DIY - Starburst Dresser

BEFORE

AFTER

My grandma had a stroke 5 years ago. She tried living on her own for the next year, but as her illness became progressively worse, we had to make the decision to move her into a place where she would receive the care she needed. (Don't worry, she's in a very good Jewish nursing home and my mother comes to visit her every other day )

Anyway, when she left her apartment, I was the one who cleaned it out. It was a strange experience, and one I would not allow anyone else to attempt. She was a miraculous person, she has become my hero, my idol, and I was the only one who wouldn't throw everything she owned in the dumpster. I spent two weeks at her place, and then packed and took home everything. One of my favorite things she owned was an old white dresser, beat up, but the bones were good.

I took it home and to my room. It stayed old and beat up for years....and then I began my quest to find the dresser's inner life. To honor It and my grandma, this is what I created out of it.

Comments

[harriet]

amazing! where did you find the sticks for the starburst? I have a buffet I'd like to try it on

[Valentina]

wow, i've seen it on Design Sponge. it's a very interesting work!

[Jacinda D.]

This is very beautiful and bold. It's such a great way to honor your grandma!

I also saw this on Design Sponge.

[Olga]

Thank you so much guys for your kind comments!

The sticks are those thin little skewers you can get at any grocery store. They are sold in bags of maybe 50 (or maybe more). One end is sharpened to a point and the other is flat.

Those little skewers (as cute as they may seem) are a complete pain to work with. I had to sand them which was a nightmare, then stain them, which was worse, then measure and cut them, and finally sharpen every flat end to a point. The whole process was long, very long, and I think I lost feeling in my fingers for a while after. If you wish to try this type of thing and need further instructions, don't hesitate to ask!

Thanks again y’all!

[Lena]

It looks like you stripped, sanded and stained the dresser right? How long did this project take? This dresser is amazing! I'm about to undertake my first furniture redo and am nervous about doing it wrong!

[Olga]

Lena,

Thanks so much!

This dresser didn't need to be stripped, the paint came off pretty well with the sander alone. But yes, typically you would have to strip the piece down. I can't stand stripping, so I wish you the best of luck with that.

But you're right, strip, sand, stain. I like to also varnish at the very end.

Don't be afraid to make a mistake, there are plenty of mistakes on mine. But I'm slowly learning. Besides, if you do happen to make some sort of mistake, you can just start right back over with the stripping and a bit more sanding.

I'm no expert on furniture redos, but if you need some help during your process, don't hesitate to send me an email, I'll be glad to tell you everything I've learned so far.

[Elizabeth @ Lovely Things]

Amazing! Well done.