The Opposite of Painted Furniture

I'm still chugging away on the ol' built-ins but I wanted to take a break from wood-filling and sanding to discuss a trend I'm seeing more and more often. We've all seen our fair share of painted furniture, I mean hey I'm about to do it right now to our bookcases! But more and more I've been drawn to the opposite of painting furniture: stripping it down to it's original beauty. Here's what I'm talking about...

• Kirsten over @ Restored Style took this beat up beauty and after giving it a second life with white paint, decided things would be better, well, restored:

•  Karen actually did the same thing with this free dresser scored out of a friend's garage. After painting it white, she decided it needed another makeover so she stripped the paint, stained the piece, added glass knobs and iron casters, and now it is a vintage delight.

•  Although there is no before for this guy, you can still appreciate the amazing job Jen and her husband Dave did on this dresser. Stripping it down to it's original glory and highlighting it against a stenciled mural makes for one "eclectically timeless" room.

• This last one just may be my favorite from the ever talented Jenny Steffens Hobick and has given me some serious inspiration for our dining table. This table went from varnished top with a white painted base, to all over black semi-gloss, to a matte black and now the best of them all: stripped down and rustic chic.

So what are your thoughts on this newest trend? Did you ever paint a piece of furniture only to decide later you should've just left it alone? I hope I'm not the only one with my hand up...