Vintage Telephone Stand Makeover with Green Paint

Some thrift store finds are easy to identify, while others leave you wondering exactly what they were meant to be. This little vintage telephone stand caught my eye with its curved sides, open shelves, decorative details, and original drawer hardware. For just $10, it had plenty of character and useful storage. A fresh coat of Envy green paint was all it needed to bring those charming details back into focus.

Isn’t she so cute?

From Google: This piece is an antique mahogany tiered nightstand, commonly produced between the 1930s and 1950s. Known variably as a waterfall bedside table, telephone table, or side table bookcase, it features distinctive curved cutout side panels, two upper open shelves, and a single lower drawer accented with a traditional metallic pull handle.

Although the sticker says $10, I’m thinking furniture was half off, because we all know my regular limit is $5.

The Furniture Fixer Upper Tour is a monthly furniture makeover series featuring a small team of furniture-painting friends. Each month, we all start with a tired or thrifted piece and share how we clean it up, repair it, and give it a fresh new finish. After you check out this project, be sure to visit the links at the bottom of the post to see what the rest of the Furniture Fixer Upper team did with their finds.

The vintage telephone table or bedside table is in decent shape. Looking at this side view, you wouldn’t know that it’s missing a piece of trim on the bottom. More about that later.

The felt-lined drawer really shows its age.

Supplies and Materials for a Small Cabinet Makeover

These are my go-to supplies for nearly any furniture makeover.

• Rags
• Assorted Paintbrushes
• Paint
• Surface Prep Solution and Surface Prep Wipes
• Paint Can Opener
• Sample Paint
• Styrofoam Plate as a Tray
• Small Foam Roller
• Cheap Plastic Tablecloth
• Not Shown: Hammer and Screwdriver

Prepare the Telephone Table for Painting

This small ratcheting screwdriver is so handy to keep around. The task of removing hardware is quick and easy.

After removing the ring pull, the escutcheon was held in place with a tiny brad nail.

I was so pleased with how easy it was to remove the green felt from the small drawer.

Using a Handheld Dust Brush for Furniture Makeovers

I have these brushes everywhere, including the hickory deck at The Hideaway. I use them for cleaning cobwebs from the deck chairs, but on this day it was removing debris from the small bedside table.

Clean, Degrease and Degloss

Applying the liquid surface prep to the wood is quick and easy. It cleans, degreases, and deglosses all in one step.

After brushing it on, I wipe it off with a soft rag; no need to rinse. The Surface Prep generally dries very quickly.

Cleaning the drawer made it look so much better than it did with that nasty green felt.

Remove the Back of the Small Telephone Stand

It may take a few extra minutes, but you will be glad you removed the back of a cabinet like this before you start painting.

Paint the Small Table

I chose a very pretty green paint from Heirloom Traditions All-in-one Paint. The color is Envy. I began painting the underside of the wooden phone stand.

The chip brush was only used for applying the Surface Prep. The painting was done with that small paintbrush shown resting on the paint jar above. Notice the two pieces of trim on this side of the phone table.

The image on the right is missing the lower trim, as I mentioned earlier. The best solution was to remove the lower trim on the other side of the wooden cabinet.

See how much easier it is to paint the shelves with the back of the cabinet removed? Isn’t my view from the Hickory Deck beautiful? I don’t see the foam roller in this picture; my best guess is that it’s in my hand while I take the photo.

I refer to the base coat as the “ugly coat”. Your subsequent coats will adhere better and have a smoother finish if you use light coats.

Do you paint the back of your furniture? Sometimes I do, especially if it’s a small piece. On a large piece, it may not match the furniture.

Clean Hardware with Krud Kutter

The hardware was a bit grimy, so I gave it a quick wash with Krud Kutter.

Pretty Green Drawer

You won’t see a lot of green furniture here on My Repurposed Life. I definitely lean toward blues, my favorite color. That said, Envy is a very rich green, and I highly recommend it.

The drawer of the small telephone stand looks so much better than it did in the before photos.

Paint the Inside Back of the Phone Stand with a Light Color

Because the green is dark, I chose to paint the inside (back) of the cabinet a light color, Bone.

The original small brad nails were used to reattach the back.

Vintage Phone Stand or Bedside Table Reveal

I will admit that she would probably be just as pretty if someone had taken the time to refinish the wood. But let’s be honest, painting is very pretty and oh so much faster.

Styling Suggestion for a Vintage Telephone Stand as a Bedside Table

The Envy green paint gave this $10 telephone stand a fresh look without hiding its vintage personality. I especially love how the darker color highlights the curved sides, decorative trim, and beautiful drawer pull. With several open shelves and one small drawer, it could now work as a nightstand, side table, entryway cabinet, or decorative storage piece. Where would you use it in your home?

Sharing is Caring

I’d love for you to pin this project or share it on Facebook before you dash off. Thank you!

Now it’s time to discover even more great projects from my friends!

Awesome Furniture Fixer Upper Projects

• Vintage Telephone Stand Makeover (You are here, Thank You!)
• How to Hide Imperfections With Stenciling
• Retro Star Stencil on MCM Furniture
• Refinishing a Wood Dresser With Acetone and Paint Wash
• Antique Gentlemen’s Cabinet Makeover