Thrifty Thursday: Curbside Mystery Nightstand

This little thing took way longer than it should have. Not going to lie, even as I type this out during a lunch break, it's still not done, but I plan on finishing it by week's end so I can post this next Thursday (when you're reading it now).

I passed by this several times on my way to & from work before I finally decided to turn around one day & grab it before the garbage men came that week. Easy project piece for sure!


I highlighted this piece and process on my Instagram story here.

What I did:

1. Cleaned the living hell out of it. Spider webs, egg sacks, dirt, dust, everything.
2. Sanded it down.
3. Stained it up. Well, part of it. I quickly discovered it didn't take stain very well, and I'm not sure if it's because I somehow didn't fully strip the tiny bit of finish left beforehand, or if it's just the nature of this veneer. In any case, the top, the drawer front, and the right side were stained (Rustoleum Dark Walnut).
4. Let it sit for 6-8 months in the basement. Let's call that "curing time," just to make sure it was nice and ready to be sealed.
5. Painted the frame black. Pretended that it matched the Dixie dresser from Hell this way, in case they ever end up in a room together (Flat Black by Behr).
6. Restained the top and drawer for a richer color. Two layers.
7. Cleaned the hardware with Barkeeper's Friend (a true miracle worker, honestly).
8. Sealed it with polyurethane (Matte Varathane); 4 layers.
9. Reinstalled hardware.

Here are the before and after shots!