You only get lucky a few times in life and this time I did. I got a great deal on an old dresser made by Henredon which had actually been abused with cigarettes. I kept it in the garage for nearly 3 months until I got the courage to chalk paint it. It was my second chalk painting project. Here is the result. Now I am setting my fears aside and painting like crazy. If you can't afford new furniture, paint what you have. Heck, I had never heard of Henredon Custom Folio One and now I own it. Another successful "from trash to treasure project".

Here is a link that might be useful: Amateur Decorator