RED HOT NIGHTSTAND MAKEOVER

I'm suffering from some serious DIY ADD, bouncing back and forth between the kitchen and my daughter's room.  A few weeks ago while the weather was nice and I already had the garage set up as a spray paint workshop, I decided to go ahead and paint the Craigslist nightstands that I plan to use in her room.

Remember the before?  These have been waiting patiently in the garage since this summer for their makeover.  The finish on the tops was in really bad shape, you can see that the legs were chipped up, and they had that speckled/stained 70s finish.  However, the drawers are stamped Century on the inside and I could tell that they were heavy, quality pieces.

As soon as I purchased these, I knew that I wanted them to be a glossy bold color.  I shared with you the new plan for her room since we've upgraded her to a bigger bed, and gave you a little hint as to where these were headed.

They turned out better than I imagined!

I used this spray paint for the job.  I normally don't use cans of spray paint for furniture because I usually get weird spray patterns, but I loved this color and decided to give it a shot.

It worked beautifully and left a very uniform, rich glossy finish.  I even had to touch up several places and there is no evidence of the finish being different in those spots.

A few tips for a project like this:

I sanded the top to smooth out the poor finish, and then just spot sanded other problem areas.  I planned to remove the hardware and possibly replace the knobs, but even after I unscrewed it the knobs and pulls would not come off.  I think they were glued in, so I decided to keep and work with them.

I spray primed the piece.  I wasn't planning to do anything on the inside, so I just kept the doors and drawer closed and painted as-is.

After a light sanding, I applied two coats of the glossy red.  Helpful hint... use a disposable dropcloth with this paint.  The overspray is SUPER sticky.  And while you're at it, wear your painting clothes and old shoes.  And a mask.  Seriously, sticky paint everywhere.

Most of all, keep your arm stiff as you spray.  Move your entire arm and body along the piece, keeping it the same distance from the surface as you go.  Don't just move your wrist from side to side.  This ensures that the paint hits the piece evenly on each part of it, and gives a uniform, even finish.

Another helpful hint... ask for one of these in your Christmas stocking this year!  Such a lifesaver for your poor hands and otherwise numb fingertips (speaking from experience).

Since I kept the hardware on, I debated leaving it red and glossy to match the piece.  It looked ok, but that fun bamboo handle just needed to stand out a little more.  I finally got my hands on some Martha Steward liquid gilding paint (*affiliate link used) that I've been wanting to try out, and this was the perfect project for it.

The coverage was awesome, and it really gave the appearance of metal.  I probably would have been ok with one coat, but I gave them two just to be safe.  I can't tell you how much I love this stuff!  I've already used it on two other projects and need to pick up another jar.

I also lined the drawers and bottom of the cabinet with some cute contact paper from TJ Maxx.

We're getting them moved into her room and all loaded up.  Things are coming together, can't wait to show the whole room to you!

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Linking up with: Frazzled Joy