An old dresser comes back to life
My 93-year-old grandmother left us a house full of furniture in 2005, just before Jesse and I were married. Some of the pieces we received were 
in remarkable condition despite their age. Some of them needed a lot of work.
This dresser had been in my grandmother’s bedroom all my life. I remember climbing atop it to dig into her jewelry boxes for baubles, dusting face powder, smudging lipstick, and spilling everything from perfume to nail-polish remover across its shiny surface. By the time it got to my house, the dresser clearly wore the damage of more than 30 years.
It sat in our basement for 5 years. The frame was failing; the warped veneer was peeling away. Jesse asked repeatedly if w
e could get rid of it. But every time, the conversation ended with my tears. I couldn’t part with it. The one day, Jesse had an idea.
Jesse spent a few days straightening it out. He removed all the drawers, solidified the frame, and sanded it down. The dresser needed a new top, so Jesse constructed one out of MDF. He added molding around the edges so it would look more like the original.
Jesse had new plans for this dresser. He added shelving, doors, and a smaller set of drawers. After a fresh coat of paint – our new entertainment center was ready. Perhaps it will survive another 30 years – ready for our son to give it his own facelift.
