DIY Project: Making a Statement

Remember when I told you I was redecorating? Well, in the beginning, my color scheme was simply black, white and gray. I started it off with a pillow I bought at Ikea of a vintage (pirate-like) map. Like I mentioned, I am going for a vintage world traveller vibe. The colors are elegant, simple and brilliant for a small space, but I have known from the start that I would need a pop of color. Originally, I believed it would be Carolina (light/sky/baby) blue, but when my sister and I were at Ikea on Sunday, we found the most vibrant orange pillow case. Now, my room is vibe-ing the 70s (my favorite decade) and I am loving it. Because the space is so neutral, small pops of orange was perfect.

But what does that have to do with this week's DIY project? Well, phase 3 of my room is my bed/nightstand area. We have been considering getting a new bed frame, a new nightstand, maybe just small floating shelves, etc. But because I do prefer to save money and I had a perfectly good nightstand from college, we thought about merely giving it a facelift. This nightstand was a DIY project from four years ago. My sister and I found this solid wood nightstand at Goodwill and we painted it black and my sister added a personal touch (the daisy) to match my new comforter and decorations for my future dorm room. It's beautiful and useful––we just needed something that would go with the rest of the room.

This is where my mom comes in. She thought of the great idea of taking the orange pillow case to Home Depot to get some custom paint and make this nightstand a statement piece. We did just that I bought a quarter gallon of latex indoor paint with a satin finish. It cost me $12.50 (a gallon is $25--so usually it's the more economical choice, but I did not need that much orange paint).

Because the nightstand was black, we needed to prime it, but in some cases, that is not necessary. But the next step is necessary before painting or priming, we sanded the flower down and any other imperfections in the wood. It not only helps the paint stick, but means your job will look smooth and professional. The picture to the left is my mom sanding the top of the nightstand and the picture to the right is her using a dry brush to clean off the sand to make sure the space is flat/to clean it up before painting.

We used a spray paint for different types of surfaces. Thankfully, one coat was enough and then it needed to dry for about four hours before we could paint it. Because it is Florida and the sky was a bit ominous, we put the nightstand in my father's shed to let it dry. My advice to anyone enduring a similar project is to read the paint labels and check the Weather Channel. The last thing you want is for temperatures to be too high or low or for the air to be too humid.

After letting it dry for some time (I had a job interview and had to come back to it in the evening), my mother and I began painting! The nightstand needed two coats. We used a roller for the top of the nightstand and the lower storage shelf (What is it actually called?) and a paintbrush for the sides and legs. After the first coat, we had to wait two hours for the second coat and then that was dry to the touch in one hour. 

The nightstand is exactly the same color as the pillow and a gorgeous pop of color next to my neutral bed! I am absolutely in love with it. I ordered crystal knobs on eBay for the drawer, which I am also putting on my existing dresser. Once phase 3 is complete, I will show you the nightstand in its new home. 

This project took the entire day (essentially), but was only a few hours of actual labor. It is easy, fun, and a great bonding experience. Never throw away furniture if it is cheaper to give it a facelift. Many times it will be cheaper and it will always be more personal. 

Until next time! <3