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.

These black painted furniture pieces are a great way to add some modern edge and contrast in any room, and they are the perfect example of how a simple coat of black paint can completely transform an old piece into something trendy and stylish.

vintage vanity with bench and mirror before makeover

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.)

Table of Contents

Supplies Used for DIY black farmhouse nightstands from a vintage vanity

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JigSaw
Router
Screwdriver
Bondo
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

Make sure you have all these necessary supplies and tools ready to go so you can easily follow along.

Take the Vanity Apart

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

the back of the vanity with marks where to cut with jigsaw

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 fix a chipped wood corner and repair damaged furniture with Bondo here!

the two ends of the vanity separated into nightstands

side angle of the nightstands with damage filled in with Bondo

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Click on the picture of the book to purchase!

Prep the Nightstands for Paint

Then I cleaned and scuff sanded each piece thoroughly before I started to paint. Read all about cleaning furniture before painting here.

closeup of the front of nightstand with hardware removed from drawers

Learn about the best way to prep furniture for paint here. Or read this post to learn about the importance of sanding before painting furniture!

Paint the Nightstands Black

Using the most amazing sponge paint brush ever, the painting sponge, I painted multiple coats of Liquorice from Country Chic Paint until there was full coverage – about 3-4 coats.

Check out my honest and detailed Country Chic Paint Review here.

Check out the best black chalk paint for furniture here. Get more black chalk painted furniture ideas for inspiration here.

I love the painting sponge because it doesn’t leave brush marks like regular paintbrushes! 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 paint furniture without brush marks here.

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! Check out the 6 best distressing furniture techniques here!

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.

Here’s how to apply polycrylic to painted furniture. You can also use a paint sprayer to spray polyurethane topcoat too if you want!

Learn more about the best topcoats for painting furniture here!

Make New Wood Tops

I cut and routered out new tops with fresh wood. I used this laminated pine wood.

closeup of laminated common board cut and routered to make a new wood top for the nightstands

birds eye view of new wood top for the nightstands

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.)

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.)

Check out the best wood stains for refinishing furniture here. Read this post to learn more about how to stain wood darker.

new wood top stained with special walnut wood stain

Attach the New Tops to the Nightstands

Once everything was dry, I attached the new tops.

stained wood top attached to black painted nightstand

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.

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!

black painted nightstands with new stained tops

black painted farmhouse style nightstands with black knobs and wood tops

More Before And After Makeovers

Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.

vanity turned into black painted farmhouse style nightstands with black knobs and wood tops

How do I know if a piece of furniture is good for repurposing?

Repurposing furniture is a great way to give new life to old pieces. But not all furniture is suitable for repurposing.

When considering whether a piece of furniture is good for repurposing, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, look at the condition of the piece – does it have any major structural damage or missing parts that would make it difficult to use for a new purpose?

Next, consider the size and shape of the furniture – will it fit in the space you have in mind for its new use?

Also, think about the style and design – does it match your aesthetic and can it be easily transformed into something that does?

Liquorice Chalk Paint from Country Chic Paint

Painting Sponge

Sale

Special Walnut Stain

Another important factor to consider is the material of the furniture. Wood furniture is generally the easiest to repurpose, as it can be sanded and painted or stained easily. Metal furniture can also be repurposed with some sanding and spray painting.

However, sometimes it’s okay to leave a piece of furniture in its original state and simply use it for a different purpose, like using a dresser as a TV stand or a bookshelf as a room divider.