Don’s Room Progress Nightstand

Don’s room is slowly coming along. If you remember, the plans and before photos are here. I spent a week working on the floors, but decided to stop until the walls were painted (so I don’t damage the floors with paint). This week I continued in Don’s room- I painted the ceiling and closet white and installed a new fan!

The closet paint job took me much longer that I thought it would. It is an addition and wasn’t done well. I used a full tube of caulk to fill in the huge gaps in all of the corners and edges. It feels so fresh and clean now, I’m glad I took the time to do it right!

The brown wall paneling will be painted white. The dark blue painted sloped part of the wall will be going a sky blue color with clouds stenciled on. I need to add paneling to the other two walls. It’s a mess right now, but it is getting closer!

nightstand

I’ve been on the hunt for a new nightstand for Don’s room. Since renovating a house is expensive, I wanted to go the budget route on this piece. I was at a thrift store and picked this one up for $12!!! It has good bones and it a solid piece of furniture, it just needs a paint job.

It’ll be going next to his mint painted headboard and it’ll be in front of a white painted beadboard wall so I decided to paint it grey. I figure it’ll both be masculine and look good with the vintage vibe I’m going for. Here’s the supplies I used to makeover this piece:

• Driftwood Chalk paint (the grey color)
• Cleaner
• Clear Coat
• Paint Brush

This was a super quick project! I gave it a good cleaning, did 2-3 coats of the chalk paint in driftwood. Next, I sanded between coats if I had drips. Lastly, I finished with a clear coat to give it a satin finish.

I’ve had people ask me what I do to finish my chalk painted pieces of furniture. If I’m wanting a distressed look, I go with wax. Usually I’m wanting an even finish so I go with a clear coat. Ready to see the after?!

after

Isn’t it so much better?! I love the color of grey- its nice and soft with cool tones to it. I put on new hardware to modernize it a bit.

Don is currently sleeping in the master bedroom while his room is under construction. My husband and I are sleeping in what will eventually be the playroom. I moved the newly finished nightstand up to where is sleeping and added a few accessories. I’m trying to make Don feel as much at home as I can- hopefully this helps!

The exciting thing to me about Don’s room is that it’ll be furnished on a tight budget! The headboard was $20 (you can read about how I connected it to a bed frame here). Here’s some tips on how you can spot good pieces from the thrift store (or Craigslist) that’ll save you money when decorating-

• look at the bones of the item- not the finish! If you like its shape, you can always paint it
• give yourself time. Finding the perfect budget piece doesn’t always happen right away.
• wait for a sale. My thrift store was having a 20% off sale- sure I only saved $3, but every little bit helps!
• go into the thrift store knowing 2-3 things you want. That way you can stay focused and get only what you need.

p.s. I have a much more detailed list of thrift store tips when decorating your home here.

We are all fans with how this little piece turned out! I’ll have to put a basket on the bottom shelf or a stack of books. In the meantime, it’ll get a lot of use here holding sippy cup and the book we’re reading each night.

Don’s room to do list

I wanted to make a list of what’s still needed to do in Don’s room. We’re getting close and are trying to finish up the space before he heads to preschool at the beginning of September!

• add paneling or bead board to the 2 remaining walls
• put up the trim (crown, chair, and some baseboards)
• fix the plaster walls- scrape and fill in cracks and holes
• paint the blue color on the sloped walls
• stencil clouds on the blue walls
• paint the paneling whit
• finish the walls
• install the shutters (they should arrive at the beginning of September)
• move everything in!

I’ll share an update next week or when I’ve done enough to report back on! Let me know if you have any suggestions for this room. It’s been a bit tricky for us, but we’re super excited to give Don an 100% redone room.This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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