Vintage 60’s Nightstand Refurbishment
After some serious Pinterest/Craigslist hunting, I figured out and found the gem that was missing in my bedroom: a nightstand to hold all my hair and nail crap in one relatively organized place. Sweet baby Jesus did that take forever! The piece I found was $25. OMG! Solid wood, vintage construction, AND $25. Yes, take my money!
Certainly needs a bit of love…
The top was stained/varnish had worn off
This thing needed some serious love. The veneer was coming off the front and the wood had some chips and dings all over, but the overall quality was good, and there was some serious cuteness potential. First I TSPed the ever-loving crap out of the thing and then I set to work.
So I pulled out the handy dandy Wood Filler:
Slather that stuff on and fill every ding!
Even created a new edge where the conner had gone missing…
Then I sanded and sanded and sanded. By hand. Every inch of the damn thing. This was a labor of love. TSPed the ever-loving crap out of the thing again.
Now for fixing the back! I took out all the staples (many of them missing) and replaced them with finishing nails to secure the back. Much more stable and solid.
Priming Time! I used Kilz Oil-based because I sanded and didn’t strip:
Two coats later…
And now for the fun part! The drawers! I used two historic colors from Valspar in Semi Gloss: Lincoln Cabin Black and Mark Twain House Ombra Grey. I did the grey first:
I’ll paint the peg boards in a bit.
And then I painted the whole of the dresser in the black:
Such an epically satisfying black.
Finally the finish work (after three coats on all the main surfaces):
Pulls and peg boards painted!
And that’s all! Took a weekend to do, was very satisfying, and now I have a perfectly matching piece to complete my bedroom! YAY!!!
Life of Jennie 
That looks great! I admire your dedication. Refinishing sounds like a great idea most of the time, but it sure can be a lot of work!