Because I’m renting my first apartment with some girl friends, I’m in desperate need of cute, funky furniture. My mom and I have had our eyes pealed for good deals, and every so often we go out in search of them. At our local vendor’s mall, there is quite a bit of junk.
But occasionally we come across a piece we just can’t pass up. Though I already have a bed, a white wrought iron frame used by my great, great grandmother, I did not have a night stand. For $15 I bought an ugly little bedside table with a lot of promise (left).
After several paint runs, and a trip to Alley Stuff & Eccentricities for vintage knobs, I finally set to work. Because the surface of the table was very smooth, I roughed it up with some coarse sandpaper and coated the surface with a spray-on primer. After waiting a while for it to dry, I taped it off with blue painters tape and went to town.
The finished project turned out better than I expected it would. The top, drawer face, and bottom shelf are painted in Rustoleum chalkboard paint (using a small roller will provide a smooth, even finish). For the remaining parts, I brushed a few coats of on “misty aqua” paint (which sort of has a minty hue, in my opinion) for a modern touch. The gray-tinted glass knobs I found for about $4 a piece at Alley Stuff downtown. This little table will lend a chic touch to the shabby look of the peeling iron bed frame.
I also used these same colors to update a cheap, laminate dining room table I found a Goodwill (below). The chalkboard tabletop will be a lot of fun at house parties: the girls and I can put out our dishes and label them for our guests. We’re all pretty excited about it.
UniquelyMoody 