I will admit it — any time I walk or drive by a piece of furniture by the side of the road, I slow down for a closer look. I have to confess though if this little nightstand was the piece in question, I would have kept on moving. Thankfully for us, Leslie was determined to save this piece, and was willing to store it in her garage until inspiration struck.

The finish on this nightstand was too far gone to be saved, so Leslie created a blank slate with two coats of Annie Sloane's Chalk Paint in Old White. She bought some fabric (on sale of course) and used a little Modge Podge (and a lot of patience) to add some color and pattern to the sides and top of this piece. The sad little nightstand Leslie rescued from the trash is now ready to be a bright pop of wow in any bedroom.
For more pictures of this project, check out The Homeless Finch: Nightstand Upcycled.
Images: Leslie at The Homeless Finch.


White Enamel Flatwa...
..different drawer face, hardware, and top.. and that would be tender!
not my style, but tender nonetheless.
How 1960's. I love it. Well done!
love it! great job! btw- i too would change the hardware (and to something other than black which does not seem to match entirely.) also, wondering if wall paper would be easier to use that fabric? thanks for the inspiration!
No. It's cleaner but just as (sorry) ugly. The proportions are just clunky.
I was not expecting that! I didn't think there was anything that could make that nightstand look cool, but as soon as I saw the "after" I was delighted! I also agree about changing the hardware, but otherwise it's awesome.
Hate to be a hater- This is definitely better than before but there's something about this that I ... hate.
I think it might be the cut out flowers on the top- it's too much. Looks like something done for/by a teenager.
Boy- I wish I hadn't put that so bluntly.
Sorry.
Wish we could edit/delete our comments after they've posted.
It's okay, tuxedo. I'll stand by you.
Same here, tuxedo.
Sweet for a kid's room
For once, it is a great improvement to see something painted white. Still, the poor little thing just started out its life with being badly proportioned.
Sorry to see someone put soooo much effort into such a lost cause. I hope you are in fact a teenage girl and had a fun time doing this. Kudos to you!
I think it's darling!
I love this so much--just adorable and fun!
This after piece makes me spool happy!!! I love it!
I think it's great and would look lovely in the right room.
It's the furniture equivalent of a morbidly obese woman wearing a babydoll dress: the cute little outfit is totally inappropriate for the bulky monstrosity beneath.
Leslie did a superb job, but this is one patient that simply couldn't be saved. The ugly chunky 70s faux-Tudor look is beyond help.
that is a bulk monster. It looks better but.....
I wouldn't go for that look in the after, but it's better than before. That's one type of furniture that's definitely not timeless. I picture a pair of these flanking a sofa covered in beige velvet spotted with rust-colored flowers. Maybe a nice crackled glaze lamp and a TV encased in an ornate wooden housing... aka my aunt's living room circa 1988.
Cute idea, but for me it just doesn't work. It might be a bit better if the drawer was removed altogether and left with just shelves.
The flowers on the top look like stickers a child stuck on as you often find with painted children's furniture. I think it would have been better with a different fabric choice or a colored paint that wasn't so stark against the fabric. Or if the top was completely covered in fabric, instead of the little cut-out flowers.
Anyway, sorry to be so negative Nancy, but it's just not working for me.
I think I would have used black paint, a different fabric (but no fabric on the top), and different hardware.
Though I think the white/flowers approach could work a little better with different hardware—something colorful and funky.
Oh my, so you were really able to destroy it...
I thought it would go a bit more shabby chic... with distressed painting and a pretty glass handle/ pull. But I'm not sure if that would have worked either.
OK if it's for a kid's room until she gets real furniture.
Needs new hardware big time. On second thought - save your money. It's just not worth it.
Well done, although I don't like the piece much either. The little divots in the top and the drawer front are sort of interesting, though.
Well, at least it's very true to the original era.
luv, luv, luv, very pretty.