Bedside Table Re-Do

I have another great furniture re-do to share with you.  This time it's a solid-oak bedside table circa 1980s.  I'm sure it originally came with a fine looking dresser, another matching bedside table, a headboard, and maybe a chest of drawers that came from a huge furniture store that pushes all their goods out the door in 5-piece (minimum) sets. I'm not making fun of those stores...that's the type of place where we bought our bedroom furniture and it was a great deal.  However, with design these days it's all about mixing and matching totally unrelated furniture to create a haven of myriad pieces that each tell their own story and complement each other in more unique ways.  As I learn to move big-box furniture store pieces around our house, I've been able to mix things up a bit.  When I saw this bedside table I knew it would be a perfect addition to our baby girl's nursery, adding some visual interest to a room with all-white furniture.

Here is the before pic:

You can see that it was in good shape...just a little plain jane and a bit dated.

First, I sanded the piece down with a mouse sander, then sprayed it with a thin coat of primer.  After the primer dried, it was time for paint.  I had been waiting for the perfect piece to inspire me to venture into the decoupage world, and decided this was it!  I found some old scrap book paper in a fun dot print and picked out my paint color based on that.  I selected a deep avocado green shade - Rustoleum's Eden in satin finish - and sprayed away. Then I let it dry overnight.  (Note: I painted the whole bedside table but left the knobs unpainted because I hadn't decided what I wanted to do with them yet...)

Now for the decoupage portion:

1) After the paint dried overnight, I broke out the Mod Podge and a sponge brush!  I purchased the Mod Podge at my local craft store.

2) I cut the paper to size, so it would fit in the recessed portion of the two drawers.  The paper seems to expand a bit once the Mod Podge was applied, so I cut the paper slightly smaller than the recessed portion of the drawer fronts, leaving some extra space around the edges.

3) One drawer at a time, I brushed a thin layer of the Mod Podge over the drawer front and a thin layer over the back of the cut paper, then firmly pressed it down onto the drawer.  This next part is essential...take a plastic putty knife and gently scrape it over the surface, pressing the paper down and getting out the air bubbles and excess Mod Podge.  Then I repeated this entire step for the second drawer.  Let the Mod Podge dry for a few hours...patience is a virtue on this step.

4) Once the paper was fully dry and firmly adhered to the drawers, I brushed another thin layer of Mod Podge on top of the paper.  Then let it dry completely.  (If desired, you can continue layering the Mod Podge on top for a thicker more brush-stroked finish.)

5) Last, I attached the knobs.  I decided to go with the old knobs, no refinishing necessary.  They had a nice worn-in patina that provided a nice juxtaposition to the new paint job.  Bonus - I didn't have to spend money on new knobs!

Here is the after pic:

So much more fun and vibrant that it's former self.  And, I'm hoping this piece will last a while into childhood, because it doesn't scream "baby".  Since our tiny tot still sleeps in a crib and doesn't need a "bedside table" yet, I placed it next to the rocking chair so we'd have a place to put books for bedtime stories.  

Here are two pics of the finished product in the room:

This project took two days because of all the drying time but it was well worth it in the end.  And, I'm a Mod Podge convert - it's such a cool substance that really adds a great kick to even the most boring furniture.  No wonder it's "stuck" around since the 60s!  -Kristen