I think I can say with confidence that EVERYONE loves Fixer Upper. Every time I watch the show I dream about finding a house to fix up or going to an antique store and finding accessories and pieces of furniture! So I was super excited when I saw an old dresser posted to my local FB garage sale site for only $25. I knew it would be perfect for my first rehab piece. Since this was my first time, the cost was more expensive than usual. I had to buy a sander attachment for my drill and different accessories. I love wood grain and didn’t want to just repaint it. I decided to strip, sand and stain the dresser and add new hardware. New hardware is a must for rehabbing furniture! Adds such a nice touch and upgrade instantly. 
I started out first by stripping the paint off the dresser. While the color was pretty, it does not match the rest of my furniture, and there were a lot of marks on it. I got paint stripper which got most of the paint off, then sanded down the rest. This was the most time consuming, but well worth it! 
After everything was sanded I went out looking for a perfect stain. I wanted a dark brown with little red. I decided on mixing Ebony and Jacobean (Minwax brand). I love the dark rich color it produced, with no red undertones.
I put on 3 layers of stain, then finished with a satin gloss and new pulls. I had to get a small can of dark brown paint from the local hardware store to paint the inside of the top shelves as well.
I have the piece currently in my bedroom, but when my boyfriend and I move to our new place in August it will be in the living room with our TV on top and storage in the drawers. I am now in the process of building a behind the couch bar table that I will be posting. 
Coconut Charley 