I got a new piece of free furniture off of craigslist. This time it's an enormous solid wood dresser.
It's turned out to be more work than I thought; the finish isn't just worn, it's chipped in places, and the inside of the drawers are questionable. I'm disinfecting and cleaning each one scupulously, vacuuming them, then sanding away the mold and discoloration by hand. I'll probably finish them in linseed oil and let them dry for a few weeks before I go to work out the outside.
It's really fun. I like sitting here on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, fresh air flowing into my room, sanding away with the laptop nearby, blasting Gataka and crooning Death Cab alternately. (See? I told you I would do it. (Thanks, Aaron!))
Newish stuff that isn't well-made means little to me. I really dig solid furniture. No matter what you do to it, it can last you a lifetime. As you pour your time and dedication into it, it becomes more valuable and fits your style and way all the more. Maybe I'll get to bore the snot out of my kids one day with stories of my mismatched collection of craigslist furniture. One can hope!
Comments (1)
Yar! for solid wood furni! I've spent hours over the last two months reengineering and refinishing a desk that came out of a college science lab. It was about 8'long, but I took 2' off one end to fill-in where it had a sink in the middle. The really cool part is that many students over the years tagged the bottom of the drawers. The oldest one I found was from 1939. Now I'm refinishing the hardwood chair my mother used to sit in to do her homework when she was in gradeschool.
Posted by Crooktooth | February 20, 2007 9:16 AM
Posted on February 20, 2007 09:16