Nightstand Archives - How To Refinish Furniture

Easy Steps – How to Paint a Nightstand

Gary & Kasey — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 03:10:34 +0000

Have you run across an old nightstand or maybe own one that needs a little TLC? We found this bedside table in Nashville at a thrift store for only $12.99. This is the perfect candidate for a tutorial on how to paint a nightstand.

We recently took a quick trip to one of our favorite cities, Nashville. The city is super sentimental to us since this is where we renewed our wedding vows. Click here to see a short video about our vow renewal. We won the vow renewal, and it was an amazing day! When you watch the video, you will understand the significance of Nashville to our family.

Kasey bought tickets, to the Grand Ole Opry, where one of my favorite musical artists was performing, for father’s day, and this was the weekend for the concert. While in Nashville, we can never pass up antique and thrift stores. We hadn’t hit any home runs on this trip: just several solid purchases but no show-stoppers.

Until I ran into this little guy! Maybe not much at first glance, but he is dripping with potential and dying for me to give him a new life. Best two things, 1) Drexel manufactured this vintage bedside table, and 2) it was only $12.99!!

This was my home run for the weekend. Old furniture looking for a new home + me = a perfect combo! When finished, this painted nightstand will definitely turn heads.

In this post, you will see the steps I took on how to paint a nightstand. It took some work, but the result is amazing!

1: Materials And Tools

Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner

Latex Paint

2: Filling in scratches, dents, and old hardwood screw holes

Make no mistake; this Drexel nightstand has been enjoyed or, should I say, absolutely destroyed by previous owners. If they were going for the distressed look, I am pretty sure they figured that out! The wear on this piece doesn’t scare me, though. The bedside table needs a lot of TLC to return it to its glory days.

I used a screwdriver to remove the hardware from the three drawers. While the original hardware was unique, it was outdated, and nothing could bring it into this century. There were several wear spots and the old hardware holes on this bedside table that had to be filled with wood putty. Once dried, I used 220 grit sandpaper to smooth.

3: remove peeling veneer on base and top

The soon-to-be-painted nightstand had peeling veneer on the top and base of the piece. I began removing the veneer by peeling everything away with my fingers I could. When all loose veneer was removed, I was left with veneer that was still glued or tightly attached to the wood surface underneath. I used a putty knife and drywall taping knife to carefully run behind the veneer to remove as much as possible.

Once I got to the stuck veneer, I had to break out the heat gun. A heat gun is an excellent option for removing things that are glued. The heat gun will heat the adhesive until you can safely remove the veneer. Be careful to constantly move the heat gun back and forth to avoid creating burn marks or even catching your furniture on fire. I promise this is possible. I may or may not have done this before.

4: Sanding the nightstand

As pretty as the wood was on the top, I still needed to use something to fill in as much of the grain on top of the nightstand makeover. By mixing a small amount of water with wood filler, I created a mixture that had enough liquid to be worked into the grain easily. Once dried, I sanded it with fine-grit sandpaper (220 grit). This created a smooth finish on the top that was ready for primer.

Using an orbital sander was a fast way to prepare all surfaces for primer and paint. I started the sanding process using a medium grit 150 sandpaper. Once I had a good scuff sand, I went to a 220 grit sandpaper to ensure an ultra-smooth finish. Sanded and ready for a good cleaning.

6: Time to get this night stand makeover cleaned and ready for primer and paint

I decided to go with Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner for this project. I liberally sprayed the drawers and frame and gave the entire piece a good wipe-down to ensure the removal of all grease, oil, dust, and dirt. The inside of the drawers also needed cleaning because of the years of grime that had built up.

Cleaning the piece is crucial due to a few reasons. First, the primer, paint, and poly will not adhere correctly to dirty furniture. It would be a shame for me to tell you how to paint a nightstand but leave this important key out. Your finished product would have issues down the road due to bad paint adhesion. Secondly, cleaning the piece lets you look over the entire surface to ensure that all repairs have been made. Cleaner and ready to paint!

7: Here comes the primed nightstand

Due to this paint color being a bit darker, I used Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 primer that I had tinted gray. This can help hide minor scratches and chips in the future. Using a 6″ foam roller, I rolled two coats of primer on the nightstand for proper coverage and a smooth finish.

8: And now…how to paint a nightstand

I wanted to ensure a smooth finish for this night stand, so I added Floetrol Flood. Floetrol Flood is a latex paint additive that gives your latex paint a smoother finish that almost mimics an oil-based finish. The paint, with the additive, flows and levels much better for a smoother finish by eliminating or significantly reducing roller or brush marks. My first coat of paint had good coverage, but I wanted to ensure a durable finish. So, I added a second coat of paint to the remodeled nightstand. Due to the details on the piece, there were places I had to use a foam brush to make sure I was able to get great coverage in the smaller and tighter areas.

Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Riverway (I had it color matched at Lowe’s)

9: The ever-so-important top coat and hardware

I decided to use a method of applying polyurethane on the nightstand that I picked up a while back. This could take a little practice, but the results are nice once you get the hang of it. I used a 4″ foam roller between my middle finger and thumb. Dipping the foam roller in polyurethane and dragging it across the piece gives an excellent final top coat. Several areas required me to use a foam brush to seal the piece.

The last thing to do is to put the new hardware on, and we are done. Since I used wood putty to fill the two original hardware holes, I measured where each hardware set should go on each drawer. I drilled the hole and screwed the new hardware on. BINGO. There it is.

What kind of paint do you use on a bedside table?

I go through phases on what paint I enjoy using. Sometimes I like using chalk paint just because it is so stinking easy to use. Most of the time no prep work other than cleaning! Here is a link to my post about chalk paint best brands. You can use oil-based, but as nice as the finish is, it is a hassle to clean up after using oil-based paint compared to chalk or latex. Lately, I have been using latex paint in a satin finish and adding Floetrol Flood to mimic oil-based paint.

Don’t miss this makeover for a chalk-painted refinished nightstand.

How do you modernize a nightstand?

There are several ways to modernize a nightstand. The most simple way is to swap out what’s on top of the nightstand. So, a new lamp, a small plant, candlesticks, or coffee table-type books. This may be a little more expensive if you buy new decor, but it’s easy. Another option would be to swap out the hardware. Updating to new, more modern hardware can do wonders for your bedside table. Last is to follow all the steps in this post for a completely new, refinished nightstand. It’s something that anyone can do. Just take your time and leave your fear of messing up behind. Almost all mistakes can be fixed. Hopefully, now you feel more confident in how to paint a nightstand.

Refinished Nightstand – Easy DIY Makeover

Gary & Kasey — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 03:03:25 +0000

I’m always on the lookout for solid used furniture. While looking for a piece for a kitchen island project, I ran across a sad-looking 1980s-style oak nightstand. BINGO! Facebook Marketplace is usually a gold mine, but we found this at a local thrift store. Bargain! $5! This nightstand was a prime candidate to be my next refinished nightstand project.

While this bedside table is solid, it is not the most appealing piece of furniture. The grainy oak, the yellow tint to the old finish, and the rounded edges date this sucker. I have completed many nightstand makeovers, and this one will be a drastic change. It is amazing how much a piece of furniture can be transformed by stripping and staining or painting it.

I bought this for my oldest daughter’s room. Her room was one of the first to be completed during our whole house remodel. However, she had two pieces of furniture that have caused us some problems. Her bedside table was in desperate need of being replaced or being the star of the next DIY nightstand makeover. I am in the process of completing a beautiful refurbishing of a fabulous dresser for her room which will solve the other furniture problem. I’ll have that post up soon! I knew this refurbished nightstand would be a perfect fit for her room.

I had several nightstand refinishing ideas. Color? Drawer pull? Structural changes? So, just a few tweaks on this retro nightstand for me to bring it into the 21st century. I’ll give you the play-by-play of each change later in the post that completed this refinished nightstand project.

Supplies I needed for this nightstand makeover

A cleaning solution of either TSP or DIY cleaning solution (ingredients listed below)

Hammer and screwdriver or drill

Sandpaper, sanding sponges (120 and 220-grit paper), or orbital sander

Primer

Paint

paint brush or paint sprayer

Drawer pull

Now let’s start this nightstand makeover

Most of my projects follow the same steps from beginning to end. I attempt to make my projects as simple as possible and very economical. I will walk you through the steps I follow and how I finished each one. Let’s go.

Prep all surface areas of the furniture

I needed a solution to thoroughly clean the entire surface area of dirt, grime, and grease/oil. I usually use a DIY cleaning solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar. You can also use TSP, which is fantastic for dirty items. I use both but just went with what I already had mixed up in the garage.

This is a great time to hit the piece with a sander. I’ll explain my fiasco with the sanding I did later in the post. Give it a scratch sand with 120 grit sandpaper. This will knock down any rough surfaces on the wood. Use sandpaper, a sanding sponge, or a power sander for the scratch sand.

Putty any damaged spots, crevices, or grooves you want to fill in on the furniture. If you have old hardware holes that will not work with your new hardware, make sure to putty these holes now. Once the putty is dry, lightly sand for a smooth finish; wipe the nightstand with a lint-free cloth, microfiber cloth, or tack cloth to ensure you have gotten all the dust off before its paint time.

Decide if there are any structural changes to make to the project

This nightstand is straight from the 1980s. Does anyone remember The A-Team, Alf, New Edition, Hulkamania, Atari, or, if you were lucky, the original Nintendo? Well, this piece fits right in with these classics. The rounded edges and wooden drawer pull date this nightstand! I decided I wanted to modernize it by removing the rounded kickplate and adding a new solid kickplate.

I turned the nightstand upside down and saw I needed to remove a few screws, and then…demo time. A small demo, though. I knocked the rounded kickplate out with a few swings of the hammer. I can already see the potential in this refinished nightstand.

The removed rounded kickplate was used as a template to measure the replacement kickplate. Ideally, oak would have been the right solution for this piece, but I didn’t have any spare oak on hand. So, I chose pine because it was the handiest piece of scrap wood at my fingertips.

I used my table saw to cut the new kickplate to size.

My nailgun made it simple to attach the new kickplate to the frame of the nightstand. Bam. That was an easy way to give this piece an updated look.

Choose the finish for the nightstand

While thinking about the finish for the night stand, I decided to strip it and stain it with a weathered oak stain. I thought the weathered look of the oak would be a perfect complement to the refinished nightstand. Halfway through the sanding of the golden oak nightstand, I realized that there was a stain on the top that I could not get out. I tried several DIY home remedies for removing the stain, but nothing worked. It was such a deep stain that I could not sand down far enough into the oak top. This stain was sticking with us for the long haul. So this dilemma caused me to back up and rethink the finish.

Paint it is. A quick cleaning with mineral spirits and a clean cloth gave me an excellent clean canvas to start painting on.

I had a local big box store color match a pillow from my daughter’s bed. It is a beautiful teal color that is more blue than green. This new paint will pop and pull the color out of the pillow in my daughter’s room. It will all work out after all!

How to paint a nightstand

Now that I have the new paint, I’m ready to take another step towards moving this nightstand makeover into modern times. I primed the 1980s nightstand with two coats of Killz latex primer. Since I had sanded the finish, the grain would soak up anything I put on it. So, I applied two heavy coats of primer to tame the grain. A light sanding, once dried, had the piece ready for its new color. This refinished nightstand is almost complete.

I thinned the paint to the specifications of my paint sprayer. Sprayers are different regarding what type of material they can spray and the paint’s viscosity. Check the directions for your sprayer to determine what kind and how thin the material needs to be for the sprayer to give you a nice smooth finish.

I gave this nightstand three coats of Behr Ultra Scuff Defense paint in a satin sheen. I wanted this piece to be extra durable since it will be getting a lot of abuse in a teenager’s room. This summer has been brutally hot, so furniture is drying fast for me. Make sure to give ample time for paint cure. Spraying this nightstand gave it a professional finish.

Seal your nightstand after refinishing

It is best to seal all refinished furniture. Whether hardening wax, polyurethane, lacquer, shellack, or you name it, the furniture needs an agent on top of the paint that will protect it for years. I went with a matte polyurethane. Even though I use an ultra-clear matte poly, it still seems to make a slightly darker color on the piece. Polyurethane works excellent in my paint sprayer, so I went with it and gave it two coats of top coat. More coats of poly will help with durability.

Finishing touches…new hardware

This step is so easy and yet so impactful. Update your hardware. That’s it. A new brushed bronze drawer pull brought this entire piece together. Boom. The refinished nightstand looks fantastic.

There you have it. I have given you a complete walkthrough of refinishing a nightstand. I am all about simplifying everything in this process. You don’t have to be a pro to complete a nightstand makeover.

Here are a few questions that may come up when thinking about refinishing a nightstand.

How do you upgrade a nightstand?

OK, If you’re not brave enough YET to tackle this project, you can upgrade a nightstand with a few quick and straightforward ideas. Update the hardware. Check out Pottery Barn, West Elm, McGee & Co, or Restoration Hardware for trends on furniture so you can emulate their style on your furniture. Restyle the nightstand. Change lamps, add a few intriguing hardback books under the light, place your favorite scented candle on the nightstand, or add a small plant.

Can I paint over a nightstand?

Of course. We paint over everything. Wait until I share my painted fabric headboard with you! Finding the type of paint used initially is a high priority. Oil-based paint is going to perform very differently than water-based paint. It matters what you’re painting on top of.

Best paint for a nightstand?

Take your pick. It’s like cereal; everyone has a different favorite. Mine? Golden Grahams…hands down. Back to paint, I am a huge fan of chalk paint. It has a beautiful texture, is very easy to use, has few paint streaks if painted properly, has a beautiful matte finish, and can be bought or made. Check out my post chalk paint best brands for a list of fantastic chalk paint options and the DIY recipe I prefer to use.

That’s it. This enjoyable and straightforward project took a 35-year-old nightstand and gave it new life. Do you have any DIY nightstand makeover ideas? What about painted nightstand ideas or nightstand refinishing ideas. I would love to hear your plans and see your results.

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