Here’s Exactly How I Refinished Nightstands for under $100

This post is all about how I refinished nightstands I purchased for $40 on Facebook Marketplace using latex paint and rattan webbing.

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If you’re into coastal design and DIY, this refinished nightstand hack is just for you! I hope it inspires and helps you create your own transformational before and after nightstand makeover. For under $100 per nightstand, I was able to achieve a beautiful DIY cane nightstand flip!

For quite a while we had some tiny nightstands in our primary bedroom and they just simply weren’t cutting it! After looking at purchasing new nightstands, I was not wanting to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars for them. I found these nightstands on Facebook Marketplace for $40 and I knew instantly that I had to have them.

The techniques and tips I show in this post do not have to apply just to nightstands! They can be used on all wood furniture types. This whole process took me two afternoons to complete and less than $100.

Where to find old furniture to refinish?

I found the set of nightstands on Facebook Marketplace for $40! I love Facebook Marketplace but you do need to look on there daily to find the best items and deals otherwise, they go quickly. I’ve also found that some people will negotiate with you, especially if you’re willing to pick something up the same day. If you think you want it, message them!

Here are my favorite places to find cheap, old furniture to refinish:

• Facebook Marketplace
• Craigslist
• Nextdoor
• Goodwill
• Thrift stores

Refinished Nightstand Makeover

The before of these nightstands was just way too dark, but because they are wood and have a good shape they were perfect for flipping. I already had some sample blue Sherwin Williams colors on hand so I knew that was the direction I wanted to go. Let’s get started!

Materials & Tools

• Nightstands that you want to refinish – I found ours on Facebook Marketplace
• 1/2 Vinegar + 1/2 Water Spray Bottle & Rag
• Electric sander (or 220 grit sanding pads like these on Amazon)
• Paint roller kit (Walmart)
• Paintbrush (my favorite one from Amazon)
• Primer (Amazon)
• Sealant (Home Depot)
• Latex Paint – I already had samples from Sherwin Williams but any color or brand will work
• Drop cloth or sheet
• Hot glue gun

Prep

This is a step you don’t want to skip when refinishing furniture, especially getting it second hand. I vacuumed out the drawers, then sprayed the nightstands down with a 1/2 vinegar 1/2 water mixture and wiped with a rag.

Sand

I ran the orbital sander (check out my favorite one in this post) over the nightstands to rough them up so the primer would stick to the wood. I used a sanding pad of I recommend wearing a mask during this process because you don’t want to be breathing in those wood particles.

Prime

Priming is a must if you are planning to use latex or acrylic paint on your wood furniture. You can totally skip this step if you decide to use chalk paint on your furniture. I had latex paint on hand and therefore knew I was going to be prime these nightstands.

My favorite primer is Zinnser brand, which I’ve used several of their primers for different projects and it always turns out great. I used the Zinnser Bulls Eye 123 Primer for this project. It was great because it had good coverage and other is no odor!

I used a foam roller to coat the nightstands with primer. Using a paintbrush, I primed the corners and smaller nooks so no spots were missed. This primer takes 30 minutes to dry and 1 hour to recoat.

After waiting an hour, I sanded the piece again using a 240-grade pad. Then I primed the nightstands a second time to get more coverage over the dark wood.

Paint

I had several light blue samples of Sherwin Williams paint from another project and asked myself, can you paint furniture with latex paint? The answer is yes! With the right prep, priming, and topcoat it is possible to use latex paint on wood furniture.

Before I touched the nightstands with my paintbrush, I tested a few paint samples out because I needed the PERFECT blue to coordinate with my room.

How to pick a paint color for furniture?

My little trick to picking a paint color for refinished furniture you are putting in your home is to test the colors in the room you are putting the piece. Paint colors can look very different in different lighting, so this is key to finding your perfect shade.

I took a piece of scrap wood and primed it with the same primer I was using on the nightstands. Then I wrote out the names of each color and painted a sample color under the corresponding name. Once dried, I took this piece of wood upstairs to my primary bedroom – believe me, this is much easier than lugging furniture up and down your stairs to check!

After looking at the 5 paint samples, none of them really were the right color but they were close! So I picked one that was really close (SW Moonmist) and a lighter blue (SW Topsail) and mixed them to make the absolute perfect color. The formula was 1/2 Moonmist to 1/2 Topsail.

Now I was ready to paint my nightstands but before doing so, I sanded the nightstands again (you do this between every coat of primer and paint). Then using a roller brush and paintbrush I coated the nightstands with my custom-made paint color.

How to paint furniture without brush marks?

The key to achieving perfectly painted furniture without brush marks is using the right brushes and sanding between each coat of paint. If you don’t have a paint sprayer, use a foam roller and paintbrush to paint your furniture. Because most wood furniture is smooth, I suggest using a high-density foam roller (like this from Lowe’s). This will layer the paint smoothly on your pieces.

The other must-do is to sand with a high grit between each coat of paint. Make sure to rub off any particles in between as well.

I used two coats of paint on the nightstands and felt it had really good coverage. The primer really helped to block out any of the dark wood from seeing through.

Seal

Because I used latex paint, it was super important that I sealed these nightstands. I opted for a spray for the top coat sealant (Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2x – Clear Satin) and used two coats. One can of sealant was enough for both nightstands.

Add Cane Webbing Detail

I was back and forth with doing this, but I am so glad I decided to add the cane feature to these nightstands. I soaked the cane in warm water for about 3-4 hours so that it was softer to work with.

The nightstands I have had inset areas on the bottom shelf and on the sides, so it was the perfect spot to put the cane webbing. I cut the cane to the size of each section using scissors. Using 3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive, I attached the cane. If possible, I recommend putting heavy objects on top of the caning while it dries to ensure it attaches flatly.

Make the Hardware

I actually was fully anticipating replacing the hardware altogether on these nightstands but the holes were 2.5″ which is an odd size. Hardware is something that you can totally change to something different, or you can do as I did and refinish your own!

I painted the wooden hardware pulls the same color as the nightstands. Using the same cane webbing, I pulled off a strand of rattan from the leftover. I put a dab of hot glue on the underside of the pull to hold the rattan strand in place, then I wrapped it around the pull, repeating until it was fully covered. To secure it, I weaved the strand under itself and added another dab of hot glue.

The last step once the hardware was made was to screw them back into the nightstands.

The Final Reveal of My Refinished Nightstands

This furniture flip was so fun to see the transformation. I am so happy with how they turned out – they look expensive!!! My vibe is totally coastal classic and these are that. I hope this project inspires you to refinish nightstands or any other furniture in your home. It only took a few hours on the weekend to do this nightstand makeover.

Cost breakdown of this nightstand makeover

• Nightstands – $40
• Paint – Free! I already had samples on hand, but each sample is about $10
• Primer (1 qt) – $16
• Sealant – $7
• Cane Webbing (24″ x 4′) – $80
• Spray Adhesive – $14
• TOTAL COST = $157 ($78.50 per nightstand!!)

After researching other cane nightstands online, most run about $200-$800 each. Since both of mine were under $100 a piece, I say this is a major win!!

This post was all about how to create refinished nightstands for less than $100 using thrift nightstands.