When I stumbled on this humble (but very, very nice) ugly end table for $8.00, I snatched it up. I made sure the drawer worked well and the legs were tight. Both are important to me as I don't like "fixing" furniture - I only like slapping paint on it. This piece was as tight as brand new.
I took a before picture but it seems to have disappeared so you'll have to take my word that the table was ugly. Very ugly. It had a scarred and cracked finish in a nondescript wood color they were so fond of doing years ago.
I like the Shabby Chic look. It seems to give a piece a sense of history. My husband hates it. Oh well. The world is definitely divided between these polar opposites. Since the table was next to my side of the bed he just rolled his eyes and left the room.
I took the hardware off the table which is a HUGE step up for me. I used to just try and paint around a drawer pull or hinge because I was too impatient to remove them. Sooooo typical ADD!!
I quickly ran the palm sander over the top surfaces. My new palm sander, a gift from hubby, has a little dust bag attached. Approximate time: 5 minutes
Next I slapped on a coat of primer. Approximate time: 10 minutes
After a couple coats of Country White semi-gloss paint and applying two water slide decals of flowers, I headed outside with my cordless Dremel tool, another gift from my husband. Paint application approximate time investment: 20 minutes
I ran the Dremel Tool around the edges approximating natural wear. I don't over-do this step. I've seen some Shabby Chic pieces that look like they have a terminal case of the pox. Not cool IMHO. Approximate time: 5 minutes
Close up of decal (be sure and slap sealer on any decals you use)
Check out what my friend Jennifer did with a very, very cool $5.00 table
And don't miss this post from Wendy over at the Shabby Nest. More about the wonders of white paint!
