Easy $3 Nightstand Transformation! How to Get That Farmhouse Look
4 Materials
$3
2 Days
Easy
This is, by far, my favorite "glow up". I'm in love with my new night stand. It only took a little effort and a few dollars to transform my cheap nightstand into a piece of chic farmhouse furniture.
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Here's the before photo. This is not an awesome thrift store find. This is a cheaply made piece of furniture that we purchased for our first apartment, years ago.
Alrighty, the first step is prepping. Clean off your piece of furniture, and take off any removable parts, like knobs. Removing draws is a good idea too. I actually couldn't remove mine, because of a lock inside.
Check out the top of my nightstand. Yeah, we did a number on it over the years.
After the prep is done, start sanding. If you're using a good spray paint, like Rust-Oleum, you may not need to sand. My nightstand had some water damage, which created bubbles, so I needed to smooth the top. Be careful not too push too hard, because they can hurt the shape of your piece.
Next, measure the top of your stand. Use those measurements to figure out how much wood you will need.
Then, paint your stand. I chose black, to match my other bedroom furniture.
For the top, I chose 1x4s and I cut the to the width of the stand. I made them about 1/2 inch longer than the stand, so that the top would hang over slightly. PS- I got my wood 75 percent off in the discount pile at Home Depot.
Next, glue the wood to the top. You can also use screws, but the top of my stand is made of particle board so I was afraid to. The glue is holding up great, so far.
After you have your boards positioned, stack some heavy things on the top, like old books, until it dries. Be careful, because any oozing glue could stick to your books. On another note, be sure to use plenty so that it works well.
After the glue has had plenty of time to dry (24-48 hours) sand down the wood until its smooth.
Next, stain your wood. We went with a vinegar stain for ours.
Then, seal it. We chose a matte poly spray finish.
If you want that distressed farmhouse look, scuff up the edges with sand paper. Push lightly and go with the grain.
Last, update the knob. You can buy a cute one, or update the one that you already have. I sprayed mine with this bronze spray paint that I already had. I love this color!
I just love the way that this turned out! It's my favorite piece of bedroom furniture.
Frequently asked questions
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