Sideboard Reveal!

It's finished! The $99 IKEA sideboard got a little makeover and found a home in my kitchen.
I primed the legs and shelves then gave them 2 coats of ICI's Natural White.

The top was a different story. I originally thought the sideboard was unfinished pine so I tried staining the top. For some reason the wood didn't seem to want to accept the stain.

I did a little research and discovered that it was sealed with a clear acrylic lacquer. So, I got some sandpaper and went to town. Then, I tried staining again.
What if I did multiple coats? Like 7 of them?
Still no luck. It still didn't get any darker than above. I was seriously ready to burn it!
Then, I did what I should have done at the beginning. I dropped it off to my dad- the wood man. If he couldn't do it, no one could! He ended up having to scrape it and do a lot of sanding. He laughed when I told him I had been using a sanding sponge. Apparently, I would have been sanding for a long time :)

So here it is in the kitchen.

While it isn't super wide, it does offer a bit more counter space and storage which was badly needed. The stained top matches my counter tops and the legs match my cupboards. I will someday have to find a way to conceal those pipes. Oh, the joys of living in an old house!


I'll post more of the kitchen tomorrow!