Well, the title may be slightly misleading... this post is more accurately about resurrecting a piece of furniture from Hub's childhood-- His nightstand to be more exact.
This is a nightstand that stood beside Hub's bed since he was a wee little boy. I can just imagine him hiding a slingshot in it's drawer, so his mom couldn't find it. Or maybe when he was five he stashed his pet worm in there or maybe a secret store of candy... or... or...
A year ago, Hub's mom offered me his old nightstand. Since our wedding day, it had been taking up space in their storage room. Hub's mom made it clear that it was time to either (A) send it to Goodwill or (B) relocate it to our house. Because I am such a nostalgic, sensitive person (insert my sister's snorts here), Hubs and I carried the nightstand down the road and into our abode.
The darn thing looked like it had endured a rough life by the time it made it's way to our house (which lends credit to my belief that it probably housed a worm or two). The drawer's knob was broken in half, the drawer itself was in pieces, and all of the wood was water-stained and scratched.
After we brought it home, I placed the nightstand just inside our entry because its compact size was a good fit for the space. I put a tablecloth over it to hide its "beauty" and put a bowl on it to catch keys, poop bags (for dog walks), construction pencils, paint keys, and so on. Then I proceeded to completely forget about it.
Until a month ago that is... When I randomly remembered Hub's poor nightstand and committed to giving it new life. I walked over to the local Ace Hardware and bought two cans of bright white, high gloss spray paint. I also found a can of "oops" Benjamin Moore paint (discounted paint that was either mixed incorrectly or returned). "Oops" paint is hit or miss, but I was able to find a light blue/green color that closely resembled the Homestead Green in our dining room and craft room.
When I returned home with my paint, I went about sanding the nightstand with a rough and then a fine sandpaper block. Sanding was a tedious process, but I knew it was necessary for the best painting results. I also used wood glue to reassemble the nightstand's drawer and I threw out the old, broken knob. Adios muchacho.
When the sanding was finished, I carried the nightstand outside and began spraying it. I would say the spraying was even more tedious than the sanding. I have no patience... I just wanted it done. I had to keep reigning myself in--Trying hard to spray light, even coats to prevent dripping. I ended up doing three light coats to get a good white base. Even though I knew I wanted to paint the legs with my "oops" paint, I gave them a good coat of white as well to act as primer.
The white base coat made the nightstand look like a completely different piece of furniture... It looked new and fresh, incredibly cheery, and ready for its extra special pop of color. After drying for three to four hours outside, I carried the nightstand back into the house and used my new Purdy brush to give the legs some color thanks to my can of "oops" paint from Ace Hardware (Purdy brushes are the best).
This is a nightstand that stood beside Hub's bed since he was a wee little boy. I can just imagine him hiding a slingshot in it's drawer, so his mom couldn't find it. Or maybe when he was five he stashed his pet worm in there or maybe a secret store of candy... or... or...
The darn thing looked like it had endured a rough life by the time it made it's way to our house (which lends credit to my belief that it probably housed a worm or two). The drawer's knob was broken in half, the drawer itself was in pieces, and all of the wood was water-stained and scratched.
After we brought it home, I placed the nightstand just inside our entry because its compact size was a good fit for the space. I put a tablecloth over it to hide its "beauty" and put a bowl on it to catch keys, poop bags (for dog walks), construction pencils, paint keys, and so on. Then I proceeded to completely forget about it.
Until a month ago that is... When I randomly remembered Hub's poor nightstand and committed to giving it new life. I walked over to the local Ace Hardware and bought two cans of bright white, high gloss spray paint. I also found a can of "oops" Benjamin Moore paint (discounted paint that was either mixed incorrectly or returned). "Oops" paint is hit or miss, but I was able to find a light blue/green color that closely resembled the Homestead Green in our dining room and craft room.
When I returned home with my paint, I went about sanding the nightstand with a rough and then a fine sandpaper block. Sanding was a tedious process, but I knew it was necessary for the best painting results. I also used wood glue to reassemble the nightstand's drawer and I threw out the old, broken knob. Adios muchacho.
When the sanding was finished, I carried the nightstand outside and began spraying it. I would say the spraying was even more tedious than the sanding. I have no patience... I just wanted it done. I had to keep reigning myself in--Trying hard to spray light, even coats to prevent dripping. I ended up doing three light coats to get a good white base. Even though I knew I wanted to paint the legs with my "oops" paint, I gave them a good coat of white as well to act as primer.
The white base coat made the nightstand look like a completely different piece of furniture... It looked new and fresh, incredibly cheery, and ready for its extra special pop of color. After drying for three to four hours outside, I carried the nightstand back into the house and used my new Purdy brush to give the legs some color thanks to my can of "oops" paint from Ace Hardware (Purdy brushes are the best).
Adding a new, basic, white knob to the drawer was the last step. Although the knob was new, I still have my eye on a more antique and quirky knob (read expensive) from Anthropologie. So I guess you could say the nightstand is still in process, although the main renovation is complete.
For now, the nightstand is once again living in the entry, but it is no longer hidden beneath a tablecloth. It stands proudly welcoming our guests, offering them a place to stash their keys and miscellaneous items. I really love how this makeover turned out. What did Hubs think? He didn't even recognize his old pal! But once he realized it was his childhood nightstand- he said, "Wow." Count on a man to give good feedback.
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