When RJ and I first found out we were pregnant, we found this changing table and a matching rocking chair from the DI. We were really excited because they literally were the same. However, we knew we wanted darker wood, and we also didn't like that someone's child had taken a Sharpie marker and drawn all over these bad boys. They were sturdy, but not in the best condition. We bought them with the intention of refinishing them. We thought it'd be a fun project.
Let me tell you what happened instead. We both got really busy with school, and the changing table and rocking chair just sat in a room taking up space and driving me crazy that they weren't finished yet. Then one night we started working on them and made a lot of progress. Then all of that progress stopped because we got busy again. This process was stop and go for quite a while, and we both kept getting more and more frustrated with our "fun project."
I finally had a nervous breakdown one night when we had just moved into our new apartment, started crying, and locked myself in the baby's bedroom pathetically sanding down the furniture. I was a mess. RJ promised me that he would have all of the sanding done by the end of the week, and he did. Then it was my task to go down to Lowe's and find a stain that I liked. And I did. I was so excited because I thought this would be the easy part! Then RJ wanted to sand everything down one last time with a really fine grit because he wanted to make sure that it was all completely smooth. I was so mad because I just wanted this stupid project to be done and over with, but I couldn't complain because the last thing I wanted was for us to have put in so much effort and to have stored these two things for so long, only for them to come out looking like crap. So he sanded, and I held my tongue. I'm glad I did.
The rocking chair still needs to be stained, but the changing table is finished! I'm so excited and so proud of him, and in the end, I'm glad we did this. It matches our crib beautifully and it looks brand new. We spent a total of $32, which is huge considering the changing table that matches our crib is about $375. Score. Our frustration throughout the process probably adds on a couple extra bucks, but I'm not counting that.
We learned a lot from doing this, and I really want to try again. RJ says no, but we'll see. =]
-First, I learned that the more flat surfaces the better. This should be obvious, right? Well, it wasn't. I was so excited about the curved pieces in the very beginning, but I'm pretty sure they had RJ cursing under his breath. Good thing he loves me.
-Second, it's better to remove the finish with a stripper, and not sand paper. The exact same day that RJ finished sanding off all the original stain I found out about this handy little tool. I almost didn't tell him, but I did. He didn't like that very much.
-Third, I wish we would have invested in an electric sander. I'm still a little bit sketchy on this, because I heard that sanders are really only good for large flat pieces and not skinny ones, but it could have possibly saved us a ton of time. Or ruined everything. Who knows.
-Fourth, I realized that we can't just get something without having the time to do it. I think the biggest reason that this turned into such a pain in the butt is because it sat for so long, and our hatred began to grow and grow. Not good. The next time we do this we're going to strip the stain, sand, and finish all within a short period of time. In and out.
All in all I love how this turned out, and I am so excited to see the rocker finished. Baby's room is almost ready. Almost.
 |
| Before |
 |
| Almost finished... |
 |
| After! |
2 comments:
LOVE it! And those are some cute baskets. Oh and nice diaper genie where'd ya get that from?
I got it from a really expensive baby store. Only the top dollar for Baby E! =]
Hopefully I don't have to use it too often. My baby is going to be a genius and be potty-trained from day 1. I can just feel it!
Post a Comment