Twin Vintage Nightstands: From Disco to Dramatic

This pair of nightstands was very sad.

They were giving me flashbacks to the 1970s. All they needed were wood paneling and gold shag carpeting to complete the look. Definitely time for a 21st-century makeover!

Step 1: Removing the Old

Since the new hardware was going to be very different, I removed the old pulls and filled the screw holes with Elmer’s® ProBond wood filler. I also removed the colonial style trim in preparation for new feet. I unscrewed the decorative bottom panels and discarded them, resulting in a flat base.

Step 2: Adding New Feet

One of the easiest ways to update a piece of furniture is to replace the style of the feet or, in this case, add feet. The manner of attaching the feet varies depending on the furniture construction. In some cases, a metal adapter plate is required. However, I was able to screw the new bun-style feet directly into the wood after shortening the hanger bolts to the right length with my Dremel®.

Step 3: The Surfaces

To give me better access to paint the interiors, I removed the drawers and their mounting hardware. Then I scuff-sanded the surfaces of the nightstands and drawers with 120-grit sandpaper to give the primer and paint a surface to grip. After priming with Zinsser BIN® shellac-based primer, I applied three coats of Farmhouse® paint in “Classic White”. Minwax® Polycrylic was added to protect the surfaces.

Step 4: The Bling

To glam up these white pieces, I added long gold rod pulls for dramatic effect. (Still a little disco, I suppose.) I also lined the drawers with a contemporary gold and white design.