Pink painted nightstands will make any little girl happy. Even a big girl like me! My inspiration for these nightstands comes from way back when I was a little girl. A pink bedroom, an iron bed, and two ballerina paintings hung over my bed. I was more than certain that someday I would tiptoe around in a tutu. Well, that didn’t happen, but these nightstands turned out just about as good as the dream I had.
This post contains a few affiliate links to help you find the products I use. You are not charged extra to use any of the links, but any income I make will be used for more fun projects! To see my full disclaimer, click here.
Painted Nightstands – BEFORE
Before they were even nightstands, they were originally a vintage vanity nightstand. Sorry, I don’t have a DIY on how I separated them, but it was fairly straightforward.
Behind the vanity were a couple of wood boards that secured them together. Those pieces were cut off, and with a little wood filler, I patched up any imperfections, and they are now two separate pieces.
I have always wanted to make two nightstands from a vanity, so now was my chance. I’m excited to share the painted finish with you as it encompasses a couple of techniques. The end result is so unique and whimsical! I ADORE THEM!
PRODUCT LIST:
- Nightstands
- Mud (wood filler)
- Orbital Sander or 220 grit sandpaper
- White Lightning (wood cleaner)
- Paper Towels
- BOSS (clear) stain blocker/primer
- Buttercream (chalk mineral paint)
- Apricot (chalk mineral paint)
- Peony (chalk mineral paint)
- Spray Mist Water Bottle
- Paintbrushes
- Gold Leaf
- Copper Leaf
- Metal Leaf Adhesive
- Pouncers
- Black Gilding Wax (Dixie Belle)
- Artist Paintbrush Set
- Master Clear (topcoat for metal leaf finish)
Let’s talk MUD. Before painting, you will need to repair and fill holes and gouges with wood filler if they are visible. I created a short video for you on how to repair damaged wood with wood filler. You can CLICK HERE to see how easy it is. It’s my go-to for wood fillers. Next, you will want to clean the wood before painting. Once it’s clean and dry, it’s time to paint!
Pink Painted Nightstands
Let the fun begin! I chose three amazing colors that complemented each other when blended.
WATCH THE VIDEO 🎥 TO LEARN HOW TO BLEND PAINT COLORS
Here’s a quick demonstration of how to blend paint on your furniture. Click the video below to play and watch the magic occur right before your eyes on these painted nightstands.
Applying Metal Leaf On The Painted Nightstands
Applying the metal leaf is fun technique on painted furniture. I used an artist brush and a pouncer in multiple sizes to create this fun, happy polka-dotted look. But before I was done, my coffee mug had more than coffee in it. It’s a messy process but so fun.
To learn more about to to Gold Leaf Almost Anything, CLICK HERE!
Gilding Wax /Painted Nightstands
I finished the painted nightstands by creating a defined line where the metal leaf design met with the paint using black gilding wax to blur the sharp line a bit. It turned out rather unusual but I’m not bad about it. It looks like it was burned… if that makes sense.
More Painted Furniture Makeover Inspiration!
The End Results Of The Whimsical Painted Nightstands
What a fun project this turned out to be! My only regret is that I didn’t have these colorful painted nightstands in my bedroom when I was a little girl. I think I would have loved them!
One of my favorite things about painting furniture is giving yourself permission to have a little fun. Play with color, mix patterns, add unexpected details, and don’t be afraid to add a touch of whimsy. Sometimes those are the makeovers that turn out to be the most memorable.
Now I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever painted a piece of furniture pink or added a whimsical touch to one of your projects? Tell me about it in the comments—I always enjoy seeing where your creativity takes you.
Happy painting! 🎨
Until the next project… xo, Do
Hi Donna, I don´t know what to say! the nightstands are awesome, you are an artist. I love the ombre effect, I watched the video twice, with fully attention, and I am sure that I´ll try to do something very similar to this next time i get an old piece of furniture. Thank you for sharing such bold ideas!
Thanks, Val! Oh, please if you would be so kind as to share your work. I get inspiration from seeing others succeed. You can do it! xo
I really like what you are doing with furniture. I recently got my hands in an 80 years old tall-boy dresser that I refinished with wood dye. Any chance you have experience with dyes? It’s water based and now i am at the stage of sealing. I was wondering if there was anyone here who can help me with what sealer to use?
Many thanks
Hey there DJ! If it’s a water based product, most water-based top coats should work. My personal preference is Dixie Belle Top coats or Gator HIde. You can find the products here. CLICK HERE ? https://bit.ly/2K19PJT
Let me know how it works out. Happy painting! xo
Thank you for your reply. I read on some woodworking forums that water based top coats will reactivate the water that was used with the dye and so it can get blotchy. Some say to use shellack after the dye was absorbed, others swear the alter the colors. THe more I read about this, the more confusing it gets. sigh..nothing left but trial and error. Learning curve, here I come. 🙂
DJ,
Trial and error is sometimes the only way to know for sure. All products are different. Sorry, wish I could have helped more with this one. Please share if you find the answer. Good luck 🙂 xo
After some experimenting I concluded that, in fact, water based dyes do not take water based finishes well as they happen to reactivate the water and so the coloring changes. In order to avoid that, I ended up using clear shellack. I had to work fast as it dried very quickly. Then I applied a coat of semi-glossy water based polyurethane. The colors are all you would find in a peacock, beautiful versatile, yet natural. The grains of the many different types of wood are not hiding anymore. So this 80 year old tallboy is now an updated gentleman’s dresser with an option to become a cable-box holder and TV stand in top.
I wish I could share a photo.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING AN INSPIRATION, DONNA!
Good to know. I use Dixie Belle products and they have waterbased stains and top coats that work well together. I guess that would depend on the brand of products that are used. I would love for you to share a photo. Email me at [email protected]
I can’t wait to see it. xo Do