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Painted Side table
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Check out our painted side table makeover! My Niece, Taylor and I transformed this thrift store side table into a one of a kind jewel! We painted this side table and made it into a fun chic painted piece with a little glam.
Side table thrift store find
Yep. Taylor is an experienced thrift store shopper, as well as a fellow creative. She has an eye for the potential beauty and the vision to imagine what the possibilities are. This is a big help to me! We facetimed while she went shopping. When she found this old painted side table, we both agreed that it had great potential and got to work on some side table makeover ideas!
Years ago I started this business with my sister, Nicole (you can read about that here) It was so amazing that in my tight knit family circle of women that I had my niece who wanted to join me in this adventure!
What our process was for hand painted side table
Taylor and I got to work in my work space. She helped me organize this small space so that everything is at our fingertips. Check out the post to see that process. How To Organize A Craft Space.
First step for our painted side table makeover was to lay cardboard underneath the piece. Usually I don’t like to sand my pieces, however because this had an old coat of original paint, it was important to sand down any cracks and peeling paint. We also filled any cracks with wood filler as well.
Once complete, we took damp rags and wiped down all surfaces. We then painted the whole piece with primer. My suggestion is always zimmer bullseye this is my go to primer I use on most of my painted furniture makeovers.
Pro tip! always clean and wipe down furniture before starting anything! Prep work is just as important as final work.
Color scheme for our diy painted end table
We decided since this was a small dainty side table that we needed to keep the color scheme and overall look clean and pretty! We decided on Benjamin Moore “grey owl” for the overall piece. Then a matte silver for the stencils and accents which would work best on our painted side table makeover. The cool grey and silver complimented each other perfectly while still keeping this monochromatic look.
Painted end table ideas- add a motif!
I had a bee graphic from a stencil that I had used from another project. You can see and read all about that here. We deconstructed this and recut a new bee stencil using my cameo machine for the sides and a small repeat pattern of bees and lattice for the inside of the drawer to continue with our bee theme. Take a look here at my Etsy store for some of my other stencils.
Details added to our painted side table makeover
Once we stenciled the bee on, we wanted to continue with the silver in areas of this table to make it all balanced. We painted the sides of the drawers, to add a pop when the drawer was opened. For the inside of the draw I created a bee stencil with a lattice to mimic a draw liner. Then painted the set in groove on the drawer face and trimmed the edge of the table. For the pull knobs we also painted this silver then came in with the grey owl color and dabbed on dots to give it a more playful finish. Just enough silver to not overpower the overall small painted side table makeover.
Final steps to our painted side table
Once all the paint has dried, (I usually wait 24 hours) with a sponge brush I apply a coat of Minwax clear coat in clear matte. I let that dry for a few hours then apply a second coat. This will ensure that you haven’t missed any areas. The polyacrylic will help to protect your painted furniture from nicks and dirt, You can easily wipe down any are that may get dirty without worrying about ruining the paint underneath. The last step is to always add felt tabs under each leg to prevent scratching your floors.
Check out our video for painted end table before and after
Luckily for me, Taylor is a pro at documenting our process. Lucky for you, that you can check out the process on our painted end table before and after. Check below in our video. We had so much fun creating this diy painted end table together. She time lapse our afternoon of painting. Hope you enjoy!
Additional uses for this side table
After finishing this project we realized that there were so many uses for this table. Not only is it perfect for a side table, but can be used as a small vanity, desk or a focal point in an entryway or a fun piece in a bathroom. The silhouette makes for a classic timeless statement piece. Like a good piece of jewelry, like Jewelry for your home! Finding small pieces like this makes it easy to change it up and use in multiple areas. This can be done depending on your mood.
Fun accessories for a painted side table
I have been obsessed lately with Anthropologie. Not only have they the most unique apparel, but great homegoods. You can always find something interesting here. I put together a collection of some unique accessories below. These design board are fun to put together. I can visualize any of these on out newly painted side table.

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- Stitched Leather Nesting Box– store and stack these beauties.
- Jack Decorative Object– Fun oversized jack sits nice on a tabletop as a conversational piece.
- Honeycomb Vase– perfect neutral set of vases, even without flowers makes for a pretty structural shape for the top of an accent table.
- Capri Blue Giant Mercury Glass Jar Candle– When not in use, this Mercury glass gives this candle a timeless elegant feel.
- Vitruvi Stone Essential Oil Diffuser– THIS Handcrafted from porcelain, this diffuser uses ultrasonic technology to keep essential oils. I run my diffuser all the time in my living space.
- Eliza Frame– Always an essential for any table top. I have countless frames that I update my photos in from time to time.
- Match Cloche-Hand-blown glass cloche comes filled with four-inch matches and a strike-on-bottle flint. Keep this on hnd to light your candles.
Materials used for this project
Below are all the materials that Taylor and I used for our painted side table makeover. Most can be found at your local hardware store (if I can, I like to buy locally) if you are preparing and have a few days, order on Amazon, they always have everything. Numbers 8-10 are only needed if you are planning on stenciling your piece. It’s not always the solution in finishing a painted piece.

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- Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish, 1 quart, Matte– This seals in all your beautiful hard work. I use this on all my projects.
- Rust-Oleum Metallic Accents Paint– We used this to stencil our bee motifs. A little goes a long way. I am still working through my container even after painting a dresser (see here) as well as my dining room chandelier.
- Benjamin Moore paint– I use testers because you do not need a gallon of paint. The testers come in an eggshell finish which I like.
- Rust-Oleum Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer– This is always a best practice on wood which gives you a perfect foundation before you start painting.
- Foam brushes– I like to use this to paint on the polyacrylic.They are less likely to pick up lint that can end up in your sealant and ruin your project.Noone ever wants to redo what they have done already, believe me I have been there.
- Purdy Brush– I swear by these, Yes I know! they are expensive, so take good care of them and they will take good care of all your painted projects. After each use wash thoroughly with warm water and soap. I then hang them upside down to dry.
- Scotch Brand Felt Pads– once my painted furniture is complete I finish all legs with these felt bottoms. They help even out any unbalanced piece and also help protet your floors from being scratched by the unfinished leg bottoms.
- Clear Vinyl Self-Adhesive Laminate– If you are going to stencil, use a thicker self adhesive plastic to create your stencils with. Its sturdy and you can then use your stencils over again.
- Silhouette Cameo 4 with Bluetooth– Love my cameo I can create any stencil I desire, you are only limited by your own imagination. I do not have a fancy one, and it does the trick every time.
- Stencils – You can order any of my digital downloads or contact me for custom images to make your piece one of a kind.
What are some of the painted furniture makeovers out there?
Please share your diy painted table projects, or any other painted furniture projects that you may have or currently working on. I have been so inspired lately and know there are limitless possibilities. There are so many great designs that people have created. Stay tuned as Taylor and I continue to find these fabulous furniture pieces that we will transform into everyday, but unique pieces.
If you like what you have read, please also consider sharing. You can join Double Arrow Designs mailing list to keep updated on all new projects. Believe me I keep very busy doing these and love sharing.
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