Refinishing Plans for Vintage Night Tables

If you follow me on instagram, you might've noticed that we have a work-in-progress pair of vintage bedside tables.  It's a perfect though small project for the Mr., who has been feeling restless through this drought of home projects as we continue to long for the completion of our new house.  

Funny thing was, I wasn't really looking for bedside tables, but rather a sideboard for our dining room.  Since I had previously lucked out with a vintage piece of console table, I decided to try my luck again for a vintage sideboard.  

Of course, when my intent was to look for something specific, I would never find it!  Doesn't this always happen when we shop for anything?  Well, everything happens for a reason...

I've wanted to replace our current bedside tables with ones that have storage, as in the mirrored bedside tables/ cabinets mentioned in this post.  However, most of the nicer ones almost always come too wide.  That may not work, considering we will only have 30" on either side of our bed to work with in our new master bedroom,  Not to mention, a nicer pair would cost close to $1000, if not more.  I've been holding back in an attempt to find a (much) better deal.  

But I guess something is just not meant to be.  Lately, I've started to re-think about the mirrored bedside tables, and wondered if that would be too much mirror with our mirrored trimmed headboard.  

So, instead of finding a sideboard, I had ideas churning in my head when I saw this pair of bedside tables.

Faux bamboo furniture is making a comeback from its mid-century hollywood regency hype.  This pair of bedside tables were from the Henry Link Bali Hai collection...  from the 70s!  I love the bamboo detailing, and how the table top is curved along the faux bamboo front legs.  The rounded and curved detailing echoes our curvy headboard frame.  I showed the photos of the pair to the Mr., told him about my big plan for them, and waited for his judgment.  The Mr. agreed to once again be my DIY'er!  

The tables are of good quality, and drawers were built with dove tail joints, something that we no longer see in modern furniture construction.  

As you can see, the pair are of the same style but one was painted over, and the other was in its original glory.  That didn't matter to us, since we were going to refinish them with our design in mind.

I'm looking to paint the pieces over in a bluish grey colour, that'll give some contrast to our linen coloured headboard.  That's my part in this DIY project, figuring out the paint colour!  Thinking of doing a high gloss on this piece, that'll make it look a bit more modern and elegant.

All our trips to stone fabricators have made marble even more appealing to me.  My plan is to remove the existing top, and replace it with a piece of statuario marble fabricated in the exact shape. The bluish grey paint colour would complement the grey veining of the statuario marble.  The Mr. has already gotten the backing and the top off of the units...  he's really anxious to start!

REMOVE BACKING OF FURNITURE | CLASSY GLAM LIVING

UNSCREW TOP OF BEDSIDE TABLE | CLASSY GLAM LIVING

TOP AND BACK REMOVED | BEDSIDE TABLES REFINISH DIY | CLASSY GLAM LIVING

We're not planning to keep the original drawer pulls, even though it's probably a big no-no to replace them on a highly sought after piece of vintage furniture.  We would rather finish it to our liking since we're already painting it over and such.  I think a set of simple brass bail drawer pulls would complete the look.  I also like the lucite pulls, with the rings picking up the bamboo ring details.  Here are some of my top choices:

sources:  1 AND 2.. QUMUSE; 3. SIGNATURE THINGS.COM; 4. A ROSE RAMBLING

This easy peasy refinishing project should keep the Mr. occupied for a little bit.  We'll have a ton of projects to start when we move in.  Even the little man has volunteered to help paint the walls for his room!

Until then, stay tuned for the reveal of the refinished bedside tables!

Have you scored a diamond in the rough lately?

Would've-Could've Series - Master Bedroom

As you can probably tell by now, we like to decorate our home after much pondering.  The Mr. never embarks on a new project until we're certain that it's the look that we want, and one that we wouldn't get sick of for a while.  Well, all the pondering takes time, and then our preferences change as we go.  As with most homeowners, we left the master bedroom in our first home untouched (other than painting a striped accent wall), as we got side-tracked by other more pressing (interesting) projects around the house.  When we moved into our next house, the one we just sold, we vowed not to leave our master bedroom un-decorated like last time...

Since we had the builder converted an extra bedroom for our dressing room, we deleted the walk-in closet in our bedroom.  Our room essentially became a big rectangle, within which we were able to create a large sitting area.   The generous wall space gave us lots of furniture placement options, so much so that all options seemed viable, and our pondering process once again took over us.   You saw the projects that kept the Mr. occupied during this time.  It was only natural that we once again left our own bedroom untouched before we moved again!  

Today, I'm sharing with you some layouts and mood boards that I've created from my Pinterest inspirations.  

With our room being a rectangle, we had the option to put our bed near the window wall (left side of the room, which was how we had it) or at the other end of the wall (right side).

Option 1 - Bed near window wall (left side) - Sitting area on opposite side of the room (right side)

With our bed near the window wall, the empty designated sitting area became the little man's hotwheels test drive area and beyblades arena.  If I wanted to reclaim that area, all I had to do was create a small living room.  I was also inspired by this photo, and wanted to incorporate a mantel at the wall between the two windows.

via Traditional Home

Here is our bedroom's design and layout board using the floor plan as a background.  Main colour would be beige/ cream, with accent colours in warm undertones such as bluish grey, mauve, and earth colours.

Sources:  colour inspiration via Valspar; sitting area source unknown; fireplace inspiration via Tradition Home; chandelier and medallion rug via RH baby and child; floral motif rug via Joss & Main; chaise via Horchow.

This would've been the "easy" option, although the "trim crazy" Mr. would still want to put some wainscoting along the walls, similar to the sitting area inspiration photo.  The couch at the sitting area would be placed along the wall of the entrance.  I would keep the sitting area neutral, with pillows in accent colours and a pattern rug to ground the lightness.  The rug at the bed would be in a lighter colour, since our bedding already has a pattern and is of a mid-tone colour. A chaise would go in the corner, beside the fireplace.  We have 2 light fixtures in the room, and I think this chandelier would be a good size (Yes, it's from RH kids...  who says you can't use it in a room for adults?)

It has been our plan for the longest time to go with this option, until the Mr. threw a curve ball and suggested putting the bed on the right side of the room.  Leaving the fireplace between the two windows, and we would have a mini family room.  He tried to entice me to this idea with a vanity table.  I'm always open to new ideas, and a beautiful vanity table, so I gave him this design option. 

Option 2 - Bed on the right side of the room - Sitting area on the left - Vanity table

One would be greeted with a sensual vibe of the master bedroom, with the vanity table beside the window at the entrance's direct sight line. Two inviting armchairs flanking the fireplace, with a coffee table in gold tone finish, would set the focal point of the room.  I would incorporate a dresser beside the window for more storage (yeah!) and a beautiful vignette.  This design would even out the space, with a simpler sitting area.

Sources:  console table via Vogue; gilded bench via Elte; vanity table via Architectural Digest; tufted arm chairs via Anthropologie; coffee table via wellappointedhouse.com.

Option 3 - Bed on the right side of the room - Sitting area on the left - Wall unit

After the Mr. accomplished his masterpiece in the office, he sprung another design option for our master bedroom's sitting area.  He said the office's built-in was a practice run for our master bedroom's built-in...  I think he was trying to sneak in a TV at the built-in unit to challenge my "no TV in the bedroom" rule.  To satisfy his curiosity, I re-jigged the sitting area by putting in a comfy couch in place of the two armchairs.  Afterall, we would need seating appropriate for lounging if there's a TV!  I also excluded a fireplace, otherwise the left side of the room would look too heavy with too many chunky pieces.  I think a similar setting as in the sitting area inspiration below would look ultra-glam!

Sources:  wall unit via One Kings Lane; sitting area via New England Home.

Our master bedroom in the new townhouse will have a small sitting area, and we've already gone through several different designs of that space.  We want to maximize its wow factor and also make it look roomy in a small space.  Let's just hope this time around there'll be less pondering, so that our bedroom won't be undecorated before we move again!

Which option do you like the most?  

Easy Guidelines for Bedside Table Styling

We welcomed the first long weekend of the summer season a week ago.  The weather was nice, and the sun was shining through my bedroom window...  onto my messy bedside table.  Don't know about yours, but mine has turned into my home's "command centre".  I can occasionally find a pen and notepad on it...  Need a tissue?  I've some remnants of little man's booger/ snot tissue.  Need something to read so I can wind down before bedtime?  There's a stack of mags, no problem.  Time to pay the hydro bill?  It's ok, I have the bill RIGHT THERE.

Sounds like I have a large bedside table huh?  NOT!

How was I able to build a command centre on a small table?!  As I looked at my stash in amazement, I've decided that I would revamp my lovely bedside table from the state of nastiness.  I will make the Mr. proud!

I wanted the headboard's intricate design to be focal point of the space, so I kept items on the beside table to a minimum.

These general guidelines would beautify any table vignettes:

1. Varying Heights - Curating items in varying heights is the constant guideline to achieving balance for any vignettes -  (remember my post on decorating the dining table?) 

2. Something green - Read plants.  What they say is true, any shade of green livens up a space. It compliments any colours in your decor...  is it any wonder that it's the middle colour in the rainbow?

3. Something sparkly - all vignettes should have something shiny to reflect light to attract your eyes, making them linger to appreciate the whole scenery.  

4. Objects with textures - offering contrasting details through different textures is just another way to add visual interest for any tablescape.

Of course the above 4 guidelines aren't the be-all and end-all to decorating your bedside table. Keeping the guidelines short would prevent your bedside table from turning into one with a muddled collection like mine!  So, with these guidelines in mind, here's how my essentials played out.

The lamp is usually the anchoring piece on the bedside table, with it most likely being the tallest item.  A general rule of thumb would be that the height/ size of the lamp should be proportional to the height of the headboard or size of the bed, in order to anchor the space beside the bed. Think lamp sizes at Target...  a king size bed should at least be paired with large lamps.  Anything smaller may be dwarfed by the large size of the bed.  Smaller beds can get away with smaller lamps, but keep in mind that a large shade may take away the presence of a small bed.  If you have small table lamps, then artwork can also be hung beside the bed to visually bridge the gap between the height of the headboard and the table.   

I went with some fresh flowers for "something green" to liven up my side of the bed, and kept them in a shorter vase for varying height.  I chose carnations as they just last forever with minimal care!  The vase mimics mercury glass, which together with its rhinestone edging, adds the "something sparkly" element on my table.  Our mirror top tables also reflect light from the nearby window...  more sparkly! 

The florals and my soap stone knick-knack box created some contrasting textures against the smooth and shiny lamp and vase.  I like having a lidded box on the table to keep my tube of hand cream and other lose items (you know, pens and paper pads).  Aside from its obvious purpose, the rectangular box was juxtaposed with the roundness of the baluster lamp and barrel shape vase to create a balancing effect with different shapes.  It was also the next layer in the height variance of the tablescape.

If our bedside tables were a bit larger, then maybe there would be room for some artwork .  For now though, I would add some colours with a special occasions card - birthdays, valentine's, Mother's Days, and Christmas (did I miss any?).  At the rate I clear my bedside table (not very often), each can stay on for several months for a good rotation!  Little man's masterpieces sometimes also make their way to my table - "Mommy, I drew something awesome for you!" They're FOR ME, so I feel obligated to showcase it by my bed.  ;-)

The Mr.'s side?  Bleh...  

He's utilitarian (and territorial) and doesn't like too many things on HIS table.  So I've only added a faux grass plant on his side, leaving his black notebook for home project ideas untouched.  =)

In the meantime, we're looking to upsize our bedside tables to something like these...  Anything with hidden storage to cover my mess, as the Mr. would say!

Sources:  1. Pottery Barn / 2. One Kings Lane / 3. Bowring / 4. Joss & Main

So...  when was the last time you cleaned up and beautified your bedside table?  Time for a late spring cleaning!