These little nightstands were found in the local thrift store and I knew they would be pretty with a new painted finish. Made out of Maple, the nightstands were in good shape, except for some water marks and scratches on the tops.
Before photo
I decided to use sea sponges to mimic the look of old Swedish furniture. By applying several colors with a damp sea sponge, you can create a painted finish that has subtle shifts in colors that gives the piece a softer look.
First step - cleaning, sanding and priming
The three colors I used were a greige, blue-grey and white
After applying the paint with a sea sponge
I sanded the nightstands using fine sand paper to get rid of any bumps in the paint. I was going to trim the nightstands with metallic gold, but thought the gold would be too harsh looking. I decided to use a darker blue-grey for the accent.
The final step before sealing is using a grey glaze to antique the nightstands. A tinted glaze, in my opinion, gives another layer of depth to furniture. Glazes not only create an antique look, but can help soften and meld the colors.
Glazed nightstand on the left
The last step, after a very light sanding, is to apply a coat of the satin acrylic sealant. the sealant protects the finish from every day use. However, drink coasters should be used to prevent any watermarks. All the paint products are water based and water can seep through.
I'm really happy how these French provincial nightstands turned out. I just love the curved legs and original hardware. If you are interested in purchasing, just click here to go the product listing to see more detailed photos!
Till next time!
Cindy
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