It's been a while since I have posted anything, and that's mainly because I haven't really done a whole lot around the house in the last few weeks. Except maybe watch HGTV. That doesn't count. But Jamey and I recently took a trip to Nebraska to visit my friends and family, which was a much-needed break. We enjoyed ourselves so much that it was hard to get back into the groove once we got home. I was in so much of a post-vacation stupor the day after we got back, that I inadvertently wore two different shoes to work and didn't even realize it until 3 hours into my shift. Oy. Time for another vacation. But the nice thing about taking a break from things is that it gives you a chance to recharge and save up energy for another project. Another nice thing is that it gives my favorite thrift stores and junk shops time to get in some new merchandise. So this week, on my day off, I went hunting for a few more items on our list.
We still have a few blank areas in our living room that need something. I know I want to put a small bookcase or ladder shelf in the corner, but I haven't been able to find one that fits both the space and our budget. I'm not sure I'm handy enough to build one, but I sure thought about it. We also have a small space in between the closet and the hallway that I thought would be perfect for a side chair or table. I just about bought a small table the other day at a thrift store, but I thought it was a little overpriced at $20 since it was kind of ugly and needed some paint. Then Jamey reminded me that we have an absolutely hideous extra nightstand already, and it actually fits the space perfectly. Jackpot! I love free projects!
Let me first say this thing is horrible. It is seriously the worst table ever. Structurally it is fine, and rather sturdy, but visually it needed a lot of help. It's missing a handle, the finish is old and tacky, there are water stains on the top, and the gold oriental hand-painted design on the front is not exactly the kind of vintage art I find appealing. But I thought it might have potential, so I kept it. Or rather, I allowed it to stay in our home. Jamey got this table at an estate sale while he was in college, so you can imagine it hasn't been well-preserved (no offense, Jamey...). However, I've heard that chalk paint can cover a multitude of flaws (with no prep), and decided to try it out myself. Chalk paint is crazy expensive, so I opted to make my own using some plaster of paris ($3 at Hobby Lobby and enough to last a long time) and some old oops paint and 8 oz. paint samples I got at Home Depot. This project is CHEAP, guys! And it doesn't look like it's cheap, so it's really the best DIY project ever.
I want this space to be a sort of catch-all to organize mail and keys, and all the little things that pile up on our kitchen table because we don't have a good place for them. I got the hanging mail folders at Home Goods, and I plan to hang up a key hook (shaped like an old key) that our realtors gave us as a housewarming gift.
Here's the table after a coat of Sterling Grey chalk paint. Look at the carved in detail at the bottom! You couldn't see it before, but now you can. But you CAN'T see all the mess in the background. Nope. That's just your imagination.
I painted the drawers the same color, and then taped a zig-zag pattern, which I then painted over with teal.
And here they are after being painted. I wasn't too thrilled with the painter's tape, because the paint bled through it and I had to touch up some edges with a fine paint brush. So next time I will probably use some better tape.
I then coated the whole thing with a layer of paste wax (if it doesn't hold up I might try polyurethane, but it really seems to bring out a nice subtle shine and smooths out the chalky texture) and then buffed it with a clean cloth. Looks like a million bucks!
Still missing a drawer pull, but I ordered one online and it won't be here for a few days. I had issues with finding drawer pulls because the old ones had two screws 1" apart. Nobody makes those anymore, apparently, and I didn't feel like filling in holes and drilling new ones. So I finally found a cute Lion's Head brass pull ring for the top drawer, and I'm re-using the existing pull for the bottom.
Still assembling the parts, and will probably have Jamey hang the stuff, since it's my least favorite job. Muahaha. Actually we just don't have any screws to hang stuff, or we do, but I can't find them anywhere. So here's a semi-finished picture.
This might just be my favorite project so far. I'm really glad it went together so easily, especially since I decided to tackle painting the master bedroom today, and didn't really have time for a problem project. I love it when things come together better than I imagined!
Next Up: This blue dresser I found at a thrift store. I thought it would be ideal for a baby's room, for whenever we have kids, and the price was too good to pass up. Thankfully, there's no rush on this one, so I have plenty of time to come up with a design for it. ;-)
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