furniture facelift(s)

When we moved from our duplex to our house last November...we changed decorating styles quite a bit (from modern to more eclectic/contemporary/transitional)...and we also upgraded in terms of square footage (by about 400ish square feet). These changes called for some 'new' and additional furniture. Instead of purchasing new, I decided I'd revamp some older pieces with a little paint and TLC.

It was definitely a process...and of course, being myself, I added several steps to the process which were useless ones that I won't do again, most likely. For instance, completely stripping pieces with a belt sander. Unnecessary - since I was painting, and on some, it did more damage than it corrected. But - oh well. The furniture is finally all finished (half a year after I began the process)...and I'm just glad to have it done.

I started with some tables I found on craigslist for the living room. We needed side tables and a coffee table. The side tables were wooden - maybe an oak-ish color, and they came from someone's mother's house. The coffee table was from a seller I often purchase things from, Michelle, and it was painted black (which I originally wanted). At some point, I decided white was better, and this is what I came up with (click on the picture to see it larger):


The tops of the end tables are completely stenciled in a pearlescent white paint. The coffee table has a more 'scattered' stencil. And...the third photo shows the tables from their sides - so you can see their bases/legs.

Once I finished the living room tables, I moved on to a chest of drawers that used to be in Golly's attic. It had a pickled-ish yellow finish, and some funny wooden knobs (which I may save for later use on another project). Here's what it looked like to begin with:



The knobs are in the baggie on the drawer. I decided for the look I was going for the chest would need something a little more fancy...a fresh coat of paint, some stenciling, new hardware, and something to line the drawers. And...here's the result (once again, click to make larger):


I painted the entire thing black, created a harlequin stencil for the top, found a stencil for behind the knobs (and stenciled in silver paint), and then decoupaged the drawers with sheet music. This piece is currently in our guest room, holding Chance's t-shirts.

Finally, I decided to take a swing at the nightstands I had purchased. They were going to be quite an undertaking, due to some broken pieces, the bronze hardware, and the sheer size of the two cabinets. I found these on craigslist as well, at a dentist office. The 'cane' look on the trim matches a antiqued silver mirror we have hanging on our bedroom wall, so I thought it was perfect! Here's a glimpse of the nightstand(s) before:


And here they are after:


The two pieces are finished out the same way. I painted them black and added the accents with silver and gold paint, which I sanded for an 'aged' look. The hardware, which was bronze-ish, I turned silver with Rub-n-Buff. That stuff works wonders. I did a little 'antiquing' to the hardware - which you might not be able to tell from the pictures - it's easier to tell in person. Then Chance found this wrapping paper at Target which I decoupaged to the inside of the drawers and cabinet doors. Currently, Brewster camps out in my nightstand at night. He loves his new bed!

And now...I'm taking a break from re-doing furniture. Lol. Doing all that wore me out! I'd love to try to do a few smaller pieces, but at this point, we've pretty much filled our house entirely. (:

Hope you enjoyed this, Kaki (and the rest of our curious readers)! I'm sure there will be more to come in the way of painting (although it might not be furniture next time. Probably canvases instead!)

EDIT: I didn't give Chance enough credit here. Not only did he help me pick out the wrapping paper for the nightstands, but he also graciously helped me strip a few of the pieces as well as put the paper on the cabinet doors! Couldn't have done it without him!