Painted Nightstand: French Linen Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
Months ago I found a mirrored nightstand at HomeGoods for my side of the bed. Our previous nightstands were too large for our new, smaller bedroom, so we needed a different solution. There wasn’t a matching piece at the store and I couldn’t find one elsewhere, but I wanted my husband’s nightstand to be unique, so I continued searching for something that would suit his side of the bed.
Before
Finding the right size and height that would complement my nightstand took some time. A few months ago I discovered a vintage Henry Link three-drawer dresser that was nearly perfect. The style and proportions were right, although the original finish was very shiny and had a yellowish tone that didn’t work with our room. Because the piece itself was a good fit, we decided to refinish it to match our smaller bedroom.
We were distracted by other projects and didn’t get to painting right away. The surface was glossy, and we wanted to avoid extensive sanding or priming. For this reason we chose Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, which had worked well for us previously on a stone fireplace. We trusted it as an efficient option to update the dresser without a lot of prep work.
After
This time we used Annie Sloan’s French Linen. We thought the soft gray would complement our dark plum bedroom and coordinate well with my grayish wood nightstand. The result exceeded our expectations: the color is beautiful and the transformation was easy. We applied two brush coats of paint and finished with a clear wax top coat from Annie Sloan. For a more worn, shabby look you can gently sand the edges after painting to reveal some of the original finish.
Little by little this room is coming together. Once the remaining details are finished I’ll share the full room makeover so you can see the complete transformation in one post.
Have you transformed any furniture lately?
More posts by The Inspired Room:
How to make your bed so it makes your day
Tips for Decorating Your Dream Bedroom