This chest had been kept outside for quite some time, and the veneer was flaking off and the top was bowed due to moisture.
I removed what I could, and put a dripping wet towel and left it over night. Also used a board and clamped both sides to straighten out the bowed top while it was wet and drying.
The veneer peeled up and was readily removed.
The veneer suffered damage on the sides as well. I patched and placed a trim board across the bottom to conceal the lost veneer.
I sanded the top and used paintable wallpaper on the drawer fronts to add texture and conceal the condition issues.
I painted it entirely with metallic pewter paint.
I used a gray base coat instead of the expensive metallic paint. I used a roller to accentuate the texture with a lighter silver paint.
Black glaze was used to highlight the grain on the drawers and create depth to the metallic pewter finish.
I added wallpaper to the drawer bottoms and painted the interior.
For further durability, use a polyurethane coating.
Yes, it can be saved and cherished again!
