Upcycled Nightstand Window Cabinet

I curbed this nightstand so many years ago. I think someone used it for a trash bin because there were hinges on the bottom front.

How to make a cabinet with an upcycled nightstand

I posted this on my Facebook page while I was cleaning out the garage, and I asked if I should “keep” or “toss”. The consensus was KEEP, and there were so many great ideas of what to do with it.

Add shelf to upcycled nightstand

The very first thing I did was to give it a quick coat of primer to take away all the ugly, but I can’t find a picture before adding the shelf.

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I took the measurements of the cabinet, and searched through my stash and found THIS window that would make the perfect door! So, after choosing this window, I then knew where to add the shelf (shown above).

Paint old nightstand

Off it goes to the paint booth. I took the easy road and used my HomeRight Finish Max.

spray paint underside of old nightstand cabinet

Whenever I use my HomeRight Finish Max Fine Finish Sprayer , I always start by spraying the underneath side of my pieces. In this picture you can see I added a shelf to my upcycled nightstand using pocket hole screws.

This is the window after I brushed on some white DIY chalk paint primer—it’s ready for the Finish Max treatment.

Use paint sprayer to paint repurposed window

This is after the Finish Max. Don’t be mislead by overspray. The Finish Max has very little overspray, but I knew it would be easier to scrape the paint off if it were thicker. The paint is True Value’s Easy Care (Sugar Sweet) the same I used on the recent kitchen cabinet makeover.

Add hinges to window to make a nightstand cabinet door

add hinges to window to make a cabinet door

I attached my hinges to the cabinet, then laid the cabinet on it’s side (raised up with some 2x4’s) to attach the hinges to the window. I must say this was the easiest time ever for me on installing hinges.

Secure reclaimed wood to back of window cabinet

I used some old fencing to enclose the back. If you look closely, you’ll see that the nails used from my nail gun, caused some splitting/chipping of the wood at the top. I ended up cutting a small piece of plywood, painting it, and using it to cover this mess. Worked fabulous!

scrape paint on window repurposed nightstand cabinet

I used a razor blade to scrape off the paint from the window. You can see that the layer of paint easily scraped (peeled) off the window.

Paint all gone!

Paint and secure handle to window

repurposed or upcycled nightstand made using a vintage window as a door

I have some handles I got at the restore that are sort of a golden bronze. Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint gave it a quick update, making the upcycled nightstand cabinet look great!

I initially decided to add the rustic fence to help give some weight to the back so that opening the window/door wouldn’t allow it to tip over. However, that wasn’t an issue—the door worked fine without the added weight on the back, but I had already decided the rustic touch would look great. (don’t you agree Catherine?) My friend Catherine suggested I use some of my rustic fence in this way months ago.

Now that I’ve shown you my latest project, I want to show you the tools I use when I use my Finish Max Fine Finish Sprayer to spray paint.

Bowl/bucket for water
Super Finish Max Extra
Extra paint cup
Paint stirrer
Veggie scrub brush
Cheap Chip Brush (for runs)
Soup ladle for scooping out paint instead of pouring it.
Mesh Paint Strainer (not shown)
Respirator (not shown)

How to clean a paint sprayer

I use the bowl of water to dilute my latex paint, and to soak my brushes, etc. As soon as I finish painting, I add water to the extra paint cup to flow clean water through my Finish Max. Usually I store any leftover paint for touch ups in a small container with a lid. I use the veggie scrub brush to clean the Finish Max. (see below) The soup ladle is great for measuring the paint, and adding water to the paint cup for diluting. If my paint is old, I use the mesh paint strainer to make sure I don’t have any lumps in my paint. I always wear a respirator when I use my Finish Max in an enclosed area.

how to clean a finish max using a vegetable brush

This veggie scrubber does a great job of getting the paint from the rim of the Finish Max. I think I should have used it on my fingers too!

use a kitty litter box for storing supplies

Now, I want to show you my secret storage container—a kitty litter bucket!

Everything fits nice inside the bucket, which makes gathering all my supplies a piece of cake!

Because I’m lucky enough to have both the Command Max and a Finish Max, they each get their own bucket. This is how I have the extra paint cup mentioned earlier. I have them stacked on my new lumber work bench.

Check out some of my other HomeRight projects.

UPDATE: I sold this cabinet, check out how cute it is in use!