From “Want to do” to REDO!

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I have always wanted to do a furniture redo. I think I have 20 something pins on Pinterest alone on different furniture pieces people have redone and the techniques and supplies they have used. I have been thinking of ways to spruce up our house. Long story short, we were supposed to move in late October when Dawson (now almost 8 months) was born. A week after he was born, we found out we lost the home we were going to buy. After a long series of events, (and me clearly being taught patience), we are still in the same home we have lived in for about 4 years now. I love it. This is where I brought both my babies home. I know eventually we will move, but this place is home. Because we rent, the things I can do to make our home “ours” are limited. I decided to stop living in boxes. (Yes, Dawson does sleep in a room half full of boxes.  Remember, I said a long series of events?) Furthermore, now that I have been getting a night’s worth of sleep for awhile, I decided to just start doing and stop making lists of things I “want to do.”

Updating my living room is on that list of “want to do’s”. So, a couple weeks ago, I saw my parents’ old end tables sitting in their garage. They have been in there forever, so I asked my mom if I could take them to paint. She gladly gave them to me, thankful to have them out of her garage.

Here they are: dark and boring

Now I don’t claim to be an expert at this furniture redo process. Like I said, this is my first time. But this process was super easy. I took my knowledge from Pinterest and by a “learn as I go” process, I made some fabulous end tables for my living room!
Here’s what I did:
After removing all hardware, I wiped down the pieces with a cloth to get off any dust. Then I used this deglosser on the pieces. This stuff  made by Rust-Oleum my mom had in a kit she had purchased to redo her bathroom cabinets. A basic primer will also work. I followed the directions on the bottle. Which basically are: Squirt a little of this on a scratch pad and using some elbow grease clean the furniture. Wipe with a dry cloth. Let dry. Depending on how dirty the furniture is, repeat if necessary. My hubby only had to do one coat. (Yes, he gladly scrubbed them for me!)
The next day (since I was working in the evening), I spray painted the endtables. I wanted a fun color. I went brave. Aqua! I bought 2 cans. Plenty for 2 coats and some left over.
I wanted to have my end tables have that “aged” look. So I sanded around the edges. The great thing about the “aged” or “distressed” look, is that it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Last step:
To seal my end tables I used this stain and sealer in one. I picked this one for cost. It was about $8. I got this at Home Depot, but I also saw it at Walmart for the same price. I chose Ebony to tone down the blue a bit. You can find clear sealer incase you wanted to avoid the staining process. Following the directions on the can, I dipped a rag into the stain and painted it onto each section. I then wiped off the stain using another clean section of the rag. Depending on how dark you want, apply more coats.
I knew I wanted to replace the hardware. I did have trouble finding handles I liked. I first tried to paint the existing hardware, but something about the hardware didn’t look right. I have another redo project in my garage waiting to be completed, so I took the hardware off that and put it on my endtables.
I am really proud of how they turned out! The pop of blue adds so much to my living room. I plan on finding other ways to incorporate that same aqua color. (More DIY posts to come!)
This project cost me $20, just on supplies since the endtables and primer were free. Such a cheap redo! I have plenty of stain left over so I can easily use it on other projects which will stretch the dollar even further!
I’d love to hear about DIY projects you have done! 
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Jessica
Jessie is the proud mama of two little loves, Reese (born 2009) and Brooks (born 2011). She is fortunate enough to share her life’s adventures with her husband (and high school sweetheart) Todd to whom she has been married since 2004. Although she and her husband have lived all over the West Coast, Arizona is home and she can’t imagine leaving the warm Arizona sunshine anytime soon! A proud University of Arizona Alumni, Jessie spent her pre-kiddo years as a corporate recruiter and trainer. When she is not taking her kiddos to the park or exploring the many cool things the Valley has for families, Jessie is running her natural baby food business, At First Bite, and blogging about the many adventures of parenthood on her blog, At First Bite – Peas. Love. Yumminess.

6 COMMENTS

  1. I love the idea of covering the paint color with a coat of stain. I have a coffee table that I want to redo with the ‘rustic’ look. I might have to try that out! Thanks for the idea!!

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