Dismal to Dashing – Navy Blue Campaign Dresser

Campaign furniture is all the rage right now. Check out any of the big name store (Pottery Barn, West Elm, Land of Nod) and they all have their own version of a campaign dresser.

WARNING – HISTORY LESSON TO FOLLOW

Campaign style furniture was originally designed during the height of the British Empire, for officers on lengthy military campaigns. These chests were used as a durable and lightweight piece of furniture that could easily be transported from location to location, and they were actually designed to come apart and make for easy transportation!

And, you know those beautiful brass pulls and corner brackets we have all come to know and love?? Well they actually used to serve a purpose (I mean besides just being really, really, ridiculously good looking!) Designers, such as Chippendale, started designing these pieces specifically for the military, adding those quintessential brass pulls and corners as a means of keeping the various “stacked” pieces of the chest together. The chest of drawers could later be assembled or dismantled for easy travel (who knew?!)

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, AND…

The modern day campaign dressers aren’t quite as utilitarian as their ancestors, however, they have maintained their dashing good looks and abundant storage capacity. So, whenever I see a campaign dresser “left in the trenches” I jump at the opportunity to save them!

This dresser was no exception. When I found this piece, he was anything but handsome. The drawers/pulls and overall condition were in pretty good shape, but the veneer was missing in spots,  the wood was scratched (and came with some weird, duck tape gunk) and the brass hardware was lackluster to say the least!

First thing I did was remove the hardware and gave it a good scrubbing with Brasso. I have used this on campaign furniture hardware before and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t? If Brasso doesn’t work, Bar Keeper’s Friend will usually do the trick.

Next, I sanded down the drawer fronts and repaired the missing veneer and deep scratches with Bondo. I will post more on this later, but Bondo is an excellent way to repair furniture! The finish is hard as nails, it dries quickly and it sands down without any problems.

Good as new!

After the repairs were complete, I gave it a couple coats of General Finishes Coastal Blue Milk Paint and completed it with General Finishes Flat Out Flat Top Coat. The brass and navy blue are such a classic and beautiful combination! I hate to let this one go, but the last thing I need in our home is another dresser 😉 So he is up for grabs!

$295 – SOLD