Last week while Brady just had to make a stop at a fly fishing store, I went next door to a new little antique shop in Logan. I found a great blanket chest that I thought had some real potential. I've been wanting something like this since I saw one in a furniture store for $400 and had to restrain. I got the antique store chest for $70 but it did need some work.
First, I took off the lid and sanded off the top layer and the ugly flowers on each side. Then, put on a coat of wood stain and sanded it again for a distressed look. I added hinges to the outside edges and wanted to put a big doorknob or something at the top put couldn’t find any that I liked. Last step- found a piece of fabric to cover the ugly pink top. I went with a more boring fabric so that I could match the chest with different pillows and use it for different rooms in the future.
What I learned: The wood came out a lot darker than I expected. You can always add more coats of stain or add a darker layer after. Error on the lighter side.
Here is the before and after! The lighting made the after pictures look weird and not as cute as in real life but you get the idea.