French Bombe Nightstand Makeover (aka ‘Bondo Bonanza’)

I found this vintage French Bombe table at Goodwill a few years ago.  Those curves.  Solid wood.  Dovetailed drawers.  Statement piece.  I was smitten.  And then into my stash it went!

It’s such a ‘heavy’ piece, I thought I’d either strip and lighten the wood, or paint it a lighter color.  Honestly, at the time, stripping those details intimidated me.  So it sat in the stash and I would occasionally visit it and wonder how I’d transform it. 

Meanwhile, I discovered Melange Paints. 

If you follow along with me long enough, you’ll learn how frugal (read: cheap) I am.  When I first started restyling furniture, I made my own chalk paint, because I sure wasn’t going to pay those high prices for the AS, DB, F, etc (you know who I’m talkin’ ‘bout) that it seemed most every flipper was using at the time.  

But, the problem with my homemade chalk paint was that, while it had great coverage and was durable (I did use quality Behr paint as my base) - it needed to be sealed with poly or wax - an additional step I was tiring of - especially since all the new paint lines were coming out with one-step products that promised to eliminate both priming and sealing.

I tried a couple of the top brands of all-in-one paints, and wasn’t impressed. One was extremely thick and didn’t adhere well when thinned. Another required so many coats for adequate coverage that I felt like I had applied as many coats as I would have using my homemade chalk paint, primer and sealer.

I stumbled on Melange Paints and absolutely loved their line of colors.  So much that I gave them a try.  My first piece was an antique vanity painted in Nevermore - a deep, moody purple.  You can see it in my project gallery here.  Then I used Basilisk Black on a wardrobe, and it was the fastest-selling piece in my booth - sold within hours of displaying it! You can see that beautiful piece here.

And as soon as I saw Melange’s Golden Hour, I knew it would be the perfect color to complement this striking bombe table!

So I brought it home and started working!

I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I used.

Supplies

TSP
Scrubbing Sponge
Spray Bottles
Putty Knife
Bondo All-Purpose Putty
Surf Prep Sander
Tack Cloths
Zibra Paintbrush
Zinsser Extreme Adhesion Primer
Melange One - Golden Hour

The Prep

As always, prep started with a thorough cleaning with TSP.  I used a toothbrush to make sure to get all the gunk out of all the nooks and crannies.

The french bombe nightstand got a wipe down with fresh water to remove any residue

Fill & Sand

I felt that the carved design on the drawers detracted from its beautiful curves.  The drawers needed a smooth line, especially because I’d originally planned to use a large transfer across the entire front.  (That plan later changed).

I’d been regularly using Bondo All-Purpose Putty to fill and repair minor damage to my project pieces.  I usually prefer it to wood filler because it’s really hard and durable and it can be applied, sanded and painted within 20 minutes (and I’m impatient).

But!  I’d never put it to the test on such a large scale - filling in all those channels in the drawers!  I was definitely out of my comfort zone, and kept telling myself that, if it all went off the rails, at least I didn’t pay a lot for the nightstand.  (Though I knew I’d feel extremely guilty for fouling up this gorgeous piece)…

So I wished myself luck, mixed up a batch of Bondo, and slathered it into the channels on the drawers. 

Looking back, I wasn’t very neat about it - but I was using my fingers while wearing rubber gloves.  I don’t know about you, but I’m not a very big person and I cannot find rubber gloves that fit!  They’re always so huge in the fingers!  I don’t know how nurses do it.

Anyhoo, I let it dry for a few days - mostly because (a) I was still nervous about this whole plan and (b) I could see that the next step was going to take awhile and be very labor-intensive, which I wasn’t looking forward to.

I started by first chipping away at the excess Bondo with a scraper tool, trying hard not to gouge the wood:

Note:  To do this, I’m sitting outside - on top of the drawer (this piece was really well-made and sturdy) - with safety goggles on because pieces of dried Bondo are flying everywhere.  It’s a balmy, Midwest-early-Spring day, but I’m sweating.  It was an upper-body workout.  The husband had been pret-ty skeptical about my plan from the beginning, and dropped by to shake his head a few times.  Still, I soldiered on.

After chipping away for hours, I gave it a quick sanding. It took a few more light applications of Bondo to fill in all of the dimples.

Then I used my Surfprep sander to sand the drawers smooth. Here’s a before and after of the process.

Paint - Finally!

Although I was using Melange One - which includes primer, I decided to prime first - just to highlight any spots that might need more Bondo and also ensure that all of the sanding wouldn’t lead to bleed-through.  Once I had everything sanded and wiped down with tack cloths, I applied one coat of my fave Zinsser Extreme Adhesion Primer.

For this piece, I used my Zibra Paintbrush  to apply both primer and paint.  The 1” round brush is great for all the details on the feet and base of this French Bombe Nightstand.

I left the primer to dry overnight and it passed the ‘scratch test’ the next day.  Then two coats of Melange One in Goldenhour was all it took for solid coverage.

I lined the drawers with this colorful and fun fabric from Joanne.  The drawer pulls were perfect as-is. 

I absolutely love this color!  And no need to seal with the Melange One paint!

Once it was painted, I loved it so much I decided not to cover it with a transfer - it was perfect!

Though I was worried I’d bitten off more than I could chew with this French Bombe Nightstand makeover, I was definitely pleased with how it turned out! And it has since found a new home.

Frustrations, Flubs and Fails

I’d fully expected to end up with an extremely long list of things that went wrong with this makeover! So I’m happy that, given I was feeling I’d gotten myself over my head - this nightstand turned out beautifully.  You just never know!  Aside from the Bondo workout, the biggest step in the process was the change in plans - deciding not to use the transfer.  So now I own three, very large peacock transfers (I bought extra as I expected to screw it up) - and now I have no idea what to do with them!  Got any ideas?

Thanks for coming along for the ‘Bondo Bonanza’ today!

Catch you on the Flip Side!

Victoria