Refinishing A Cedar Chest

My mom & dad had this cedar chest when I was a kid. Mom kept it after they got divorced and gave it to me a couple of years ago. We've been moving it around with us & it's never really had a spot or a use. I know that sounds awful. You see, it's a big piece that doesn't really fit our style - at all.

A couple of years ago, it got some water damage due to a mess in our apartment complex. It already needed some love, but after that, it REALLY needed some love.

Once we moved into the new house, I decided to take on sanding it down & refinishing it. I made sure to get mom's approval since eventually she'll be moving in with us and she'll see it. It was a much bigger project than I thought it'd be. That being said, it was almost exactly what I expected - if that makes sense.