Coral and Gray Charging Station Valet
8:38:00 PM
Do you ever pass up a thrift store find because it’s broken?
Maybe you should think outside the box! I picked up these two wooden boxes at a
thrift store for a dollar each. It looks to me like they were inserts in an
antique secretary or other piece of furniture that someone had added some
bottoms and handles to. The handles were attached with nails that went all the
way through to the inside of the box (DIY upcycle gone wrong, maybe?), and one
of the boxes had a piece of wood missing—the wood had split where it was
nailed.
I considered replacing the bottom piece of wood on broken
box, but then I noticed how the base actually raised the box a little—and that
slit would be perfect to fit cords through. I have seen charging "valets" at Pottery Barn and other stores, but I wanted something with a little more character. And since I'm adding some more character--redoing my master bedroom on a budget--I thought that these little guys could add some character--and much needed corralling of our electronics on our nightstands!
First things first, though--remove the handles on the back whose fastening nails actually penetrated the inside of the box. I really didn't want to risk tetanus just to charge my iphone, after all.
I then painted the wood with white paint to act as a primer. I was planning on sanding down the finished coats of paint to expose this coat--more on that later.
At this point, I was actually surprised that my husband actually liked this color--knowing full well that I was planning on putting these caddies in our room. This color is very close to pink, so I was actually quite amazed at this acceptance. However, I wanted to used the (now clean) label hardware that was now a peachy-pink metallic, and I felt that there wouldn't be a strong enough contrast between the coral and the metal, so it was time to add another color. I chose gray spray paint--it matches my comforter. So I used some painters tape and some high quality masking material...also known as some old newspaper ads.
I was planning on using some sanding to antique the finish a little, exposing the layers of the paint--and I still might, but I'm kind of digging the glossy sheen of the gray paint, so I stopped--sometimes, you have to know when to lay down the tools, right?
I also took some shots of one of the boxes in action...right on my nightstand. It's a difficult location to photograph, with the only natural light in the room coming into the window right behind the nightstands...but hey, what's bad for photography is good for sleep, right?
I absolutely love how these charging stations turned out.
Here's hoping they corral some of the mess!
Sometimes I link up at the following places: 504 Main, A Diamond in the Stuff, Alderberry Hill, At the Picket Fence, Beyond the Picket Fence, Cherished Bliss, Classy Clutter, C.R.A.F.T., Craft-o-maniac, Crafty Scrappy Happy, DIY Showoff, Eat at Home, Finding Fabulous, Gingersnap Crafts, Glued to My Crafts, Home Stories A to Z, House of Hepworths, House of Rose, I Heart Naptime, Lil Luna, Live Laugh Rowe, Made in a Day, My Favorite Finds, Not Just a Housewife, One Creative Mommy, Organizing Junkie, Semi Homemade Mom, Serenity Now, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Six Sisters Stuff, So You Think You're Crafty, Someday Crafts, Sugarbee Crafts, Tatertots & Jello, The 36th Avenue, The Frugal Girls, The Grant Life, Thistlewood Farms, The Shabby Nest, Tidy Mom, Today's Creative Blog, Uncommon Designs, and Under the Table and Dreaming.
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