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A really great way to find old furniture to fix up is through storage auctions. Have you ever been to one? When someone stops paying for their storage unit after awhile they auction them off. You buy the whole unit and everything in it. It’s my husbands current obsession, but I’ll admit it’s been fun! Hubby and I recently purchased a unit and found several really great pieces inside. They were all in desperate need of some TLC, but that’s the fun part anyway! There just happened to be a nice pair of side tables in the unit. They were in pretty rough shape, but I loved the size and the beautiful lines so I decided to give them the love they needed. I had a brand new Homeright Finish Max Fine Finish Sprayer to test out too and I figured these would be the perfect pieces to give it a shot! These were made over specifically for me, with no plans to sell the finished pieces. I really love how they turned out!

In pretty rough shape! These poor little side tables were very dinged up, dented and scratched. But they were solid.

I’m not sure what happened to the top here. It was so beat up! The tables were solid wood though so after a nice sanding they smoothed out ok.

There was a lot of damage just like this.

*This is a sponsored post. As always my opinions are 100% my own. Affiliate links used*

Here’s what I used to turn these abandoned side tables into stylish beauties:

Homeright Finish Max Fine Finish Sprayer
DecoArt Americana Chalky Finish paint – Everlasting (White)
Rust-Oleum wood stain – Kona (a very dark rich brown)
Rust-Oleum gloss spray paint – Seaside (aqua blue/green)
Minwax Semi-Gloss polycrylic clear sealer
DecoArt Americana Decor Creme Wax – Deep Brown
Handheld sander

The first step was to sand down the tables and clean them up. A few rounds with the handheld sander revealed a very pretty table top! I decided I would stain the top, and the drawer fronts and paint the rest. I used a dark stain (Kona) to match the fireplace mantel in the same room.

I stained the table first, and then it was time to spray it! This part was really fun, and very exciting! I had never used a paint sprayer before. I will never do a project like this without it again. Life changing!

I used Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint in these. After I repainted my TV Console Dog Bed with their chalk paint I fell in love. It covers great, and is so smooth! It also worked really great in the sprayer! BONUS! I thinned the paint down just a little bit. 1 part water to 8 parts paint. JUST a slight thinning. The coverage was fantastic! I recorded a small video to show you just how amazing it is. It blew my mind that I could paint two whole side tables in 10 minutes! With a brush that would have taken me at least and hour, probably two.

Isn’t that so cool!?

I wanted to give the drawers a little bit of character without overwhelming the piece. So I painted the insides with Chalky Finish in “Treasure” (the same color as my dog bed, which will be in the same room as these!). This is my very favorite chalky finish color. I love it. I just used a satin varnish to seal up the inside of the drawers I was not as worried about their wear.

I used spray paint to update the old hardware and give it that POP of color I was looking for. The bright “Seaside” paint was beautiful, but it was just a little too bright so I used a deep brown creme wax to age things a little bit. Brush it on, wipe it off. So easy!

I sealed the table with clear semi gloss polycrylic. Just one coat on the body of the tables and three on the table tops to give them a little bit of added protection.

I really love that bright surprise of color inside the drawers and the bright knobs on the drawers!

And the deep dark rich tops look amazing against the bright blues!

What a difference! Aren’t they beautiful now? I have an old long dresser I’m going to refinish next. It’s going to match these side tables, and I’m going to repurpose it to hold our TV in the same room. I can’t wait to get started, and the best part is that instead of taking hours and hours like a dresser would have before, it will be super quick with the sprayer!

We started repainting the room where these beautiful side tables are going to live and the whole thing is starting to come together now and I’m so excited! We are finally getting rid of the super dark red walls that made everything feel like a cave, and the whole room is brightening up! I can’t wait until these fun pops of color are everywhere and all tied together into a cohesive area! The Finish Max sprayer made putting up the primer coat really easy! Bye bye dark depressing red! Hello beautiful creamy brightness! Isn’t my mantel beautiful? My dad made it for me, and it’s my favorite part of the room.