Exploring My Dark Side: A Side Table Makeover

Just call me butter, 'cause I'm on a roll! 

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'm just feeling pretty good about myself and the long overdue projects I've been tackling lately, after what seems like weeks (if not months) of getting nothing done. Well, nothing fun, anyway.

Last time, I showed you my Goodwill cabinet makeover. And now that I've crossed over to the dark side... I like it there! We actually have quite a bit of dark/black furniture, and I'm on a mission to make some of our random pieces of furniture fit in a little better. Case in point: this little side table. (Or is it an end table?)

You can hardly see the table in these pictures because it's practically blends in to our wall color. Blah. I believe it was a hand-me-down and it's really nothing special, but I've kept it around thinking that it would make for a good project someday. And that someday finally happened last week. 


With a plan in mind, I headed to Lowe's and picked up a small can of Valspar black satin interior/exterior latex enamel. I also wanted to update that boring knob, so I picked up some new drawer hardware too. Back at home, I sanded down the table as best I could, then primed it with some Zinsser water-base primer we already had on hand.

Once that dried, I applied the first coat of black paint, foolishly wishing that one coat would do the trick. Of course, it didn't.

No biggie. A few hours later, I added a second black coat, which seemed to provide the right amount of coverage. Just for added protection, I brushed on a coat of Rustoleum Painter's Touch Crystal Clear Gloss over the entire thing. Then, more torture waiting. In fact, I waited a good two days before putting on the new oil-rubbed bronze knob, sliding in the drawer, and admiring my work. Say hello to my sleek and sexy new friend!

And here she is back at home in our living room. As you can see, in addition to our tan/gold walls, we also have a beige couch. And a creamy/beige lampshade, for that matter. Sheesh. Needless to say, the table really pops now!

The overall cost was about $7 (for the black paint and the knob I had to purchase). I think I'm getting pretty good at these cheap furniture makeovers, but it's all just practice for one of my next big projects... stay tuned!

Linking up to...
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now
Paint It Linky Party at Liz Marie Blog