Waterfall Nightstand

Waterfall Nightstand Before

This adorable nightstand was the last piece of the waterfall collection of furniture which completed the bedroom set we refinished and restored. Unlike the art deco nightstand, this one was lightweight, with gorgeous woodgrain hiding beneath the watermarks and rings on the top and a few minor scratches on the sides. But it had great bones, so to do it justice, needed carefully detailed stripping. Because of the curved edge in the waterfall furniture style, refinishing is time consuming work, but well

Waterfall Nightstand After

worth it.

The grooves on the outer edges of this piece was where the old stain accumulated once stripper was applied so I used a wood carving tool and carefully scraped out all the extra gunk (that's what I call it!) This made it easier to sand and ultimately stain with the golden pecan stain I selected to match the other furniture in this set, which was a set of dressers a headboard and footboard.

This nightstand was my favorite piece because it was cute and tiny, thus easier to handle than the larger furniture items. I could pick it up and place it on my work table (saving my back in the process) so I could get a better look at the work that it required.

Top Before

Top After

After assessing the situation, I removed the door, hinges and knob (which I cleaned and polished) then got to work. Starting with the top then working my way down, I stripped and sanded until all the old finish was gone. Luckily my careful sanding paid off as I was able to remove the watermarks! Once it was completely sanded, I used a soft cloth to apply the stain.

I waited 24 hours then applied the first of three coats of semi-gloss polyurethane, lightly sanding between the first and second coats. I re-installed the now polished knob and hinges and stood back to see my work. I was happy with my work. The nightstand turned out terrific and will look that way for many years to come.