First Refinishing Project

I have been looking for nightstand for my husband for several months, but was unwilling (being the ultimate frugalista that I am) to pay more than $50 for it. I had seen several that I really liked, but none that "struck" me.  The other day I was in our local consignment/estate shop and found a small chest that seemed to call to me from among the tables, trunks, sofas and art stacked around it.  It was badly in need of refinishing, as the wood had turned white in places, there was evidence of black staining, and it wasn't very shiny.  However, it was obviously hand-made from native hardwood (I think maple, but I could be wrong) and had some pretty hardware.  In other words, it was very old, from somebody's wood shop, had been mistreated and neglected, and needed a new home. (Sounds a bit like our first rescue dog!) 

The price tag said $35, but that seemed a bit steep to me, given its current condition.  I asked if they would go lower, and we agreed upon $25.  Pretty good deal, I thought!

So, I brought it home, and set about refinishing it.  Now, I have never refinished a piece of furniture before.  I have painted furniture, but never refinished it.  So, crossing my fingers, I started out.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a "before" photo, so just imagine it in your mind with the flaws I described above. (That's always my problem- I get so excited about the project and want to dive in, so I forget to take "before" photos!!)

Step 1: Sand it- I used my husband's power sander, which worked great. (Oh, and I removed the hardware first.)

Step 2: Prep it- I wasn't sure how well the stain would hold, since I had never done this before, so I wiped it down with a damp cloth, and WOW!  That thing looked gorgeous already!  I couldn't believe the difference!  Then I applied some stain prep stuff, let it dry for about 15 minutes, and proceeded to step 3.

Step 3: Stain it- I used a gel stain (antique maple was the color).  It was slightly darker than the original stain, and had a reddish tone.  This dried overnight, during which time my husband was forbidden to enter the garage.

Step 4: Poly it- A semi-gloss poly application really made the whole thing pop!  7 hours later, it was dry enough to bring in and surprise him!!!

Here it is: my newly refurbished nightstand!!  Yipee for me- $25, with the supplies found in our garage!!!

 

 

P.S. Before you all start yelling at me for doing this while pregnant,  you should know that the garage door was open the entire time, I did it in batches to get fresh air, and I was fast- so my exposure was very minimal.  :-)