of the dresser? Then you wouldnt have to cut your dresser/construct doors and worry about mismatched wood or whatever. Plus you have have room for ACCESSORIES on top of the cabinet, too. Eventually even MORE CERAMIC ANIMALS after Clara is old enough to not send them to an early grave.
YoungHouseLove says
That could work too! Can’t wait to see where we end up!
xo
s
Ann says
I love that dresser! I’ve been looking for a more traditional dresser to use as a media cabinet and have not had any luck yet.
This may have been addressed but please check to see how hot your components get before you stick them in a closed drawer. Also the RF remotes are awesome. We have two DirectTV ones that we bought through a third party and they work great. One works through a bifold door and two layers of drywall and the other through the back of an entertainment center and two layers of drywall.
christina says
unrelated to the TV stand, but i was wondering how your ikea couch has held up? IS it a pretty comfy couch ? on the scale of 1 (worst) – 10 (best). I just ask because i love the look of your couch, but i also want something that will hold up with 2 young boys, a hubby and eventually a dog :) as well as be cozy enough to snuggle on! :) Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
No complaints at all! We love Karl and it holds up to Burger and Clara so well.
xo,
s
Noelle says
Semi-silly question, but–dry or wet magic eraser? I have several pieces of old mid-century furniture so I love this quick and easy tip! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Damp but not soaking wet. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
JC says
Looks Great! If you get a universal infrared eye for your cable box so you can put it in one of the drawers and your remote would still work.
Jamie says
I have a serious mid century modern addiction & have a house full of ebay finds. I read a post on Pinterest to use the inside of a cracked walnut to get out scratches & it seriously worked. It brought the legs of my beat up bench back to life. It didnt work on my chair arms though so I’m not totally sure what the walnut voodoo magic equation is.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha I love that tip!
xo,
s
Christina @ Floridays Mom says
Seriously a magic eraser!?!? Ahhh, the transformation is amazing. And I must admit, I would have probably walked right passed that in a thrift shop and here I am drooling over how it looks in your place. Perfect!!!
Lee says
Totally love this piece of furniture and so glad you did not paint it.
I was given an old book case by my husband aunt when we first go married. It was so dirty and dull so I washed it with dishwash soap. The years of wax polish applied to it went all curdled and sticky so I just kept washing it, then I wiped it with diluted vinegar solution and it is lovely, in fact we still have it.
Since then I have washed other things and applied a vinegar rinse However I am not sure I would recomend this without testing a small area first.
Kelly says
Wow, I have an almost exact vintage credenza/dresser for our TV in the family room. I love it! (Sadly, ours was a LOT more than $59.) The legs are the same, and ours were wobbly too and had to be braced and tightened.
I wrote about our credenza, and also about how my husband converted the set of 3 drawers on the far right into a two-shelf cabinet inside, and turned the drawer fronts into an actual door with a hinge, on this post: http://www.thereadingnest.com/2012/05/big-wood-reveal.html
Now it holds both our large stereo receiver & media computer,but you can’t tell there’s been any changes just from looking at it! Love!!!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo
s
DJ Sherry says
http://manhattan-nest.com/2012/12/19/dresser-restoration/
This was on Apartment Therapy. Worth checking out for revamping the wood.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that post!
xo
s
JaneS says
Try Liquid Gold (in a spray can, like Pledge) which can be found in some supermarkets. I use it on my cabinets and it makes them beautiful and shiny.
Kate says
Love it! Much less painful than sanding it back!
Katharine says
It looks so beautiful! Nice find and nice clean-up job!
Jennifer says
They actually make sensors that you can hook to you your tv and then the other media equipment….I of course don’t know what they are called because that’s the hubby’s department. You could totally drill a little hole in the back of your cabinet to wire it through. One side of the sensor sits on top of the cabinet and one side goes by the sensor on your component. The set we bought came with multiple cables too! :)
Jenny says
For the life of me, I cannot remember where I saw this post, but it is an awesome idea that I thought I should share. The woman removed one of the drawer fronts, cut a rectangle in the center, polished it up to look like it was supposed to be like that and then applied a metal screen the backside. She then added hinges to it so it would be a cabinet door instead of a drawer and reattached it. Next she added a shelf to the inside to make the former drawer a shelf. Now she could put her media boxes inside its new home and her remotes would still work because of the screen. Plus, no gapping cut out hole to making the piece not look uniform. Anyways, projects for thought.
Kaitlin says
I sure do love your new Tv stand!!! And it was a great steal because I just found this piece from west elm that is pretty similar for almost $800!!: http://www.westelm.com/products/mid-century-6-drawer-dresser-g815/?pkey=call-new&cm_src=all-new||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_–_-
And that one is only 6 drawers!! If only I could find the deals that y’all always find!!
YoungHouseLove says
We love that one too!
xo
s
Katarina says
Hi Sherry! Did you wipe down the drawers with water after the vinegar? Is it necessary? I have a malm dresser that smelled like chemicals/mothballs and your post came at the perfect time! I’d already aired it out for a day, 3 days of baking soda changed out in the drawers. Last night I used a rag with white vinegar and its curing outside! Just wondering if I need to wipe it down with anything else before I put clothes in it? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I just let it dry out and then it had no scent, so I didn’t follow with water or anything. Just be sure it’s all evaporated so your clothes don’t get vinegar on them. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Mallory says
Magic Erasers = Great idea! I’m going to attempt to get several nicks/scratches out of some of my vintage furniture using your technique this weekend. Funny sidnote: We bought a vintage dining room table and the vendor commented “Vintage furniture is like 90s boy bands… they all have a couple of Nicks.”
Also, being a mid-century modern furniture purist, I’m SO happy you decided to forego the paint! It hurts my heart seeing beautiful mid-century modern pieces painted. Your credenza looks fabulous the way it is! Great find! :)
Janelle says
It’s a nice makeover, but from the pictures it looks out of place in your living room. Most of your colors in there seem fairly cool-toned, while MIA is pretty warm. How is it in real life?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s hard to see the giant console behind the sofa but its warm toned wood as well so it’s a nice balance. We like warm and cold over all cold in a room :)
xo,
s
Tony says
The TV mounted on the wall over the stand would look great!
Arely M says
Omg I swear that tv looks SO much larger now!
GreenInOC says
Sherry, do you have any other tips for getting smells out of wood? I have a round table/cabinet (similar to the one you have in your bedroom), that I’ve converted into a safe place from the food stealing dog for the cat to eat.
It came with a cinnamon-type smell that’s VERY heavy. I think someone may have burned a fake cinnamon candle or sprayed it heavily with a cinnamon scented room spray. It’s only on the inside and it’s icky!
I’ve let it air out (for months), cleaned it, wiped it down with Vinegar, biokleen’s Bac-Out and Vodka (one of my favorite house cleaning supplies!), but all to no avail. I open the door and I get a headache.
I’ve got a carbon filter in there now but it doesn’t seem to have put a dent in it.
Your dresser by the way? Does not even look like the same one, you did a brilliant job!
YoungHouseLove says
Eeks, hmm. Anyone else have ideas? I’ve heard baking soda boxes in the drawers can soak it up (then throw them away since they contain the smell). Or a bowl of coffee beans in each drawer can help in a similar way. Hope it helps!
xo
s
GreenInOC says
Sherry, after posting here I did some Googling and I found a forum where someone had nearly the same problem but inside a camper.
A person responded suggesting “XO Odor Neutralizer” – I looked it up and recognized the label as I had a small sample size under my kitchen sink. I’ve had it for years and just recently contemplated getting rid of it.
I’m happy to report that this morning there is only a faint scent if I stick my face in close the the wood and inhale deeply! I’ll have to buy some more and spray it again but until then, I’m happy!
Here it is if you’re interested:
http://www.xocorp.com
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome! Thanks so much!
xo
s
Allison says
You guys! I just bought an old Lane chest that looked so dirty and wonky and I thought I’d have to strip the entire thing, and then I read this post. I tried the Magic Eraser method last night and it made a HUGE difference. After that, I cleaned it really well with some Murphy’s Oil Soap (biodegradable! woot woot!) and while it still looks very old, it doesn’t look wonky anymore and just looks like it has character. Thanks for the tip!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome! So glad!
xo
s
Samantha says
Your new media center really resembles West Elm’s Mid-Century 6 Drawer Dresser – which sports a $799 price tag: http://www.westelm.com/products/mid-century-6-drawer-dresser-g815/?pkey=call-new&cm_src=all-new||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_–_-
Frugal for the win! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! I love theirs too. So pretty.
xo
s
Melody says
I love that piece. Great find! I want to try that vinegar trick on an old piece of wooden furniture that I have, but the inside of it is unfinished wood. Is your piece unfinished on the inside of the drawers as well?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, it’s just raw wood in there.
xo
s
Emma says
I coincidentally just bought a small dresser this past weekend to fill a very empty wall in our dining room. I’d been worried I’d have to spend $600+ but I found something perfect at a local thrift store for $80! I’d just read this post, but sadly neither the vinegar nor the magic eraser did the trick. I also tried Murphy’s oil soap, but it still looks really dull. I have mineral oil at home; is that worth trying? I only use it on cutting boards and wooden utensils normally.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, I would definitely try waxing or oiling it. Maybe do the mineral oil thing since you have it on hand and then maybe try Howard’s Wax and Feed if it’s still dull? We hear great things about that!
xo
s
Evee M says
When I saw your post knew exactly what I could use this on. I had a old hutch that my aunt gave me after it had been sitting in her garage for years. It had plenty of grime on it, so I went at it with the magic eraser not really expecting much. I followed my scrub with a dark wood restoring oil and it worked magic. I am so glad you shared this idea at the perfect time!
Kate @MagicCityThistle says
Thank you for this Magic Eraser/Vinegar tip – I was out thrifting for the big Macklemore challenge, and managed to pick up 2 nightstands just like the one in your sun room! Jackpot! Can’t wait to see what bargains everyone found.
Cynthia M says
I love this piece! Which thrift store did you find it at? It doesn’t look like for the love of Jesus. Please please share your thrift store secret.
It looks incredible after the magic eraser.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s Diversity Thrift. Love it there!
xo
s
Victoria says
I love how you guys mix modern & retro & pull it off. So inspiring.
Im wondering how you feel about hanging stuff over the tv (a display shelf or art) and if younthink there are any rules. I noticed you had a mirror in your first house. Theres a 1mH x 2.6mW space above our tv & we think we’d like tonput something above it, to fill space & also take focus off the tv. Maybe youve done a post on this, just point me in the right direction. Thanks sherdog!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we’d love to hang something over our TV here too- just haven’t found the right thing. I generally like something to soften the right angles of a TV cabinet (like a round mirror) or something dimensional like a shelf with some things leaning up there (a few frames, a small potted plant, etc).
xo
s
JFOPT says
Amazing furniture, i like this style, love it. And i like the layout of your house.
eileen marie says
Maybe you’ll see this…how long is “MIA”?
PS: Is you little DIrt Devil Kone still kickin’? Ours died, & I’m lost…(they don’t make it or the Kurv anymore!)
YoungHouseLove says
Still kicking! I can’t believe it. As for Mia, she’s 60″ long. Hope it helps!
xo
s
eileen marie says
Thank you, $herdog! It DOES help!
Amy @ a new old house says
I know I’m a bit late here… but I wanted to thank you for this project! It gave me the courage to do a “buffing” of my watermarked Dining Room table. Great results!
http://new1790house.blogspot.com/2013/04/dining-room-table-watermark-removal.html
Wouldn’t have even thought of using a Magic Eraser for this- so THANK YOU for sharing all of your ideas & projects!
Have a great weekend!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw so glad Amy!
xo
s
Lauren McCready says
Just picked up a very similar mid century dresser today, went online to see what people had done to convert either the top or bottom drawers for tv components, will be very interested to see your solution and will let you know if I come up with something first!
Also I found this, beautiful restoration/paint job on a similar dresser, which sounds like just what you described.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/115372037/mid-century-dresser-set?ref=cat_gallery_2
Still on the fence myself, will start cleaning it tomorrow to see what I have to work with. Can’t wait! Great info on the vinegar and magic erasers. I’m so on it:)
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s gorgeous! Good luck with everything Lauren!
xo
s
Lauren says
I was looking for ways to clean out dresser drawers before using it in my nursery. I prefer not using any cleaners or chemicals, so was going to go the vinegar route. Do I just use straight vinegar or do I dilute with water. The smell goes away after drying correct? Thanks for your info!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, just straight vinegar and a rag. Then let it all dry outside in the sun preferably.
xo
s
Abigail says
Just found your blog and love it! I know this post is older, however, love your sectional sofa. Do you mind telling me where you got it? That is exactly what I have looking for! Oh and love the dresser turned TV cabinet. Works great in your room.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Abigail! It’s the Karlstad corner sofa + add on chaise from Ikea in their dark sivik gray cover.
xo
s
Stardancer says
I tried the Magic Eraser trick on my old dresser (it’s probably 20-some years old). Turns out it wasn’t that dirty but the Magic Eraser can indeed take the old finish off (it’s not a disaster because I tested it on a back corner first). Though the un-finished bit looks so clean and new I’m kind of tempted to strip the whole thing. Apparently I can do it if I only have enough Magic Erasers!
Katherine says
This was the bedroom dresser I inherited when I moved in with my grandmother. I have since moved out and taken it with me! I am so happy there’s a way to clean it. It’s had years of love, having been the bedroom furniture of my mom and her two sisters. Mine has a mirror on it that gets attached to the back. I bet yours did once too! Thanks for the cleaning tip!
YoungHouseLove says
So cool that yours still has a mirror!
xo
s
Stephen Johnson says
Damn that’s awesome, that table looked like a complete P.O.S in the shop, well done.
mary says
hello. not sure if you will ever see this comment because this is an old post! I have a eerily similar thrifted piece that i am just getting around to cleaning up. i did as you did with the magic eraser, and for some reason it is not shiny and clean like yours, but rather dull and it appears to have taken some of the finish off. I feel like i have ruined it…made it worse…. it has some areas where it needs to be scrubbed pretty significantly because of a sort of oily build up of many years. i thought you had done some kind of a post using restore a finish on a piece but have been unable to find it. any suggestions for cleaning and freshening this without taking off finish like the magic eraser seemed to?
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s what we did next. So glossy! https://www.younghouselove.com/2013/03/hiding-the-cable-box-sealing-the-deal/
xo
s