DIY Hope Chest Makeover
I love a good makeover! I turned this old, dingy hope chest into a beautiful storage chest for my bedroom. Read to see how this DIY hope chest makeover turned out.
I was given this hope chest when I was fifteen as a gift from family, so it holds significance to me! It’s about 15 years old, and I knew I did not want to get rid of it. I had to give it my best shot at bringing it back to life!
Materials I Used:
- Sandpaper (medium & fine grit)Wood filler (if needed)
- Primer (for a painted finish)
- Chalk paint, latex paint, or wood stain
- Paintbrushes or foam rollers
- Polyurethane or wax (for protection)
- New hardware (optional)
- Fabric or wallpaper (for lining the inside, optional)
Prep Your Hope Chest
I knew I did not want it to have that top padding on it because it had become stained from years of moving, and I just did not like it. So I ripped off the foam cardboard piece and I was left with all this chipboard that was glued onto the top of the lid. I also went ahead and took off all the handles and pulls that led to… nowhere.. I did not want those anymore either!
Don’t Forget to Sand
After LOTS of scrapping and using a chisel to scrap off as much as I could, I was left with this beautiful, giant glue squiggle… so that’s when I knew it was time to start sanding! I started with 80 grit sandpaper on my orbital sander and it took a bit of time getting it really smooth. I have learned to take your time with sanding. This will really make a difference in the final look of the project if you will take the time to sand really well.
Here it is all smooth! Getting so close! I also filled all the holes from the handles and pulls with spackling, and let it dry really well. Then I also used a 120 grit sandpaper on the orbital sander on the rest of the chest to get it ready to paint.
Choose Your Finish for Your Hope Chest
I decided to go with THIS cabinet and furniture paint for durability in the color Swiss Coffee by Sherwin Williams. I love this color of white! It is warm and so pretty. I did two coats of paint and opted to not do a top coat because I used enamel paint, and I figured it would be tough enough for this project.
Style and Enjoy!
Here it is at the foot of the bed! I love the color and it is such an improvement from before. The screw holes filled in nicely, and the end result is like a completely different chest! I love projects like this because it’s crazy what sanding and paint can do! I think it was a total of about 3 days worth of work, and I am really pleased with the outcome.
Let me know what you think in the comments and if you have any questions!
