This is my grandmother’s dresser, and my memories of it are as old as my memories of her. As a young child, I enjoyed exploring her jewelry and keepsakes stored in the dresser top.

When she passed away in 2011 at the age of 96, she left the dresser to me. Since then, it has been sitting in my parents’ non-climate-controlled boat garage. During my last trip to Pennsylvania, I discovered that it would fit in my new Subaru—with just half an inch to spare. My brother helped me haul it up and load it into the car for the trip back to Maine. Wahoo!

Once home, I asked my uncle about the dresser’s origin. He believed my grandmother purchased it from an antique store in the 1960s when they moved to Montgomery, Ohio. Its exact age is unknown, but every part is handcrafted from hardwood, featuring somewhat crude dovetail joints. Despite its rough condition, it is a solid piece made from beautiful wood.

I didn’t have the energy to strip and refinish it, so after some online research, I decided to experiment with Restor-A-Finish. To be honest, it sounded too easy to be true, but it really was simple. I rubbed on the finish using fine steel wool, wiped off the excess, and followed up with Feed-N-Wax. I wish I had taken a picture of the entire dresser before starting the project, but I did snap a couple of pictures midway through.

Here’s a picture of the top with the back unfinished, an example of what the whole top looked like when I began, and the front portion after the treatment.

Here’s a side panel I thought to photograph before I finished it.

I’m amazed at how well it turned out, and the entire process took just a few hours. It needed some structural TLC where the joints had dried out and come apart, but Paul helped me with that.

Now that it’s in place, I need to figure out how to hang the mirror above it. The bathroom door is a pocket door that tucks into this wall, so I can’t use the heavy-duty hangers it will need. I’ll have to ponder about this step for a while.

Our house features an eclectic mix of furniture styles, with more hand-me-down and second-hand pieces than new. I’m so happy to have this dresser to use, along with the memories that come with it. And I know my mom would be delighted to know this piece is finally home with me.