DIY: Saving Bedside Table

Last summer--I think it was last summer--a mama friend unloaded a box of items from her home into my open arms. Some of the items, like these two carved elephants, were claimed by the kiddos.

Like their real counterparts, these elephants
cover a huge territory and can be found foraging
anywhere in our home.

Others languished in the back patio, like a homey maple bedside table with tattered, yellowing varnish.

Normally, I love natural wood, but this piece just seemed too country-cozy and dated.

In the waning days of summer, however, I kicked into Manic Squirrel Overdrive, even putting my children to work. We hauled this bedside table onto the grass and attacked with 120 grit sandpaper.

After all varnished surfaces were well sanded, I tried out a shell shaped drawer pull that I picked up at The Cherry Door. Ah, potential! Now, for a dose of color to evoke the sea.

The gentlemen at Wallauer's Design Center in Ossining never let me down. When no standard color seemed lively enough, they pointed out the custom tints chart. Bingo!

"For tinting Latex, Alkyds, Oil, Acrylic, Polyvinyl, etc."

By "etc," they mean "Your Clothes and Flesh." Be warned. 



Benjamin Moore Alkyd, Base 2, was able to support thorough tint saturation.

To lower the potential for kitsch, I chose Benjamin Moore's Alkyd "Atrium White" for the inner cubby. (Let's be clear: I have nothing against kitsch per se: you can see examples of that here, here, and here.)

Everyone raise a hand now to high-five me!-- for once, I remembered to use painter's tape on the dry turquoise edges before slapping Atrium White all over the interior. BTW: pull off the tape while the fresh paint is still fresh, to clean up any bits that inevitably get under the edges.

And here it is! Breezy ocean smell not included.

 

After my friend saw what a new coat of paint could do, she reclaimed it. I am returning this piece to her tonight. Hee, hee--I love my life!

 

 

Copyright 2013, Tanya Monier