How to Style a Side Table

Side tables are easy to refurbish yourself and customize to your personal style. I'm going to walk you through the steps of making something old new again and how it can be a treasured piece in your room for years to come. Let's get started!

One of my favorite pastimes is to walk around antique stores and challenge my creativity by envisioning how each piece could be used in my home. I firmly believe that the "old" can be may new again and that it brings character and life to any design or space.

Before college, my grandmother gave me a pair of wood side tables to furnish my apartment with. They were perfect, except for one thing...they were white and my color scheme was grey + purple. After contemplation, I decided to take the tables. I was excited about the small DIY project I had just taken on! I went to the local hardware store, purchased a shade of grey paint that would serve my space well, and new drawer handles along with it to give it a more modern look. The end product was beautiful and not only tied my room together, but represented the long afternoon I spent giving it new life.

A year later, I moved and decided to redesign my bedroom. My new color scheme was black + white with natural wood accents and greenery. I once again faced a problem with my side tables: they were grey! So, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. This was different though because I decided to take my time with this one. I sanded the small tables, stained the top of them and worked to pull out the natural grooves and lines than can only come with time. Then, I shopped around for black, iron handles, which I ended up finding at my favorite antique store in the exact amount I needed - it was a match made in heaven.

These small DIY projects reflect my labor of love to make the pieces in my home reflect my personal style while staying on a budget. Each time I re-imagined my little tables, it only required paint and some new drawer pulls to make my dream a reality. So, the next time you are looking for new furniture or want to shake up what you already have, consider getting creative and doing the project yourself! For me, new isn't always better, and the joy that refurbishing small home pieces brings doesn't deserve to be contained within the walls of my home!