Upcycled Bedside Tables

Our master bedroom is still unfinished after living in this house for almost two years. It has paint on the walls, but that's about it. Even our bedside tables need help. One side has an ikea table, and the other has a plastic storage unit. It's been practical, but not very pretty. We also have a mismatched dresser, as you can see in this picture. But that's a project for another post.

We have searched for some matching bedside tables, but the ones we want were pretty pricey and wouldn't fit too well in this room. So when I recently got handed down some free bedside tables, I was eager to make them work! Here they are the day I got them. Sort of ho-hum. Nothing special. They don't even have the same stain color.

I had an idea of painting them an off-white color, but needed some encouragement first. Fortunately, I have a friend, Joy, who is an awesome designer. You can see her projects on her blog Beautiful Protest. Her style is more mid-century modern, and mine is not. But she's been to my house and knows my taste. So I asked her to help me out. She recommended I try Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It goes on without needing any prepping or priming. Just slap it on, and finish with rubbing in some wax. Chalk paint also does well if you want a distressed look. So I decided to go for it! Joy also gave me some hardware she grabbed that she thought I would like. I love them!

So after painting, distressing and adding the new hardware, here is my finished product! I didn't realize before starting that the holes for the door handles were at different heights. Fortunately no one will notice, when the tables are on opposite sides of the bed.

I also got some lamps at Target. Richard is really excited he no longer has to climb out of bed to flip the light switch.

I think it all turned out beautifully, and I really could not be happier! Now I am thinking, "What can I paint next?" I have my eye on that mismatched dresser.