- No more curvy lines!
- New hardware!
- Extended top
- Check out those feet!
- Foam brush to apply
- Rubber wood grain tool {you know the ones that you drag and pull through paint to get the look of wood grain}
- Small steel brush {looked like a toothbrush}
- Soft shoe polish brush
This little nightstand has made it’s way around our home. When we first moved into our home and we' were furniture challenged it was a end table, then it moved into our guest bedroom {until I declared that room as the craft room}, next it slid down the hall to my daughter’s bedroom, and lastly it made it’s way to my youngest son’s bedroom.
I wasn’t happy with it’s look. {too many curves for a boys bedroom} This nightstand was made by my father-in-law when we moved away. So for sentimental reasons I didn’t want to part with it. BUT I did want to update it’s look.
A few minor changes and I’m a happy mommy.
Look….
I popped off the board with a curvy lines and replaced it with a straight cut MDF board. This alone would have been enough of a change to make me happy but why stop there.
A new top board was cut, again out of MDF, a little longer so that it extended and created a lip over the front.
And the crème de la crème, the new feet! I simply cut a few short boards with a 45 degree angle for legs. {Pottery Barn inspired}
Let me warn you. This is NOT a stained finish. This entire nightstand is PAINTED! Most of the nightstand was made out of solid wood but because the changes where made using MDF board I had to paint.
In order to faux finish this stand to look like stained wood, I started with my highlights (lightest shade) and worked my way up through a few layers by adding lowlights (darker shades). Each layer the paint/glaze color got darker and darker.
I first painted the entire stand a warm yellow-golden color. {Kilz paint} The next layer was a warm taupe-mid brown color {DecoArt Raw Sienna}mixed with a glazing medium. The another layer of a darker brown color {Traditional Burnt Umber} mixed with a glaze. I used several tools to manipulate the paint/glaze finish.
Apply the paint/glaze over one section at a time. Use the wood grain tool to create the look of a wood plank. {You must think about the way a carpenter would lay the boards to make it look believable} Pull the steel brush through the glaze lightly to soften the lines. Seal with a thin layer of polyurethane between each coat of paint/glaze. {I used poly in a spray can}
Lightly sand before applying the next layer of glaze.
The darker layer of Burnt Umber paint/glaze was brushed on with a foam brush. Using the soft bristle shoe polish brush, lightly tap over the glaze to soften any and all lines. Spray with polyurethane, lightly sand, and repeat finial glaze one for time. Finish with a several coats of brush on polyurethane.
There was no real science to this finish. Just a lot of stepping back and seeing what it needed as far as color, texture, and depth. Don’t be afraid to try this technique. Hey, what’s the worst that could happen? You paint it over!!!
Edit: The "faux stain" technique used very little paint. After the first complete coat of paint {a quart of Kilz paint from Wal-Mart} the remaining layers used very little paint! In fact, I used one tube of each: Deco Art {DecoArt Raw Sienna}{Traditional Burnt Umber}{Americana Glazing Medium}!!! This paint provides excellent coverage :D
Linking to these parties:
Love
,
Carrie