I always find it so hard to get rid of furniture when it is starting to look sad and outdated, especially if it’s made of solid wood! I inherited this nightstand when I moved into my place and was convinced I could turn it into something that gave it the new life it deserved. So after months of trying to figure out what exactly I should do, I decided to turn this…
Into this…
Here’s a DIY on how I’ve created mine…
Choose the right paint and color.
The key to making this a quick and easy makeover is using a chalk paint. Not to be confused with chalkboard paint, chalk paint allows you to paint over furniture with little to no sanding. Most brands only come in one sheen which has a pretty matte look.
Home Depot only had two options. I went with BEHR paint because they had a great selection of colors compared to the two colors that Rustoleum had.
Supply List:
- Chalk Paint
- Decorative Wax
- Sand paper or block
- Paint brush
- Drop cloth
- Screwdriver to remove any hardware
- Household cleaner and rag
- Rubber cement and an exacto blade if you are doing the additional wallpaper step
Prep your furniture and area:
Put down your drop cloth and begin prepping your piece. Remove any hardware, typically a screwdriver will be enough to unscrew and knobs it pulls. I had to use my sandpaper block to get rid of a few areas that had were not smooth. Then I wiped it down with a mild cleaner and rag.
Start the painting process:
Begin with a thin layer of paint. The first coat is about getting a nice even layer on every visible area. I started with the drawer so that I could get nice smooth brush strokes before I started the more intricate areas.
Multiple coats is a good thing.
Be patient. It’s a tedious process to paint and wait and paint and wait but it is so worth it. With each coat, I was more and more excited to see the finished product.
Final touches:
The last step to this is to seal the piece in with furniture wax. I used the clear furniture wax (also from BEHR) to give it a nice even protective coat. You can also go in with the dark wax to give an antique looked and then seal it with clear wax.
I went back and forth on whether to add some dark antiquing but ultimately I wanted the piece to look a little more modern. Instead I decided to add a little wallpaper to the inside.
Optional wallpaper step:
Really the hardest part is picking a wallpaper with all the amazing options out there. I went with one from Osborne and Little. I cut down the piece so it would fit inside and used rubber cement to glue it down. Then I used my exacto blade to trim around the edges for a clean cut.
and that’s it!
Share your furniture projects with me by tagging @laurenregina or #laurenregina on Instagram.
Would also love to hear about some of your creative ideas giving furniture a new life… Comment or questions below!
