I received a lot of questions about my antique dresser turned bathroom vanity, specifically the finish I used to protect the top from water.

I stripped the existing finish, because I knew that wouldn’t stand up the way it needed to.  (You can check out my video tutorials on stripping furniture HERE and HERE.)  Once the finish was entirely removed and cleaned.  I applied four coats of Waterlox Original Finish.  This is the same finish I used for my butcher block kitchen counter and I am in love with it.  It has performed so well!  I had some leftover, so I used it for this project.

I only finished the top, since the sides and front aren’t exposed to as much water.

The downsides of this finish are –

• it’s about an 11 day process (four coats, 24 hours dry time between each coat and 7 day cure time)
• the finish is stinky when you’re working with it, so you need to work in a well-ventilated area and it’s best if you can do it outside of the house
• It is oil based, so I used a new brush each time I applied a finish, so that does add to the cost

The pros far outweigh the cons, though and the finish is smooth, beautiful and durable.