Weekend DIY: A queen sleigh bed goes from old to new again!
Re-purposing and upcycling furniture is a key part of my design philosophy. I have always loved our family's collection of furniture, and strongly believe that keeping family pieces around is an important way to tell the story of how you got to where you are now. I was fortunate to spend many weekend days with my parents, trotting around to country auctions and coming home with wooden rocking chairs, antique dressers with original beveled glass mirrors, spinning wheels and weaving looms. And, those pieces form an important part of my childhood memories too -- so I want to keep them around if at all possible!
When I graduated from university, my mom gave me a wonderful gift. I had always loved the look of sleigh beds, and she had one custom-made for me by a local woodworker. It was pine, which at the time I loved, but over the years its' very rustic look has faded out of my tastes. When my daughter was old enough to move into a big bed, we decided to put this queen bed in her room, with the intention of making it double as our guest room when family comes to visit. But, the pine finish just didn't jive with the look I wanted for her room. Hmmm... What would happen if I painted it white? So, we decided to find out!
Before, During & After:
I coerced my husband into helping me use Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint (my current fave DIY product) in Old White color. It took us about 3 hours to paint the entire bed frame, giving it 2 or 3 coats to completely mask the wood peeking out from underneath. After a coat of clear wax the following day, we had successfully upcycled a solid wood bedframe into a shabby-chic, vintage looking piece of furniture that our daughter can take with her as she goes forward! It was sooo fun to see the transformation of this piece of furniture, and to give it a new lease on life.
