Updating Our Nightstands.

Many years ago, around the time Darrick and I bought our first house together, we were in need of nightstands. We didn't have much money - or any money, really. So we hit some thrift and second hand stores, and walked out with two dark wood tables that were very solid and very ugly.

I once painted them white, except I didn't know anything about painting wood furniture and I never painted the drawers. The result was chipping white paint and dark wood drawer fronts. Not a good look, admittedly, but for years we just tossed fabric over the top of them and ignored their ugly factor.

But then I fell in love with brushed nickel spray paint, and one day in the midst of bathroom renovations, I had an idea. A silly, unapproved-by-the-husband idea.

I removed the drawer of the first nightstand (his, since he was starting spring break and therefore didn't need a bedside alarm clock or lamp for a week or so) and carried the table itself downstairs.

And, have I mentioned how much we let the backyard go to shit in the renovation process? Until sometime this week it was littered with tools, a toilet, wood, scraps of things, cabinets, stains, paint cans and more.

Anyhow, I set this guy in our yellow winter grass and went to work. I cleaned it and let it dry, then sprayed it with several (and I do mean several) thin coats of spray paint. All told, it took 2 cans of spray paint to thoroughly coat the table and drawer.

I also removed the old handle from the drawer. It only used one of these holes, and the new handles I wanted to put in its place didn't fit in these pre-made spots, so I caulked one of the holes and let Darrick drill a second one in the correct place. Curious why I decided this needed a new handle?



Yeah. That's why.

When all was said and done and 2 cans of spray paint had been applied and new handles were in place, I left it outside for about another 3 days just be sure it had aired out thoroughly and wouldn't make the house smell like spray paint. And then I carried it up and put it back in its place. The great thing about this project, other than the low cost and marked improvement in appearance, is that moving it out and back in inspired a deep cleaning in the bedroom, complete with shop vac'ing the carpets. All for this:

Kindly ignore the builder white walls (those are next on my agenda once the bathroom is done, since it's the master bath we're remodeling) and the mattress with no sheets (laundry day), and focus on the pretty!

The biggest surprise in all of this? My husband loves it! He was worried it was going to be too sparkly or feminine, but the result is more a steely gray color with a tiny bit of sheen to it when the light hits it right. I'm in love, and can't wait for the second nightstand to be done!