Shabby Chic Nightstands

Today I'm sharing the finished pair of nightstands that I posted a preview  of a few weeks ago. The nightstands were not initially a set, but both have a similar scale, so I applied a similar finish to coordinate them as a pair of shabby chic nightstands.

Before & During

Vintage nightstands before

After a good cleaning I applied two coats of Old White to both nightstands. The first coat usually looks not-so-good, but don't give up! The second coat is the winner. Sometimes a third coat is required depending on the paint color and the look you are going for.

Difference between the first and second coat of paint

The original finish of the nightstands was in poor condition and also had some missing/broken trim. So I decided to work the damaged finish into my design by giving the pair a shabby chic finish with heavy distressing. I sealed the nightstands with soft clear wax.

Use sandpaper to create a distressed finish

After

Federal Style Nightstand

The single drawer nightstand is a vintage Federal style circa 1960's. It has classical straight lines with a Hepplewhite drawer pull. Here's a photo collage of the single drawer nightstand:

Federal style nightstand with Hepplewhite drawer pull in shabby chic finish

It's the perfect size for an alarm clock and a book (16" wide x 13" deep x 27" high). The single drawer provides hidden storage to help keep the room neat and tidy.

Dovetailed drawer joinery

Duncan Phyfe Style Nightstand

Next is the Duncan Phyfe style nightstand circa 1940's. It has elegant curves and a slight flare to the tapered legs. Below is a photo a collage:

Shabby chic Duncan Phyfe style nightstand with two drawers and bail pulls.

The Duncan Phyfe nightstand features curvy elegant lines which is a beautiful contrast to the Federal style nightstand.

Bowed drawer fronts with bail pulls

It has bowed drawer fronts and also features dovetail joinery. This nightstand is about twice as deep as the other which gives plenty of space for storing items.

Both drawers provide lots of storage

I mentioned earlier the broken trim pieces. The side view below is a close up of the broken trim along the edge, but the paint and distressing somewhat camouflage and minimize the damage.

Paint and distressing minimize broken trim

Finally here is one last look of the before and after.

Shabby chic nightstands: before and after

I've been fortunate that my booth sales have provided a good turnover of inventory. However, that has limited my inventory for my Etsy shop, and I would like to gain more experience in online furniture sales. So I've decided to hold a few pieces back from the booth, such as these nightstands, and list them exclusively on Etsy.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. I hope today's post gave you some inspiration for a project!

Supply List

• Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan Old White paint and Soft Clear Wax. Click on the link to find where you can by her products from local stockists. Some stockists also ship via online orders.
• Paint brush
• Flexible sanding pad These come in a box of 20, but I cut them in half so I get 40! One box will last for a very long time. The pads also come in a superfine finish for even smoother results.
• Sandpaper (220-grit)
• Tack cloth (for removing sanding dust)
• Lint free rags for wiping off excess wax (you can use t-shirts, but since I sell my furniture I don't like to use old clothes on my projects). These can also be used to buff the wax.