DIY: A brighter entryway on a budget

I'm still trying to keep my New Year's resolution up by shopping around my house, before purchasing something new to spruce things up. Recently, I decided to give our entryway chest a bit of a makeover, and I have to say- it really brightens up the room!

I can't say I didn't have to buy a few things to get this accomplished but an orbital sander, paint, and some hardware still brings the total in at under $75, much less expensive than buying a brand new entryway table. The chest itself was actually purchased second-hand, right off of our former neighbor's porch for $30 so the project as a whole is a real steal.

Here's the DIY process in photos:

The chest before.

Sanding away the painted finish.

After the first coat of paint.

Putting the doors, drawers, & new hardware on.

The finished product!

A few suggestions for trying this project out:

Make sure you take all the doors and drawers off of the piece you are refinishing. We kept the hardware for each individual part of the chest in separate little bags until we were ready to reattach everything.

When sanding, be sure to wipe down each area with a damp towel to remove excess saw dust before painting.

I used paint that already had a primer in it. It costs a bit more, but you use less so it evens out in the long run. I only applied two coats of paint for this project and used about 2/3 of a quart. 

Get creative. I originally pictured painting the chest red, but I've seen so many red accent pieces lately, so I tried to push myself to find another color. I also switched out all the hardware with these pretty crystal knobs.

In the end, I'm very pleased with how this turned out. It definitely adds a fresh pop to our home for Spring, was budget friendly, and provides a fun pallet for seasonal accessories!