I stumbled upon an old nightstand that someone had discarded near the trash. At first glance, it was in poor condition: the paint had chipped, the surface was damaged, and there were visible grease stains. Despite its state, something about its design caught my attention, and I decided to give it a second chance.
Three weeks later, the nightstand had transformed into a beautiful piece of furniture that looks brand new. I started by removing the glass doors, as they were fragile and didn’t fit well with the rest of the piece. Next, I cleaned the surface and stripped off the old wax layer. At first, I wasn’t sure if a restoration would even be possible, especially with the deep stains and cracks.
But the wood grain was so beautiful that I decided to preserve it by applying two coats of oil.
The result was stunning—its shine returned, and the wood felt nourished. To ensure the piece would stay intact, I reinforced the back with nails. For added protection, I applied a colorless oil to keep the wood safe from future wear.
As for the doors, I hesitated to paint them. I thought that using a solid color would make the piece look too formal and potentially decrease its charm. Instead, I took inspiration from old Romanian furniture traditions from the last century, which complemented the overall style perfectly.
Finally, I chose handles that matched the design and, after reassembling the entire piece, the nightstand now looks like it just came out of a high-end furniture shop. It’s incredible what a little bit of effort and imagination can do to breathe new life into something that was once discarded.
