Thrifted Nightstand Makeover {With Chalk Paint}

Here's an end table/nightstand gotten at a garage sale. I've used it the way it is for awhile now, and it does have some character and quality. However, I have been trying to unify all of our furniture (which by the way is ALL from thrift stores and garage sales), so I decided to paint it.

I used ASCP and it was my first time. I was a little nervous to try the paint, as it is really 
expensive and I didn't want to mess up.

Since chalk paint doesn't require sanding, I proceeded painting my first coat in Provence.
 The color was gorgeous and the coverage was amazing.

I wanted to try out a Martha Stewart stencil I bough from Michaels last year and chose a trellis looking one. I have to tell you from the start that me and stenciling just don't get along really well. I have tried to be friends in the past, but it's really hard to build a relationship if there is no trust anymore. But, I digress.

I started the stencil with ASCP in old white and absolutelly hated it. The stencil bled, the color was too bright and in general it looked kinda goofy. I took my brush with the Provence 
color on it without adding anymore paint on it, and brushed it on top of the design.

It kinda started to look better, so I decided I'd finish stenciling even if it didn't look perfect. I figured I was going for a distressed look, so with a lot of blue washing and sanding, it would end up nice.

Here it is with a blue wash waiting to dry so I can sand off any excess and distress.

I do all my paint involving projects on the porch and when I went back to sand, here's what I found.

Perfect, just perfect. Luckily it came right off. I sanded and distressed. The paint just turns into dust and I like that you can do as much sanding you want, and it won't get scratched.

I waxed and then waited 48 hours before buffing. I also liked that I could buff it as much as
 I wanted depending on the amount of sheen I was going for.

This will be on my husband's side of the bed and so I will probably put a 
basket underneath for his magazines and such.

 What do you think? Next up is the nightstand/vanity on my side of the bed.

Again, here's a Before and After

If you are inspired to create something based on this tutorial, and would like to see more, please consider following my blog. Just click on one of the icons below:

Hugs,

                  Linking to these awesome parties.                                                 

               

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Craigslist dresser makeover

Remember my awesome craigslist find I wrote about here? Well, I was finally able to finish the makeover. I love how it turned out and it has completely transformed our bedroom, providing lots of storage. Here’s the Before.

It was in pretty good shape, but the  color made it look dated and tired. Some primer, and a few coats of paint later, I have the dresser of my dreams.

I know there are a lot of things on top of the dresser, but I couldn’t wait to show you until I figured out the best way to use the space. Here are a few more shots.

What do you think?
Hugs,
Iuliana

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Craigslist Dresser find

I finally  found the perfect dresser to redo. I saw it on facebook, emailed the owner, and a few hours later I found myself looking for someone with a truck. Luckily we did find someone, and my husband went to get it. We live in an apartment complex with no garage, and seeing as it is the middle of winter, I could not refinish it outside. My good friend Lindsay M. offered her garage for this project, so my hubby took it directly to her house. Then we had a storm, so I didn’t go to her house for a week.

When I saw it in real life, I fell in love even more. But wait…there’s more. I opened one of the drawers and guess what?! It was on wheels!!! I had already given up on looking for one with drawers on wheels, so I wasn’t even thinking this may have them. Want to see it?

Best part? It was only $30. It is all real wood, it is in good condition and it is exactly what I wanted in the bedroom. Stay tuned for the makeover!

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Thrift Store Kitchen Hutch redo - tutorial

I live in a small apartment with a pretty small kitchen, and barely any storage space. I've tried so many organizational ideas before, but having two cabinets and two drawers, plus the area under the sink and on top of the fridge...just wasn't enough. I bought this piece at a thrift store for $30.  It was not made of wood, just the cheap laminate kind, but I could see its potential (kind of...I changed my mind a few times).  It was the perfect size for my kitchen and even though it adds only one set of cabinets, it is already making a HUGE difference for my kitchen storage. Plus it is super pretty. Every time I walk by it, it makes me so happy.

I've had many of you ask for the tutorial on the kitchen hutch redo. So here it is!

French Country Kitchen Hutch

STEP BY STEP

1. I removed all the hardware, so I can take out all the doors, as well as the drawer.

A good tip is to put the hardware from each piece in separate baggies. So all the hardware from one of the door goes in one baggie, etc. This is so you don't forget where they go, which I have never done in the past *wink*, and never got super frustrated figuring out where each one fitted.

This is helpful even when you replace the hardware, as you can take the old ones to the store to get the sizes right for the new ones. I kept the original hardware, because I was going for a makeover with minimal expenses. Plus, the hardware was actually pretty cute and did not look dated.

2. Now, you probably think, I need to start sanding. Nope. I was also going for minimal work, especially since I was doing the project in my in-laws' garage and did not want to take it over forever. Plus, who likes sanding anyway? Who needs sanding anyway?

I did have to remove some sticker/contact paper that they used for the glass door trims. Even though the faux wood looked pretty lame, I was impressed by how good of a job they did matching the sticker wood paper to the rest of the fake wood.

3. On the top part of the hutch, there were these sticks that made slots for plates, which I did not really want. They came out really easily and I just filled the holes with wood filling.

4. I sanded down the places where I filled the holes with wood filler to create a smooth surface.

I then started priming.  I used Glidden Primer (the Home Depot guy told me this would stick to anything and that I didn't need priming, which was what I was looking for).

 I used a brush for the edges and hard to reach places, and a roller for the rest.

I laid all the doors and shelves on the floor, taped the glass where necessary, and primed those too.

4. I got pretty good coverage and adherence, so I only went for one coat of primer. After it dried for a couple of hours, I put on the first layer of paint. Here are my beauties after the first coat.

I used Behr Premium Paint in Cottage white. I absolutely love this paint/color. It has a subtle creamy shade, soft, but still fresh.. If you don’t want a stark cold white, that looks bluish in certain light, but in the same time not a beige cream color either, I highly recommend this one. 

I also painted the faux panel back with a Martha Stewert tester paint, but don't have pictures of this step.

5. After the first coat dried, I painted the second one. I let everything dry for the night.

6. I used a coarse sanding sheet and distressed the edges and other places I thought would look nice.

7.  I didn't want a glossy look, so the paint was actually flat. But, to protect the finish,  I applied a poly finish.

After it dried, I sanded it according to the product instructions. Wiped it down and applied a second coat.

All done! After 24 hours we put all the pieces together and voila!

Hugs,

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