Vintage Nightstand Makeover: How to Paint Old Furniture Like New

It seems that all of my best projects start with doom scrolling through Facebook Marketplace and a trip to Lowes.

And that is exactly how this vintage nightstand makeover began!

A lady bought them as a project, but gave up after her husband told her that he would build them some nightstands instead. So, the initial sanding and wood filler were already done when I got them.

Here’s how these nightstands got a whole new look!

Step 1: Sand

The lady that I bought the nightstands from had done most of the initial sanding. However, I wanted to keep these drawer fronts wood.

So, I sanded them again to try to remove the old stain.

As you can see in the picture below, I ended up with 3 very different colors and a very splotchy finish.

Step 2: Wood Filler & More Sanding

The original owner had already applied some wood filler. However, there were some areas of damaged veneer that she missed.

So, I filled in those areas.

Using wood filler on these areas not only make the paint go on so much smoother, but also prevent the veneer from peeling further.

Once the wood filler hardens (it usually takes less than an hour), you have to sand it smooth. As you can see in the ‘after sanding’ picture, it’s evident exactly where the veneer was damaged. When you run your hand over this area, it’s completely smooth and even with the undamaged surface.

Step 3: Make Supports for Legs

The next step in the prep process is to make supports for the legs that we plan to add to the nightstands. (I forgot to take pictures of this part. Mostly because my husband does most of the work.)

He cut 4 pieces of scrap wood (1×4) to fit inside the bottom of the nightstand. Using his Kreg Jig, he made pocket-holes in the wood, allowing him to attach the wood to the inside of the nightstands.

This gave us a solid base to attach the new legs.

Step 4: Test Stain & Tape

I had to figure out which parts I was going to paint and which parts I was going to keep wood.

My original plan was to keep the drawers wood and paint the frame black. However, the veneer on 2 of the drawer fronts would not take stain in some areas. It looked spotty and very uneven. And the frame around the drawer fronts wasn’t wood at all, it was a plasticky material that I’ve never seen before. It definitely couldn’t be stained to look like wood.

So, I kept the 2 drawer fronts with the least amount of bald spots and taped them off so I could paint the frame around them. The other 2 drawers were painted completely.

Step 5: Prime & Paint

Finally, it was time to paint. This is the part of the nightstand makeover where I could really see a difference!

I don’t have a paint sprayer, so I use a paint brush and foam roller to apply paint and primer.

For these nightstands, I did 1 coat of primer and lightly sanded with a sanding sponge (220-grit) after it dried.

Then I did 2 coats of black paint, lightly hand-sanding between coats. I had to touch up some areas after the second coat, but not enough to do a third coat.

Step 6: Stain Legs & Drawers

While waiting for coats of paint to dry, I sanded the new legs. They come in this pretty blonde wood color, but I wanted them to match the drawer fronts.

So, I lightly sanded them with the sander (220-grit), just enough to remove the shiny finish.

Then I stained the legs and 2 drawer fronts with Minwax wood stain in Dark Walnut and old rags.

Step 7: Add Topcoat

After everything was painted, stained, and touched up, I added a topcoat.

Normally, I use Polycrylic as a topcoat for my furniture pieces. I decided to try something new this time and used a spray Shellac. For these nightstands, I used less than one can.

I was very impressed at how easy it was to apply and how fast it dried. The only thing I didn’t like is that it is very shiny and I prefer a more matte look.

It’s supposed to be extremely durable and will prevent the paint from chipping for years to come.

Step 7: Condition Drawers

Once the top coat was dry, I conditioned the interior and sides of the drawers with Feed-n-Wax wood conditioner.

Not only does this bring out the pretty wood grain, but it also smells really good!

Step 8: Add Legs and Hardware

Finally, it was time to add the new legs and hardware! This nightstand makeover wouldn’t be complete without it.

I found both the drawer pulls and legs on Amazon. They’re both good quality and I expect them to last a long time.

We attached them using the hardware that came with them. The original owner had already drilled holes for the handles, and they matched up perfectly with these.

And the nightstand makeover is complete! Even though I couldn’t stick with my original design plan, I am still super happy with how these turned out.

I think they are so pretty and will be perfect in a bedroom that is going for a vintage, moody aesthetic. They could also work as end tables in a living room!

It was never my plan to keep these nightstands. I’m going to list them for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Check back to see how much they sell for!