Sunday, October 21, 2012

Shabby chic nightstands

We have been working on a bedroom re-do for just over a year. It hasn't been the top priority around here, so we have been slowly working on things, picking up materials here and there to keep the budget manageable.

A couple of weeks ago a friend posted a link to a Craigslist ad on my Facebook. It was a pair of doors and she said she was sure I could do something creative with them.

I loved the detail and carving on them. Rob and I drove to Winona that night and picked up the pair for $30. Upon closer examination, they had keyhole hangers on the backs, and were most likely wall decor panels. Whatever they were, they were cool. They stood in the front hallway for a day while I pondered about what they wanted to be.

Early on in our room makeover I had hoped to make a headboard that ran the length of our room and included nightstands and sconce lights on the ends. While that was a good vision, it turned out to be impractical -- I was trying to do too much.

And then, the doors arrived.

Suddenly, it came to me. When Rob came home, I outlined my plan and he said it was feasible. He cut the doors into sections and some MDF pieces, and the next day I hit the back yard armed with newspaper, the pieces, some light fixtures, a picture frame, and 5 cans of ivory spray paint.

A quick consult with a friend who is an interior designer helped me with the light fixture choice -- she was so helpful in sending me in the right direction. I was questioning the pieces I wanted to use, wondering if they would prove to be too feminine with the chandelier that has already been installed in the room, but she helped me see that my original vision was good. (Thanks Jen!)
And here it is -- a nightstand with a built in sconce. There are 2 shelves behind the screen in the front, so that I have room for chapstick, Tums, lotion, and all the 4 million things I want next to the bed, but it is all hidden from view. I may add a couple of tap lights inside just so that the nightstand will emit a soft glow. He made 2 of these, a matched set.

Here is a closeup of the light -- it is a separately sold fixture that came in a rubbed bronze finish, and a glass shade with tiles that look like mother-of-pearl. It has such a warm, lovely glow.


Total cost was approximately $200 for 2 nightstands, including the lights, the switch cords (all from Lowe's), the MDF and spray paint. I think that is really reasonable, especially for something I KNOW no one else has. Sorry the pictuee isn't great - I snapped it on my iPhone. Maybe at some point I'll come back with better shots.

A couple of notes: I didn't sand the doors before painting because I wanted an uneven feel to the paint and the carving was just too hard to deal with. I used Krylon paint. Measure both the pieces, even if they seem to be the same; mine looked identical but they were 1/8 inch off from one another, so the shelves needed to be cut different sizes. Good thing my husband is a stickler for detail!

Thanks for stopping by!


1 comment:

  1. tracy.rose@healthline.com1:16 PM

    Hi,

    Breast cancer awareness month is almost over!

    Healthline recently finished compiling its list of the best breast cancer awareness videos of 2012. You can view the list at http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/best-videos-breast-cancer

    We would love if you could help spread awareness by sharing these amazing videos with your followers, friends, and subscribers.

    Please let me know if you have any questions.

    Warm Regards,
    Tracy

    ReplyDelete