bamboo nightstand makeover

Hi friends! It’s Reeves from The Weathered Door and I’m here sharing a brand new furniture makeover with you. I enjoy the various seasons we experience here in the Seattle area because they play a big role in the colors and designs that inspire my pieces. As we are transitioning into our cozy fall weather I’m being drawn to greys, a lot! It’s what got me started working on the nightstand I have to share with you.

I’ve been gravitating toward modern styles lately and have always loved bamboo style pieces so I was thrilled when I found a cute little Thomasville bamboo nightstand in need of some new paint. The nightstand came with its original yellow and white finish that I personally just cannot stand. The laminate top also needed to be covered.

I made sure to do all the necessary prep work that comes with painting furniture. I first began by sanding the piece to smooth out the finish, especially areas where the paint was missing. I also used bondo glazing putty to fill in any dings. Once dry I sanded it out with 150 grit sandpaper. For the laminate top I did the same prep work. I have a whole post sharing the steps of painting over laminate and explaining why I like furniture with laminate tops (and why you should like them too!). Be sure to check it out if you are one who passes by a piece that has laminate.

Next was priming. To make things easy for myself I used spray primer in a can. It’s less cost effective than buying a quart or gallon of primer, but it saves so much time and usually gives me a smoother finish to apply paint to. I used my favorite Zinsser Cover Stain primer which blocks out stains and acts as a bond coat. Once it dried for a couple of hours I smoothed out the finish with a well-used 220 grit sanding sponge and some #000 synthetic steel wool. A damp cloth removed all the dust particles and was ready for painting. The nightstand already looked so much better with just some flat white primer!

The paint color I chose is Stone Mason by Sherwin Williams, which is a medium grey color. It looks lighter in these photos, it’s just a bit darker in person. I chose to brush on the first coat of paint since I knew I planned to spray on the finish with my HVLP gun. (If you want info on my spray gun, compressor, or spray booth set up you can read about it here). I just wanted to be sure paint got into all of the bamboo detail in the piece. After waiting the recommended time between coats I them sprayed on the next coat of grey. After letting it dry overnight I smoothed out the finish with #000 synthetic steel wool and applied 2 coats of a water based topcoat. I used General Finishes high performance topcoat in the satin finish but I’ve used other brands as well. Since the piece isn’t in perfect condition and has seen wear over the years I didn’t want to use a gloss poly and have any little flaws stand out. The satin finish gives it just enough shine without too much reflection. It’s a good balance. I did change out the hardware for a pretty brass knob I had in my stash that I just polished up using a little Bar Keeper’s Friend.

Thanks so much for letting me share with you today! I’d love it if you would check out my blog and follow along over at The Weathered Door where I share furniture Before & Afters as well as DIY and home decor projects. Stay connected and see what else I’m work on:

Mid Century LA Period Dresser | Light Blue Trestle Table | High Gloss Salsa Buffet