Painted Drexel Nightstands
by
Patricia
$35.00
4 Hours
Medium
I found a pair of Drexel nightstands recently at a thrift store. I always worry that I won't be able to find affordable (OK I mean "cheap") furniture to refinish. Some days I do strike out, however I usually end up finding more than I have room for! I thought these nightstands had an elegant shape, but I thought a different color combination would enhance their elegance.
After.
A minor repair was needed on the front trim. I used Gorilla Wood Glue to re-affix the piece and then clamped it until it was dry.
A previous owner had repainted the nightstands at some point in time. The paint actually held up quite well. But the edge lines in the back and inside the drawer were sloppy. I suppose if it's not seen it doesn't necessarily matter, but I like a clean crisp line. I considered repainting the back entirely, but I like to keep the manufacturer's name whenever possible. So instead I taped off a new border and gave the backs a clean framed edge. Sorry but I didn't snap a photo of the new backs.
See what I mean about the messy edges? I sanded off the red paint on both the inside and outside of the drawers.
I repainted the base of each nightstand in Louis Blue and used Graphite on the tops. Both paint colors are by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Next I sanded the paint with light distressing on the edges and details. The previous black paint peeks through the distressed areas which I think ties in nicely with the Graphite tops. I applied soft wax to seal the paint followed by a glaze to give it a slightly aged patina.
As I mentioned, I sanded off the red paint because I didn't want the red to show through when I distressed the drawers. I painted the new edge inside the drawer a little further than I normally do to pretty-up the sanded areas.
The previous hardware was not original, so I replaced them with new black knobs.
I let the wax and glaze set overnight and then hand buffed each nightstand.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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3 of 11 comments
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I like the two tone paint. You did a really nice job. I did a chest in sheepskin and left the top original. It had hints of a burgundy red in it with the wood color. Turned out nice.
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The color is wonderful and soothing for a bedroom. Very nice job!
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