Well, it's not like it's one of the originals that Lane made many years ago. I have one and think it's ugly but I can't bear to paint it.

I do like the glazed idea instead of a solid color. I think it will look nice when it's finished! Go for it.

Paint it............Maybe a little fabric on top.........

The top half of this one is the same as yours..

I think it could look really nice painted white with some fun fabric on the top

And new hardware, of course

The 2 that have been painted look like they have been raised up off of the floor... one with casters and one with legs or feet. I think it looks a little nicer than just flat on the floor. What is under yours?

Thanks so much!!

That distressed finish is really what I had in my head when I was thinking about it. I wonder if you need to do an under layer of dark paint if the finish is already so dark? But then, what about primer?

This chest is missing two of the casters, but the remaining two are small, cheap plastic. I can see how if all 4 were there, the bottom edge would be slightly raised off the floor, but I think it definitely needs something bigger. I'll have to think about adding feet.

I kind of like the hardware. And it's huge...I'll bet those pulls are at least 8" across. The whole chest is 55" long to give you an idea of the scale.

Yes, paint it! The pictures posted by forboystoo are great inspirations.

I recently tried chalk paint on a couple of bedside tables, and I love working with it. There is no need to prime, and it covers practically any surface. To add character, you can distress and use clear and dark waxes. Seriously, the results are excellent. Chalk paint does not result in a factory finish look. It has more depth than that. With the ornate features of your piece, the dark wax and sanding would really bring out the detail. It depends on the look you're after.

I wonder if it would be possible to add some feet to it somehow and raise it up.

When furniture is in excellent shape and made of high quality wood, I would be hesitant to paint, but your situation is perfect for painting.

Check out the link below, and read the post entitled "Buffet Beast turned Entertainment Beauty".

Here is a link that might be useful: Buffet Beast turned Entertainment Beauty

What were we(they) thinking back then. I remember late 60's, early 70's loving that (I think they called it Spanish style) furniture. It was different from anything we were used to until then. But OMG it is ugly to me now. No offense, but unless it is professionally done (I don't mean you have to pay someone a lot of money, you just need to know how to do it right), it could look ugly into the next century. Yes, you can turn a pigs ear into a purse; but you could end up with one ugly purse! I don't know -- I think you might end up with something you won't want to live with. I'll be curious to see the outcome!
Annie

Oh, yes, paint it. Distressed white. And add glass pulls like these:

I hope you decide to paint it -- I can't wait to see it! Such an interesting piece!

I just bought some chalk paint like jan suggested. I used the Old White with Duck Egg Blue on a $5 craigslist nightstand and after 1 hour of work, resold on CL for $45. I'm looking for something just like your chest to try next. The chalk paint is like $34 a quart, but it goes on with no priming, and you can wipe some minwax furniture wax over it to seal after you're done if you don't buy the Hannity's they sell with chalk paint. It's easy. It looks awesome. It does not require sanding. And a qt of Old White will be awesome on your FREE chest. You can call it a $34 chest when done. Check out this blog for more info.

Red

Here is a link that might be useful: Perfectly Imperfect

More high fives for the chalk paint! I have been painting anything that stands still long enough.

Attach some Bun Feet as well.

Or you could do it in a really funky colour, like turquoise.

If you do the chalk paint, you could do an antique map on the top like Mrs. Limestone did on the chest in her living room. If I had more time, I'd find the link for you. It looked really great.

Paint it as fast as you can and then show us pics. I don't see any downside at all. I'm sure you can make it look great with paint, feet and a fabric top!

I can't wait to see what comes of that piece of history!. You have an ugly piece of furniture -- paint it -- you have and ugly piece of painted furniture!

I showed DH the photos posted of the painted chests, and his reply was "Oh...OK." LOL!

Here's the deal...it is the perfect size for the guest room, and it was free. I've already got primer and some cream colored paint, so at this point, I've got nothing to lose but time. The guest room is a little funky anyway (hot pink chair, shelves full of MIJ figurines, etc.) so I may just paint it and see how I feel about it then. I would have never paid money for this, but it might turn out to be an interesting find when it's all done.

How do you add a fabric top? I could make a cushion and just set it on there, or maybe strips of velcro glued to the chest top?

I wonder how much longer that chippy distressed look will be trendy?

When I first saw the title of this thread, I thought, "no! don't do it!" Then I saw the pic...

It's hard to believe that's a Lane chest... not what I think of when I think of one. It just looks like a '70s coffee table! (I think the drawers contribute to that impression.) The wood finish and extra "graininess" also add to that look. But I think it would be gorgeous painted, and with new hardware!

As far as how long the distressed look will be trendy... it seems to be an enduring thing. It's trendy now, but I remember it being trendy in the '90s, too, and it has never really done away. Old painted furniture seems to have classic "cottage" appeal - I have some pieces now which were actually distressed through time, and I think they're cool now, but I remember that when my parents had them, even in the 1980s, they also thought they were cool. I'm not sure that the distressed kitchen cabinet look will endure, but individual distressed painted pieces will always have some appeal, I think. I've got a couple "cottage style" decorating books which were published about 10 years ago, and the looks seem as fresh and appealing now as they did when I first bought the books.

Oh to add - you could also do a "glazed" finish on top of cream paint, and get a somewhat similar look, without having to do an underlayment of a darker paint color. The darker glaze would stay in the carvings and mouldings and be wiped off everywhere else.

I had a headboard with that heavy detailing and I spray painted it gloss white. It looks 100% fresh and contemporary now. I was amazed at how different it looked.

I'd paint it using spray paint. The detail will be a pain to get to with a brush, and if you use matte, you can do the glaze on top. Use spray primer, too...makes it a breeze!

Another vote for chalk paint. Actually, I guess it depends on the look you are going for. Vintage, worn look? then I'd do the chalk paint, a bit of distressing - and you can use dark wax in place of glaze. Or glaze and then a clear wax. The wax gives a nice patina.

I'm not a fan of spray painting furniture, but if you wanted a more modern/contemporary look, it would probably work.

If it were me, I'd definitely highlight the carving.

tina

The only problem with spray paint is that it creates problems down the line, in repainting with paints other than spray paint. And if you want to glaze it, the glaze may not adhere properly. It should be easy enough to get in that detailing with either a foam or bristle brush. Now removing paint from detailing like that is another issue altogether, but applying the paint shouldn't be problematic.

I agree about the ease of spray paint, but I only use it on stuff which is absolute junk. (This may be ugly, but it should be pretty high-quality.) You may also at some point want to remove the decorative moulding (including on the drawer fronts) altogether and go back to a natural look... latex paint is easier to remove than spray paint.

I'm around, just mostly reading...but, I always open your posts. That's a great piece and FREE!!! I would certainly paint it and glaze it. I would also keep the same hardware, maybe spray them a different color/finish.
You can go a few ways: paint it a darker color and then cream on top. Or, paint it cream and glaze with a brown or black. Or, paint it cream and then sand back to wood peeking through.
IMO, that "chippy", aged, peeling paint look will be around for some time.
I do like feet, but OK if you don't. A cushion will be great.
Can't wait for updates!!!

Guess I am the only one here who does not like "worn off" paint...I grew up with it and do not love it. I can see your chest painted black (semi-gloss) with feet added (we did that with a chest....got the feet at Lowes). Some wrapped foam on top with pretty material and done.

Paintergirl! Nice to "see" you, and thanks for the info!

I do like the idea of feet, but the more I look at the top, I don't think the idea of a cushion is working for me. I like the hardare, and I think the style of it suits the rest of the piece. I'm just going to plunge in and paint. I've got all sorts of ideas, and will let you know how it turns out. Like I said, all I'm investing is time, and it might turn out to be a cool piece. If not, I'll just drag it to the curb and freecycle it.

Just checking in for an update, wondering what you decided?

I've been waiting patiently for you to finish this piece...please hurry. I found the same exact piece in my local thrift store yesterday for $25 and I want you to be my guinea pig. ;) Seriously, I do hope you decided to paint it. The "after" that forboystoo posted is amazing.

I'll be picking it up this weekend, either way, if it's still there so I can give it a try.

I'm late but wanted to weigh in on the side of not putting a cushion or fabric on top. I have a painted cedar chest in my room and the top is just painted like the rest, it looks great and unless you need seating is maybe more versatile since it can function as a table as well as a seat...

Hi Lori! I've been anxiously wanting to get the project done, but have been insanely busy lately. I've cleaned it, started sanding, and bought bun feet. Oh, and I took off the hardware and cleaned it.

You can contact the Lane company on their website to order a replacement safety lock for free. My new lock came, but it doesn't fit quite right, so I'm not sure what to do. I could use my Dremmel tool to rout it out to fit, but we don't have small children, so replacing the lock feels like more trouble than it's worth. At least this week it does.

I'll be sure to post pics when it's all done!

Ohhh franksmom, love those sorts of projects! You have a winner there and I hope you post pictures when you are done.

There's a story behind this chest. The couple that had lived across the street from my Mom had a daughter. He was a hard, crusty, foul-mouthed man, but loved his family, and "looked after" my Mom and us kids after my parents got divorced. She was as Southern and country as the day is long, and managed to maintain her beehive hairdo well into her 80's. He died several years ago, and she died early this year.

Daughter is a scumbag, and moved into the house with an assortment of other scumbags. They never made the payments on the second mortgage, and the house was foreclosed. The sheriff came and emptied out the house, putting all of the contents on the front yard. Anyone who wanted anything could take it, and the rest was going to the landfill.

Mom and a neighbor had snagged this piece for me, and the two of them dragged it across the street. What could I say when I saw it? I felt bad that they had even bothered, but the two of them felt so bad that everything these people had owned and worked for their whole lives was just put out to the curb. My Mom even dug through was was left after all of the pickers had been through it, and anything that was still useable, cleaned it up, and took it to one of the charity thrifts in town.

I'll drag home all sorts of homely furniture and give it a facelift, have for years, but I had some serious doubts about this piece of furniture.

Here it is, and I'm just thrilled with it! I cleaned, sanded, added feet, primed, and painted two coats of "Aged Parchment" by Behr. I lightly distressed the top moldings, and then did a tiny, thin glaze in all of the deep creases. I don't really like the heavily distressed look, and this turned out to be just right. I think that old couple would have been tickled to see it as it is now, so this is for you, Mr. and Mrs. C!

It looks wonderful! Is it cedar lined? If so, you can refresh the cedar smell by lightly sanding it.

That looks great!! I'm always amazed what a little paint and some elbow grease can do.

Oh wow, you KNOW I love it! (thank you again for the inspiration!)

If you look closely, the two handles look like closed eyelids and the base (above the feet) looks like a big smile!

Word of the day: *scumbag*!
The chest looks beautiful!

I scrolled back & forth between the BEFORE and AFTER pics several times. The addition of feet was pure genius.

Paintergirl, I read your post right after mine and got VERY paranoid for a second...lol

LOL at lori :)

OP: Beautiful job. I think you made the right choice; it looks 100 times better...

I am amazed at how good it looks! You did a great job and saved it from the landfill.

That was a great story too.

Congrats and enjoy it!

So glad you posted the finished result! It looks great! I'm inspired and will likely be perusing my local Craigslist for a makeover-ready piece like it! Nice job! The feet look great, and the hardware contrasts so well with the white paint. Well done! Where did you find the feet you used? Love the story behind this bench. It makes it more special, I'm sure.

What a transformation. Thanks so much for sharing the pics! It looks great and there is no sign of the 70's monstrosity!

Thanks so much!

It is lined in cedar, and it freshened up quite nicely with a light sanding and a wipe down with mineral spirits. Even the inside smelled of stale perfume and cat poop when I got it.

Jan, those feet came from the Waddell company. They sell furniture parts at Home Depot and the like, but had a better selection on their own site. I tried several different feet, and nothing seemed right until I found those. And they were cheap!

Scumbag is the kindest thing I can say on the internet. Mrs. C. took out that second mortgage (the house had been paid for decades ago) to bail out the daughter and her spawn from jail and a variety of other messes.

My brother and I used to say that you couldn't break wind without Mr. C. knowing about it. He was nosey, bossy, opinionated, and into everyone else's business. He made it much more difficult for us to get into any trouble when we were teenagers, because he was either sitting in his front yard, or peeking out the windows, and you knew if you saw him walking across the road to talk to Mom you had been caught. I got a little teary thinking about him when I was finishing up that chest.

very nice result, it's adorable
and a really nice tribute to mr and mrs c.--what lovely karma you must have!

Franksmom, you RULE!

The chest looks great. What a gift you gave it, to bring it back to life like that. Even though I know inanimate things don't have "feelings", I often feel they are happy to be restored and appreciated. Terrific work :)

That is sooo beautiful! I've got a cedar chest my "first love" gave me for my 16th birthday...gosh, it's over 30 years old now, does that qualify as vintage?? It's also from the 70's, and has a padded top. I've thought about freshening it up over the years, I've recovered the top, but now that I see your's I'm half considering painting mine and recovering it again. I've got it in the guest room, and I will be doing that room in all white...so I think I will do that to the chest. Thanks for giving this piece the kindness the memories it provided you that it deserved. You did a faboo job!

You did a wonderful job of refinishing the chest and let me add....I'll bet your mom and neighbour would be proud to see what you have done with it!

Ha! Sorry Lori, sometimes timing is everything, right?
I don't think I've ever seen that word in print. Struck me funny. I may make one of those inspirational signs for my kitchen. Nah, just kidding!