DIY Black Farmhouse Nightstands from a Vintage Vanity

Most vintage nightstands are short and wide, so they take up a lot of space and aren’t as tall as the bed. Check out how we made these tall DIY Black Farmhouse Nightstands from a vintage vanity.

Get more painted nightstands ideas here!

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These nightstands started out as a vintage vanity that I found at an estate sale.

But man was that vanity in rough shape.

The top needed some veneer work, and the mirror and mirror frame was loose and wobbly.

And at the time, I just couldn’t imagine the time and headache it would take to fix those problems. (Scroll to the bottom of this post for ways that I have learned to fix these problems.)

DIY Black Farmhouse Nightstands from a Vintage Vanity

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Supplies Used:

• JigSaw
• Router
• Screwdriver
• Krud Kutter
• 220 Grit Sandpaper
• Liquorice Chalk Paint from Country Chic Paint
• Painting Sponge (Paint Brush)
• My Favorite Waterbased Polyurethane Topcoat
• Wood for the Tops
• Special Walnut Stain

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How to Make DIY Black Farmhouse Nightstands from a Vintage Vanity

1. Take Apart the Vanity
2. Prep the Nightstands for Paint
3. Paint the Nightstands Black
4. Distress the Chalk Paint
5. Topcoat the Chalk Paint
6. Make New Wood Tops
7. Stain the New Wood Tops
8. Attach the New Tops to the Nightstands

Step 1: Take Apart the Vanity

With a screwdriver, I was able to remove the mirror, top, and front brace.

The back brace wasn’t quite as easy (pictured below), but with 2 quick cuts with the jigsaw (each right against the sides), I ended up with two separate pieces.

Then I filled in any holes left from the little demolition with Bondo.

Check out how to repair damaged furniture with Bondo here.

Step 2: Prep the Nightstands for Paint

Then I cleaned and scuff sanded each piece thoroughly before I started to paint.

Learn about the best way to prep furniture for paint here.

Step 3: Paint the Nightstands Black

Using the most amazing sponge paint brush ever, the Painting Sponge, I painted multiple coats of Liquorice until there was full coverage – about 3-4 coats.

I love the painting sponge because it doesn’t leave brush marks like regular paint brushes!

But I like to thin the paint out a little bit to avoid brush marks. And the paint goes on thinner when you use a painting sponge.

So you end up having to paint more coats. I think it’s worth it to have a brush mark free finish.

Get more ideas on how to avoid brush marks on your painted furniture here.

Step 4: Distress the Chalk Paint

Then I lightly distressed the edges with an old damp rag.

I also really like to distress chalk paint with 220 grit sandpaper.

Either way works great!

Step 5: Topcoat the Chalk Paint

The Painting Sponge is even more amazing when applying a perfect topcoat with no streaks.

I ended up applying 3 coats of my favorite water-based poly to the nightstands.

Step 6: Make New Wood Tops

I cut and routered out new tops with fresh wood.

I used this laminated pine wood.

And I cut it out so it overhung the top of the nightstand a little on each side. (Somewhere between 1/2″ – 1″ overhang on each side.)

Step 7: Stain the New Wood Tops

The tops were stained with a coat of special walnut and given multiple coats of polyurethane for protection. ( I waited to topcoat the wood after the stain had dried for at least 48 hours.)

Step 8: Attach the New Tops to the Nightstands

Once everything was dry, I attached the new tops.

I used the same screw holes and screws that held the original top on, along with a few wood blocks (also from the original top) glued to the sides and some metal L braces on the inside back.

Answer Questions

How to Repair Damaged Veneer

One thing I’ve learned since this makeover is how easy it is to repair damaged veneer, and the easiest way to remove damaged veneer (if it’s so bad that it needs to be removed.)

This once worn out vanity is now the perfect solution to small space problems and are tall enough for modern beds!

More Repurposed Furniture Into Nightstand Ideas

• How to Repurpose Desks into Tall Skinny Nightstands
• How to Take Apart an Antique Vanity from Timeless Creations
• Vanity Into Nightstands Transformation video from Salvaged by K. Scott
• How to Upcycle a Desk into a Pair of Nightstands
• Repurpose an MCM Desk into Nightstands