Beth's Project Do It Now Project : Retro Green Side Table

One summer during college we rescued a large dresser from a friend and refinished it. It was our first experience stripping, sanding and varnishing a piece of furniture (and it took the entire summer). The things that stick out in our mind regarding that project are steel wool and paint in teeny tiny crevices that seemed virtually impossible to remove. But the finished product was definitely worth all the hard work. So for AT's Do It Now month, we've decided to have a go with a green side table...

The side table was a neighbor's castaway and we decided it would be perfect for AT's DIY month. Since it's been so long since our last refinishing project, we'll have to do our homework on the supplies needed. We also don't aren't sure if we'll leave it stained and varnished or paint the side table a high gloss white. We've been looking in the AT archives for inspiration but are welcoming ideas from AT readers as well. We are definitely going to invest in some new knobs for the drawers and thought a strip of decorative paper between the drawers might liven things up a bit. Stay tuned for our shopping trip where we round up supplies and decide the avenue our little green side table will take.

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Comments (8)

Spare yourself some work and send to me! I like it as is.

posted by AustinSarah2 on February 2nd 2009 at 6:45pm
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What a cute chest! For a real change, paint it silver (or possibly black), silverleaf it and have mirror cut for the drawer fronts. The mirror co. can drill holes for the knobs which could be crystal or silver. This would make it a jewel of a chest!

posted by royaltygirl on February 2nd 2009 at 6:50pm
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I like the color! The knobs are hideous, but I think the color is great.

posted by BambiJo on February 2nd 2009 at 6:59pm
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Yeah, I kind of like the green, too, but the knobs have to go.

posted by jyw on February 2nd 2009 at 7:06pm
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Little, tiny childlike furniture... Cute nightstand!

Thanks for letting me post a comment,
Melissa with Yourfurnturelink.com and Mortise & Tenon LA

posted by mortisetenon on February 2nd 2009 at 7:54pm
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I'm voting for some stencil action, maybe something a little more intricate like a damask or art nouveau pattern to go around the tale top edge and a larger version of the pattern centered on top. Solid white or a bold color (yellow?) with black stencil details, & stencil pattern matched metal knobs, painted black.

posted by Godwinkr on February 2nd 2009 at 8:00pm
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In case furniture stripping is like childbirth and you forget the pain...I did it last year, and I swore I never would again (at least without having dedicated, venilated workspace). I ended up using an electric sander...and getting dust all over the place.

However, I've also painted, and I hate how they come out. I think next time, I'd see if I could find someone to strip it for me and then stain it myself.

Here are some progress shots:
http://compassandcoffeespoons.typepad.com/compassandcoffeespoons/2008/01/the-nightstand.html

http://compassandcoffeespoons.typepad.com/compassandcoffeespoons/2008/01/nightstand-news.html

and the finished product:
http://compassandcoffeespoons.typepad.com/compassandcoffeespoons/2008/01/nightstand-fina.html

posted by Christine (the one in DC) on February 2nd 2009 at 9:03pm
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I'd paint, I'd be surprised (although not astonished) to find worthwhile wood underneath that paint, and it is a LOT of work to strip off layers of paint well enough to get a nice stain job. (I'd send it off to pros before attempting it nowadays,and no, I don't have tons of money.)

So I would sand well, prime, then paint. With the lines of the piece, you could try a faux finish like marble and it would not seem inappropriate, if you like that look. Or decoupage with some really nice gift wrap or Japanese paper or something with one overall pattern.

posted by SherryBinNH on February 3rd 2009 at 3:22pm
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