Before and After: A “Shabby Chic” TV Stand Gets a Fresh and Modern Look for $125
Finding a media console or TV stand that’s the perfect size and style in mint condition is kind of like striking gold. But you don’t have to resign yourself to searching endlessly for the right off-the-rack fit. Instead, try looking for something that you can make your own. After all, no one knows your style quite like you, so you may be better off restoring a secondhand find — and you may be happier with it, too.
Michelle McRae (@shellychicboutique) is a pro at upgrading old stuff. She’s done it before with a mid-century dresser redo, and did it again here with a secondhand TV stand that came with a not-quite-right farmhouse vibe. “Before, this console was a shabby chic farmhouse style that I actually kind of really liked,” Michelle says. “But it was old and needed a modern makeover.”
When Michelle finally started restoring the distressed green-painted console, she ended up destroying the doors in the process. “It almost ended up on the curb,” she says, but she was able to come up with a Plan B. “I’d recently seen pieces that were fluted on three sides so I decided that’s what I’d do to salvage it,” she says.
The first thing Michelle did was remove the old, short legs from the console. Then, she sanded away all the old green paint to prep the piece for a fresh redo. After attaching pole wrap to the body and doors of the piece to give it a fluted look she painted it a deep navy blue. Finally, Michelle added new shiny gold legs with a modern, straight shape, plus matching new hardware “just for a decorative pop,” she says. The project may look expensive, but it all rang in at just $125 total.
What was once a heavily distressed, “shabby chic” piece of furniture is now a sleek and stylish accent piece that feels very 2022. And while the project started out a little rocky, with a creative pivot, it became something that Michelle loves. “I’m so proud of the amazing contrast between the before and the after!” she says.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.