If you’ve been looking for the fastest way to make old furniture look expensive, these painted nightstands show how a new finish can completely transform outdated pieces into something high end. Learn how to paint furniture fast, with the right paint, prep work, and a one day furniture makeover process, while still getting a smooth, durable finish.

If you’re looking for even more inspiration before starting your own project, check out these furniture makeover ideas for more transformations.

A pair of yellow nightstands placed side by side in a garage; BEFORE is written above in bold black letters.

Welcome to Furniture Fixer Upper day, where we join 4 of our talented furniture friends and bring you brand new makeovers! I’ll link to my friend’s makeovers after our after photos at the bottom of this post! Don’t forget to check out their masterpieces!! Okay, back to our makeover!

I found these nightstands on Facebook Marketplace for only $150! I was going to try to barter them down until I looked at the dimensions, and I realized they were a lot bigger than they looked in the listing.

Then, when I opened up a drawer, I learned they were stinkin’ Henredon brand. If you don’t know what that is, it’s high end vintage furniture that tells you it’s solid, nice wood, and very high quality.

I was SOLD and couldn’t bring them home with me fast enough!

Here’s a quick peek at what they look like after the makeover. Aren’t they stunning?? Keep scrolling to see more of the process, how stinking easy they were to update and make them look expensive, and more after photos.

Black furniture with brass hardware and decor on top

Two black nightstands with gold handles, floral decor on top, on a patterned rug against a white paneled wall.

Supplies Used for the Fastest Way to Make Old Furniture Look Expensive

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Why I Didn’t Strip These Vintage Nightstands

Now I knew for sure I didn’t like this yellowish finish on here. I knew that there was solid, high quality wood underneath that finish, but did I really wanna go through the work (and at least a week of dragging on the project) to strip off that paint so that I could stain it? Or did I wanna do a quick 1 day painted furniture makeover on these that’s not gonna cost more than like $50?

You guessed it, I did a quick and easy makeover, where I knew the paint was gonna hold up and be durable because I’ve tested it over and over and over. I knew I could do it in 1 day, so I could get on with other things and not be stressed out.

I teach this method in our 1 Day Furniture Makeovers course, where I share my shortcuts and all the little secrets to be able to update your furniture in 1 day.

Why Cleaning Furniture Before Painting Matters

So we took these nightstands outside, and first things first, I always, always, always, never skip, the cleaning because this furniture has been used for years. This was vintage, it’s getting almost antique, and it needed a good cleaning to get all the gunk off.

I typically use my regular cleaning spray, but I recently purchased these Surface Prep cloths. They’re wipes that you can just pull out and start wiping off the gunk. So I tried these out, really not thinking they were gonna do anything, but boy, was I wrong.

Arrow showing half of nightstand top cleaned by Surface Prep wipes

Natalie using a power drill with a brush attachment to clean a drawer front on a cream dresser.

Here’s the kicker, though. I wasn’t gonna trust a quick test on this very important project, and I wanted this paint to stick as well as possible, so I still sprayed on my regular cleaner, Krud Kutter, and I used the brush attachment for my drill to get in all the details and corners.

You’ve really gotta clean before you paint because if you’re painting a surface that can easily be wiped off, your paint isn’t gonna stick very well and is just gonna scratch off really easily. I have more tips on how to clean furniture before painting here.

Cleaning took me 30 minutes, which was the longest process of this whole thing! Taking off the hardware with my electric screwdriver was really fast. Then I put them into a container so I wouldn’t lose them. Learn how to clean old furniture hardware here to refresh it before putting it back on.

How I Finished These Nightstands in 1 Day

And then it was time to paint. We hung some drop cloths from the wall, put some cardboard on the ground, and then just put our nightstands on some piano dollies. And voila! It’s a very cheap little spray booth with plenty of space and was really easy to set up.

Vonforn Paint Sprayer

Paint Sprayer Cup Liners

Paint Filters

The Fastest Way to Paint Furniture Without Brush Marks

The color I used is called Warm Embers from Heirloom Traditions Paint. It’s a nice, warm, rich black, and I put it in our beginner paint sprayer, which costs less than dinner out for two and is so easy to use. Check out my paint sprayer review here for more on this tool, and here’s my more detailed guide on how to use a beginner paint sprayer.

I put these container liners into the sprayer, so I don’t have to scrub the container as much when I clean the sprayer. Then I used this filter when I poured the paint into the sprayer. Otherwise, the sprayer clogs every single time I skip that step. Learn how to unclog a paint sprayer here if yours gets clogged.

I mixed up the paint, thinned it, sprayed it on and it took less than 5 minutes for each nightstand! So 10 minutes to spray both nightstands, and the transformation was already absolutely incredible, almost full coverage.

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Person wearing a mask spray-painting a light-colored dresser black in a protected work area.

Brushing would’ve taken at least 1 hour per coat, per nightstand. And I would’ve been left with a bunch of brush marks and texture all over, and the sheen wouldn’t have been even.

If you’ve ever wondered how to avoid brush marks, this is exactly why I love using a sprayer. I just wouldn’t have been very happy with the overall finish from a brush. I have a more detailed comparison on spray paint vs brush paint furniture here to help you decide between the two.

I was able to paint in 10 minutes with the sprayer and then move on with my life! I did come back after about 30 minutes of drying, and I used some wood filler to fill in any dings, dents, and scratches I saw.

Two black nightstands in garage with wood filler applied in different spots

This is the best time to check for them because now you can kind of see what it’s going to look like with the paint on it. This wood filler dried in about 30 minutes or so. I put on a thin layer, let it dry, and then lightly sanded it off, vacuumed up the dust, and wiped it down with a tack cloth.

And then I was ready for the second coat of paint, which once again took me only 10 minutes with this sprayer instead of at least two hours of time.

Now, yes, there was some setup time for the sprayer. There was some setup time for the drop cloth that took about 10 minutes. Putting the paint in took no more than 10 minutes, too. So that would be 30 minutes.

Now granted, I do like to tape off the drawers so I can open them up and spray the sides and tops. For these nightstands with six drawers, it took about 20 minutes. So in total, I have 1 hour worth of work of painting when I sprayed… compared to at least 5 hours if I brushed on the paint!

The Best Paint for Furniture That Gets Daily Use

Also, with this paint, I don’t have to topcoat it, and I’ve tested this over and over and over and over again. I really don’t have to topcoat with this. Learn all about it in my Heirloom Traditions All In One Paint review here.

There are other all in one paints that claim you don’t have to topcoat, but they have a matte, flat sheen, and in my opinion, you really do need to topcoat those, or they’re not gonna hold up. But this is a true all in one furniture paint that lasts, so it’s just absolutely incredible.

And here’s what the nightstands look like now!

Top view of black nightstands with gold handles and decor on top

This one day furniture makeover completely changed the look of them and made them feel more expensive. If you love dark finishes, be sure to check out my black painted furniture ideas for even more inspiration.

Two black nightstands with gold handles, floral decor, and framed art, on a rug against a white paneled wall.

Dark nightstand with lamp, framed photo, flowers in vase, and mirror beside a bed with white bedding.

Don’t forget to check out these other awesome before and after furniture makeovers from my Furniture friends!! (Click the links below the photos!)

A collage of five different wooden furniture pieces labeled before, showing them in worn or unfinished condition.

White Side Table Makeover from Petticoat Junktion
Vintage End Table Makeover from My Repurposed Life
1980s Lingerie Chest Furniture Makeover from Salvaged Inspirations
Apothecary Empire Dresser from Confessions of a Serial DIYer