This Vintage Cabinet Transforms into a Glam Nightstand with a $40 Makeover
As great as it can be to find a gorgeous home decor piece on the shelves of your favorite store, there’s also something special about creating your own DIY furniture piece. If you’re not convinced, let DIYer Kendra Peterson (@decormunchie) convince you: Her transformation of an old sewing cabinet into a stunning king-sized nightstand is a makeover you’ll be thinking about for days to come.
When Kendra first found a vintage sewing cabinet selling for $40 on Facebook Marketplace, she knew that it was worth repurposing for her bedroom, thanks to its size and sturdy design.
“Because it is a sewing cabinet, it has lots of storage,” she says. “There were a few scratches on the brown mahogany wood, but nothing a little sanding couldn’t take care of.”
Here’s how Kendra turned the sewing cabinet into an old-Hollywood-glam-inspired statement.
The transformation from cabinet to nightstand was a no-brainer.
Kendra’s been flipping furniture for a few years now, so she knows a thing or two about repurposing secondhand finds. One of her main pieces of advice? Don’t limit yourself to looking only for furniture items that match your project exactly — instead, think of how you could adapt it to fit your needs.
“The idea to use a sewing cabinet as a nightstand came to me after seeing them all over Facebook Marketplace for a fraction of the cost of a 30-inch wooden nightstand,” Kendra says. “I try to hack the market by buying things that can function the same but are labeled differently. A king-sized nightstand might be $200, but a dusty sewing cabinet in a garage might be $40.”
Plus, thinking outside the box also means that you can wind up with furniture with unique perks.
“My favorite thing about the cabinet is that it can hold a liter water bottle for midnight thirst quenching,” Kendra says. “I adore the detailed legs and the unique shape.”
Chalky finish paint provides a matte look.
Kendra used chalky finish paint for this transformation, which is often more beginner-friendly than latex paint, thanks to its matte finish. It also works well with vintage pieces, as it creates a lived-in look.
“It can cover mistakes and hide brushstrokes magically,” Kendra says.
Champagne gold touches bring the glam.
Keeping with the cabinet’s old-Hollywood-glam theme, Kendra painted it black using two types of finish: matte black paint on the drawers (Chalky Chicks’ Starless Night) and a semi-sheen black on the cabinet’s body (Starless Night mixed with a semi-gloss generic black paint), “to add contrast.”
However, her favorite parts were the finishing touches: Adding gold knobs and lining the cabinet with Safiyya’s gold and teal floral peel-and-stick wallpaper.
“It’s like adding earrings after getting ready for a night out on the town,” Kendra says. “The right accessories really make the look pop.”
With some care and less than $50 worth of supplies, Kendra now has a truly one-of-a-kind bedroom staple.
“I love that it is now tailored to my style,” she says. “I can’t walk into any IKEA or HomeGoods and find this for the price I want.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.