Our Bedroom Set was one of the first new sets of furniture we ever got as a married couple. It prompted our very first Bedroom Makeover. Up until that point, everything was hand-me-downs. Don’t get me wrong, we got some really nice things from people along the way, however, having something brand new was very special at the time. Flash forward 12 years and I can safely say it is the oldest furniture we have in our house at this point! Our room became the forgotten land of the house. Everything had been updated beside it. In the beautiful home, we created this room felt cold and unorganized. It needed a refresh at a minimum.
Bedroom Makeover was a go, I had it all planned out. I was going to paint the room, buy a new furniture set and throw some new decor up around to give it some life. As always I started by doing my internet research, Wayfair, Amazon, Overstock. Then I would venture out to some of the furniture stores in the area. It is fun to look at all the different style options, colors, textures, etc. The not-so-fun part is looking at the price. As if the price was not bad enough, the quality is the worst part! It would be one thing if you could get a good quality item for a reasonable price but now these stores want to charge you a pretty penny for a piece of furniture that looks like it will fall apart in a year. Every day after shopping I would come home and look at the furniture I had and think the same thing – why can’t I get this same quality furniture in the new color I want?
So you realize that the new furniture you really want is not in the budget. BUZZZZZ KILLLLLL! What to do next? A) BUY IT!!! I mean that’s what credit cards are for, Right?!?!?! B) Just give up and scratch the whole project until you win the lottery. C) Buy the cheapest version of the bedroom set you want that you can find (who cares if it has half the drawer space and made of plywood).
Now, if you have read any of my other posts you would know that option A goes against everything I stand for. NO SPENDING BEYOND YOUR MEANS! PERIOD! Option B is, unfortunately, a realistic choice and C was also something I pondered. However, I kept coming back to the same thing, why would I give/ throw away structurally stable furniture to buy option c.
Enter Option D – D for DIY (I am so clever). I began by looking at photos I had taken of the furniture I liked the most. From there, I went to the hardware store to see what my paint options were. I needed to see how close I could come to transforming my furniture to appear like that in the stores.
Through some research, I was able to find the product which I felt would give me the closest results to what I was shooting for. I went with the Valspar Cabinet & Furniture Oil-Enriched Enamel and the Valspar Antiquing Glaze.
Although the paint advertises as No Sanding or Priming Needed, my first step was to wipe all the furniture down with some leftover deglosser I had on hand from my DIY Kitchen Remodel Project. It worked well on my kitchen cabinets and was sold as part of the Rustoleum Cabinet Kit that I used on that project.
Once everything was thoroughly scrubbed down with the deglosser I applied 2 coats of the Valspar Cabinet & Furniture Enamel. I have to say, this paint goes on SMOOTH!!!! This photo was taken after one layer of paint.
I loved its finish and will definitely be using it again. Once this fully dried, it was time for the Glaze.
The glaze was definitely more difficult than I imagined. You need to take your time on this step and only tackle small sections of furniture at a time. I suggest you practice on a cardboard box or the back side of the bed frame to get the hang of it. Once dry, add additional coats of Glaze until you obtain the look you desire.
Once fully dry I coated everything (focusing on nightstand tops and headboard) with poly spray paint. This was to seal in the areas where water may touch or pillows may rub. This was not suggested by Valspar per say, just a personal finish I added for protection.
I also updated the hardware on all my drawers to a mat black finish. This is such a simple, affordable way to update your furniture!
I chose to repaint all my baseboards, doors, and window sills a stark white and the walls a grey-beige. Thankfully I have a tall husband who is not afraid of heights to help with the edging! I also love the little notes he leaves once he is done!
Once the furniture and the walls were done came the fun part! I love the satisfaction of putting everything back together and applying the finishing touches. It’s these touches that make the vision come to life. By saving soooo much money not buying new furniture I had some money in the budget left over to buy some extras to really tie it all together.
One of my favorite additions was my new blinds and drapes. They lightened up the room in such a beautiful yet simple way.
This is my favorite part of any project. All the hard work pays off when you can sit in your space and enjoy it. My room went from a dark, unorganized, college dorm room vibe to finally being a zen place for this mama to relax. Like all my projects, if I can do it, so can you! Feel free to message me if you have any questions along the way!