The Life of a Dresser

In my business I am constantly re-purposing old discarded items and turning them into new design features however I haven't actually taken the time to do much of anything for myself, until now.

I finally retrieved an old dresser that has belonged to me since I was a small child, my folks bought it for my sister and I to share in our tiny bedroom. It was already old when they brought it home and it was likely purchased at an auction as were many of our furnishings growing up. It was painted white, had a harp and large mirror and you could tell it had been hand crafted. I've since lost the harp and mirror and for years it has been sitting in my ex-husbands home, originally providing our son with familiar pieces to comfort him after our divorce.

The dresser has been through a lot, it grew up with me essentially; had stickers stuck to the mirror, make up spilt all over it, cigarette burns (sadly). Then just before our baby was born I painted it the same big bold colours we had used in the rest of his bedroom. Many years later I came to find out that it had been put in the basement and used as storage after our son had grown out of it.

So a few months back I asked for it, sans harp and mirror unfortunately, as I had an idea of what I wanted to do with it. It then sat in the garage covered in a tarp being used as a second surface until I finally decided it was time!

As I scraped off nearly 100 years of paint, sanded and started to stain the drawers I had a bit of an epiphany about my business, myself and life in general. This dresser is about to go through its fourth transformation since coming to live with me and not unlike everything, or everyone else, change in life is inevitable. For some it doesn't always go well, all too often things and people are discarded, not cared for enough, thrown by the wayside. Toys, furniture, windows, doors, books ... when they get a second, third or fourth opportunity at being useful they have been well loved by those that have taken them in.

Our society often throws things out without second thought now, which doesn't bode well for our world, our environment or us in general.

From a personal perspective, I've been through a great many transformations of my own. Not always successfully but learning from everyone of life's lessons. This dresser is almost representative of my recent focus on getting the showroom together, considering what's next in the business, how will I grow and sell my offerings and the fact that I have been fortunate to be given a second opportunity at working with returning clients already.

I want to thank those who appreciate our history, those who share their "castaways" through garage sales and donations to the United Way or other similar locations. I want to thank those contractors who know a good thing when they remove them from an old home, and to thank those on Pinterest who have done all the work they did before I started my own.

Now I want to thank those who have supported me and helped me to realize I am capable, I am talented, and I too can breathe new life into my own.

This dresser is just the beginning, not the end ... Thank you dresser for always being there!