DIY Emerald Green Mismatched Nightstands
Create your own modern farmhouse nightstands with midcentury modern nightstands and milk paint. The best part? They don’t have to be a pair of nightstands. Put two different nightstands together to make these DIY emerald green mismatched nightstands!
These painted nightstand ideas are budget-friendly, super simple, and a great way to showcase your creativity and personal style. Plus, using milk paint gives the pieces a beautiful, natural chipped look. So, let’s dive in and create these unique and stylish pieces!
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See more AFTER photos below these printable instructions!
DIY Emerald Green Mismatched Nightstands
These DIY emerald green mismatched nightstands are fun and unique, here's how you can do the same!
Materials
- Mismatched Nightstands
- Real Milk Paint in Lily Pad
- Krud Kutter
- Sanding Sponges
- Sandpaper
- Tack Cloth
- Painters Tape
- Waterbased Polyurethane
- Modern Knobs
Tools
Instructions
- Mix powdered milk paint with water. Simply mix 1 part milk paint powder with 1 part water in a container, close its lid tightly and then shake the container. Let the milk paint sit in the sealed container for about 15 minutes.
- While letting the milk paint sit, prep the nightstands for paint. Remove any hardware and fill in the old hardware holes. Clean the nightstands with Krud Kutter then tape off the drawers with painter’s tape so milk paint doesn’t get on the sides or insides of the drawers.
- Now, paint two coats of milk paint on each nightstand.
- Grab sandpaper or a sanding sponge and lightly sand the milk painted nightstands. This will distress the paint, help the chippy paint fall off, and it will smooth out any gritty texture. Vacuum up the dust and wipe the nightstands down with a lint-free rag or tack cloth.
- Spray 3 coats of poly to seal the milk paint. You can mix about half and half of the matte poly and the satin poly to create a really nice sheen.
- Finish off by adding new hardware to the nightstands. You can put the same hardware on both mismatched nightstands to add one more similarity, but you could switch it up with knobs that are the same color, but different shapes on the other nightstand.
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Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.
These nightstands are funky, and they are different! That’s what sets them apart! We’ve mashed up a few different things all into one pair of nightstands, and I’m going to show you how you can do the same!
- They are Mid Century Modern mixed with farmhouse and
- They are mismatched nightstands. Two different nightstands painted the same!
Yep, you saw that right. The farmhouse rustic style, mixed with midcentury modern furniture, AND they are two different nightstands. But all of that works together to create a magical harmony.
How to Make Your Own DIY Mismatched Nightstands
First, grab two different nightstands. You want them to be similar in either size, shape, or style. Take these mismatching nightstands, for example:
- One is 1/2″ shorter than the other, but it’s also a few inches wider than the other.
- They are both MCM (Mid Century Modern) style with straight lines and details.
- One nightstand has two drawers, the other has 3 drawers.
- They even have different color finishes! One is darker wood, and the other is a bit lighter wood.
Other options to consider:
- Two nightstands of the same height, different width. One has drawers, and one doesn’t.
- Two nightstands of the same style, both of different heights.
- OR you can honestly just go all out and have two completely different nightstands! (We’ll make them have similar qualities next!)
Are you a visual learner? Here are some more mismatched nightstands that I have done!
- Grey Painted Dressers
- Oversized Nightstands in French Blue
- Creamy White Farmhouse Nightstands
- Farmhouse Style Large Mismatching Nightstands
Why should you use Mismatched Nightstands?
If you want to DIY your own painted nightstands, you might find that it’s hard to come across two matching nightstands. Over time, pairs of nightstands have gotten separated, or only one nightstand came in a bedroom set.
But, if you want two nightstands in one room, you’re going to have a hard time finding two matching nightstands for a cheap price.
Enter the two different nightstands! You can find two nightstands and make them a pair of nightstands with a little bit of paint! You can usually find a single nightstand for less money too!
From the design perspective, mismatching nightstands add an extra design element, or an eclectic feel to your room. No longer are the days of having a whole entire bedroom set matching!
Coordinating mismatched bedroom furniture doesn’t have to be difficult. Find pieces that have one similar element. For example, the same style, the same color, the same height, or the same hardware lines. Then add another matching element, and you will have the perfect pair of mismatched nightstands.
From a furniture painter and seller’s perspective, a pair of nightstands always sells faster and better than a single nightstand. If you want to know more about how to make money painting furniture, check out this post.
So, whenever we get single nightstands in, we usually let them sit until we find something that can match them. Now, we paint the mismatching nightstands the same! Same paint, and the same hardware. Here’s how to paint mid-century modern furniture in a farmhouse style!
Supplies Used for DIY Emerald Green Mismatching Nightstands
- Mismatching Nightstands
- Real Milk Paint in Lily Pad
- Zibra Paint Brush (My fav!)
- Krud Kutter
- Sanding Sponges (or Sandpaper) for distressing
- Shop Vacuum
- Tack Cloth
- Painters Tape
- Waterbased Poly to seal the milk paint
- Modern Knobs (I got mine from TJMaxx a long time ago)
Grab our list of 10 best painting furniture supplies you must have so you’re always ready for your next project!
What is Milk Paint?
Milk paint comes in a powder (just mix it with water to create paint), and it is best known for creating an old-looking, chippy matte finish (like this DIY painted chippy farmhouse dresser). Check out my comparison between milk paint vs chalk paint here if you’re considering between the two.
I went for a matching farmhouse-style finish on these MCM nightstands! It’s non-toxic, and is super easy to use.
Milk paint is the easiest type of paint to use on old wood furniture, as long as you are happy with having either a chippy, slightly chippy, or full coverage finish. Read this post to learn all about how to get a chippy paint finish with milk paint – every time!
Milk paint is known to do it’s own thing, depending on the surface it’s painted on.
- So a surface that is slick and shiny, it would usually chip quite a bit.
- On a wood surface that is really dry (or raw), the milk paint will most likely adhere really well, and not chip.
That’s honestly one reason I love it! I can’t wait to see what the milk paint does!
How to Use Milk Paint on Furniture
We painted these nightstands with Lily Pad by The Real Milk Paint Company! Learn all the details about how to use milk paint on furniture here.
How to Mix Powdered Milk Paint
Simply mix 1 part milk paint powder with 1 part water. The Real Milk Paint company makes it really easy to mix their milk paint! They include a container to mix it in!
Once the powder and water are in the container (along with the marble that they include), just close the lid tightly and then shake the container! Here is a quick video from The Real Milk Paint on how to mix powdered milk paint. We also have a guide on how to mix milk paint properly here.
Then let the milk paint sit in the sealed container for about 15 minutes, while you prep your nightstands for paint.
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**If you take longer than 15 minutes to prep the nightstands (like filling in hardware holes) wait to mix up the paint, OR put it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
**Once mixed up, the milk paint doesn’t have a long shelf life. Mix only what you will use that day!
How to Prep Nightstands for Milk Paint
Remove the hardware and fill in the old hardware holes. Learn the different ways of filling holes when replacing cabinet or furniture hardware here, and learn how to change hardware on furniture here.
Clean the nightstands with a degreaser like Krud Kutter. This will remove any oil, dirt, or grime that would prevent the milk paint from adhering to the surface. Learn all about how to clean furniture before painting here.
Tape off the drawers with painter’s tape so milk paint doesn’t get on the sides or insides of the drawers. Here’s how to prevent overspray when painting furniture for more tips!
I’m normally a huge advocate of proper prep including scuff sanding and preventing bleedthrough. You can read more about the importance of sanding before painting furniture here and learn what happens if you don’t sand before painting furniture here. And to avoid bleedthrough, here’s how to stop stains from coming through paint!
BUT with milk paint, that isn’t necessary unless you have a slick or shiny piece of furniture. If you don’t want the milk paint to chip, and it isn’t necessarily slick or shiny, then you should scuff sand as well. I do recommend scuff sanding and preventing bleedthrough with chalk paint, though!
Read all about how to prepare furniture for painting properly here.
DIY Emerald Green Mismatched Nightstands with Milk Paint
Now you’re ready to paint! My all time favorite paintbrush to paint milk paint on furniture is the Zibra round brush! The Zibra paintbrushes and milk paint go very very well together. Plus the round shape helps you get into details and grooves that a regular paintbrush can’t easily get into. Check out your options for the best paint brushes for painting furniture here!
Brush the milk paint on in long strokes (milk paint has natural variations in the pigments, so long strokes from one end to the other are the best!) Paint two coats of milk paint on each nightstand!
Did you know that you can spray milk paint!? You can!! For more details and answers to “Can you spray milk paint?“, check out our post!
How to Distress Milk Paint
Milk paint dries quickly! I noticed that The Real Milk Paint Company milk paint comes out grittier than other milk paint I have tried. That’s okay, though! Grab a 220 grit piece of sandpaper (or one of these amazing sanding sponges) and lightly hand sand the paint.
This will distress the paint, help the chippy paint fall off, and it will smooth out the gritty texture! Check out this post to learn all about the 6 best distressing furniture techniques! Once you are done, vacuum up the dust and wipe it down with a lint free rag or tack cloth.
How to Seal Milk Paint
Milk paint is super porous and has to be sealed with either wax, hemp oil, or polyurethane. Learn more about these 3 ways to seal milk paint here.
Polyurethane is much more durable than wax or hemp oil, so it’s my go-to! Read through this post to learn more about the best topcoats for painting furniture.
On these emerald green nightstands, I sprayed on a few coats of water-based poly. Learn ALL of my tips and tricks on how to spray polyurethane here! If you don’t have a sprayer, you can brush the poly on! Here’s how to apply polycrylic to painted furniture to guide you.
I mixed about half and half of the matte poly and the satin poly to create a really nice sheen. Then, I sprayed it with 3 coats of poly.
Add Hardware to DIY Emerald Green Mismatched Nightstands
To finish off these nightstands we add the same white and gold modern knobs to both nightstands.
I personally like to put the same hardware on both mismatched nightstands to add one more similarity, but you could switch it up with knobs that are the same color, but different shapes on the other nightstand.
Now you have your own DIY emerald green mismatched nightstands for your bedroom! For more ideas on styling mismatched nightstands, check out these mismatched nightstands ideas.
More DIY Nightstand Makeover Ideas
It’s amazing how a simple change to your nightstand can completely transform the look of your bedroom. Aside from painting your nightstands emerald green, you can try out these exciting ideas to give them a makeover:
- A bold pop of color: If you’re feeling adventurous, why not go for a bright and bold color for your nightstand? You can get started with these yellow chalk painted furniture! Here are more bold furniture paint colors you can use. For more color inspiration, here’s our list of nightstand color ideas!
- Stenciling: This is a fun and easy way to add some personality to your nightstand. You can either use a pre-made stencil or create your own design. Learn how to stencil painted furniture with our guide.
- Hardware swap: Switching out the hardware on your nightstand can make a big impact. Try modern or vintage style knobs, handles, or pulls to give it a fresh look. Or you can paint the hardware you already have – here’s a handy guide on how to paint drawer pulls.
For more painted nightstand makeovers, check out these small nightstand ideas and modern nightstand ideas. And here are our lists of unique nightstand ideas and creative nightstand ideas for fun makeovers! If you want to use chalk paint, don’t miss these chalk paint nightstand ideas.
So that’s how to paint and distress your own DIY mismatched nightstands using milk paint! Remember, you can always use these techniques for any color or style of nightstand.
More Green Furniture Makeovers
- Painting Furniture with Lilly Moon Paint
- DIY Emerald Green Dresser
- Mid Century Modern Farmhouse Dresser in Olive Green
- Emerald Green Painted Furniture
- DIY Emerald Green Bedside Table
Follow us on YouTube to get more tips for painting furniture. Or share your project with us on our Facebook Group and be part of our community. See you there!
Those tables are gorgeous! I have been having the hardest time picking out hardware for a dresser I painted sage green… . Anyway, I saw those knobs on Etsy and I kept going back to them and pretty much driving myself nuts. It was between them and large ring drop pulls. I went out on Pinterest AGAIN and these beauties popped up. They are exactly what my dresser needs. And now I instead of scrolling through more hardware that’s all starting to look exactly the same I can get a good night sleep?. .
I listen to the zibra podcast when I’m painting and I think that you have been on it? If so, thank you for your words of wisdom and encouragement. It’s much appreciated.
Hey Kara!
I’m so happy you found inspiration! Yep, I have been on the Zibra podcast a couple of times now! Thank you for listening!
Hello Hello, I am getting ready to do 2 night stands. I will be brush painting them and I’m wondering if there is a different larger brush that is better or if a 1inch one is really the way to go? Finding this pin gave me the inspo for our master bedroom so thank you for this!
Hey! These 1″ round brushes are the best, especially when you have details on furniture.
Yep, one thing of paint should go 2 side tables just fine.
I love the idea of mismatched nightstands that have a similar vibe in matching paint. I’m not a fan of the distressed look, but I love the color and style of your work. Beautifully done!
Now you have night stands that look like siblings. They aren’t identical twins, but they belong in the same family. I like that family. ,
I painted two nightstands that were also not identical but they look great together. I prefer mismatched furniture in bedroom anyway. As long as they matched in color, Im ok with it. It makes it interesting to look at.