Have you ever been inexplicably drawn to a piece of furniture? Even if it was homely and worn? That is exactly what happened to me last week as I was looking for new nightstands for our master bedroom. Our previous nightstands were fine, but they were visually heavy in the room and lacked character. I was looking for something airy and interesting that would frame the bed and create a sense of balance and serenity in the room.
I happened to be cruising the local “Facebook Yard Sale” site when I spied these. Now let me say—I understand that my first reaction should have been “YIKES” (and to a small extent it was), but I kept going back and looking at these. They had a lot of the characteristics that I was looking for—they had a small footprint, interesting lines, and a drawer (a necessity for all of those books, lotions, lip balm, etc.). But they were in rough shape and did have some very dated features.
I made an inquiry, offered $35 and was on my way to pick them up. Next was how to break it to my husband that these homely little creatures were for our bedroom and that they were going to be FABULOUS! I think I over- prepared him because he just said…”OK”. I think he may have learned over the years to just wait and see how my hair-brained ideas pan out before objecting too strenuously.
Let the games begin! First I removed those awful wooden buttons. 
Already they were looking better! I also decided that the lines of the trim work on the top made them look dated. I wanted a little cleaner line, so I cut new trim pieces. Then, both nightstands got a much-needed sanding.
I applied stain to the top, back and drawer fronts to match our other bedroom furniture. I selected a serene color of gray-green (Sherwin Williams Halcyon Green) for the body of the nightstand. To add a little bit of character, I applied a brown glaze over the paint with a VERY light hand. I have found that if I am not going to distress the piece (by removing some of the paint down to bare wood), the line between antique-looking and “dirty” is a fine one. Finally, I put a coat of poly over the stain and added a couple of snazzy new drawer pulls.
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Hold my wine, I’ve got this…
Amy
