Sharp Dresser

Today’s DIYers are also taking their projects a step further by applying multiple stains that give a once-plain piece added interest and dimension. After being stripped of layers of paint, the maple chest of drawers shown here got a two-tone treatment starting with Minwax® Wood Finish™ Colonial Maple on the base and drawers. It was then accented on the top and in the leaf-motif drawer-front carvings with Wood Finish™ Ebony. Finally, the bureau was top-coated with Minwax® Fast-Drying Polyurethane in a semi-gloss sheen. Placed in a hallway, it becomes a handsome and useful storage piece. 

Another idea for the same chest puts its good looks in the kitchen under a bigger maple top that turns it into a small island. Minwax® Helmsman® Spar Urethane Semi-Gloss protects the maple from the rigors of kitchen work, while also transforming a practical piece into a focal point.

To make sense for kitchen activity, the chest needs a bigger top made of durable wood. A good rule of thumb is to limit the overhangs on all sides so the piece remains stable. Add brackets to anchor the top. If you want a ready-made top you can find maple butcher block through a kitchen cabinet or countertop store.