Dumpster to Dream Piece: Finding Beauty in the Broken
At the risk of sounding like a hoarder—don’t be so quick to throw things away. Before you write off that worn-out, unloved piece of furniture, take a moment to imagine what it could be. Some of my favorite pieces in my home were once deemed “unsalvageable,” only to become the most treasured items I own.
I have my mom to thank for this mindset. Growing up, she had a knack for seeing beauty where others saw junk. She was always bringing home discarded, forgotten pieces—things no one else saw the potential in—and transforming them into something special. I remember her working on small projects, like shelves for my bedroom, but the first time I truly realized she had a vision most people don't was when she rescued my great-great-great-grandmother’s steamer trunk.
She found it in a literal trash heap, falling apart and on the brink of being lost forever. Anyone else (myself included) would have said it had no hope. I wish I had a 'before' photo to show you just how rough it was, but trust me—it looked beyond saving. Yet, my mom saw its potential and hired someone to meticulously restore it, giving it a second life. Today, that same trunk sits at the foot of my bed, holding my sweatshirts and pajamas. More than just extra storage, it’s a stunning antique that adds so much character to our bedroom—not to mention the sentimental value it carries.
Seeing my mom recognize the potential in that trunk—and watching it be transformed into something beautiful—taught me an important lesson: always look twice (sometimes three times) before dismissing a piece of furniture just because it needs work.
My Turn!
That mindset came in handy when I bought my first home. My uncle mentioned that he had a few pieces from my grandparents' house that I could take—if I thought they were salvageable. And let me tell you, they were in rough shape.
The first was my grandmother’s china cabinet. It was falling apart in places, and at some point, my uncle had started painting it red before abandoning the project. The second piece, and the one I was most excited about, was an antique Art Deco vanity that had been in our family for years. And, fittingly, it first entered our family thanks to my mom.
She thrifted the piece and placed it in my older sister’s bedroom when she was growing up. After my sister moved out, my grandfather repurposed it as his dresser—it was the perfect height for his wheelchair. That’s how I always remembered the vanity, sitting in my Papaw’s room, a quiet and familiar fixture for as long as I could recall.
After my Papaw passed away, one of my cousins used the vanity and painted it a bright turquoise. Eventually, it was repainted again—this time in the same matte red that nearly overtook the china cabinet. Both pieces had seen better days, but I was determined to bring them back to life.
Below you can see the top of the china cabinet, the bottom of the cabinet after having partially been painted red, and the vanity in the red state I found it in.
My mom tackled the china cabinet while Billy and I took on the vanity. Thankfully, the cabinet didn’t need too much work—just some reinforcement on the bottom due to water damage. After a bit of sanding, we painted it with Country Chic Chalk Paint in the shade Wandress. Once the paint was sealed and we swapped out the old knobs for new ones, it was complete!
I may be biased, but I think it turned out beautifully—and it gave the kitchen the perfect pop of color it was missing.
The vanity proved to be much harder to save than we expected. We went through several coats of Citristrip paint stripper, sanding between each layer. Honestly, there were more than a few moments when Billy thought it was a lost cause. I spent multiple weekends stripping the paint, only to uncover some serious water damage underneath.
Billy stepped in with wood putty and filler to repair the damaged areas, and after a lot of patience (and maybe a little frustration), the vanity was finally ready to stain. I used Minwax Stain Wood Finish in Early American and replaced the knobs to bring it back to life. This was, without a doubt, one of our most intensive projects—but also one of the most satisfying.
Now, the vanity is just as beautiful as I remember it being when it sat in my Papaw’s bedroom, and I have the privilege of using it every day to get ready. The sweetest surprise? Inside one of the drawers, I found a little Snoopy drawing my Papaw had sketched years ago. It was such a special reminder that our loved ones are never really gone.
Have you ever restored a piece of furniture that felt like a lost cause? Or found a sentimental surprise hidden inside? I’d love to hear your stories!
