DIY crafter shares stunning before

Thrifting clothes and household goods is a fun and rewarding experience. Not only can you find neat vintage pieces, but you’re also spending less money doing it.

One Reddit user on the r/ThriftStoreHauls is showing the bounty they found at their local store — and how they were able to refurbish it into the perfect trendy bedside essential.

The before-and-after post shares a photo of a nightstand that the user purchased for $10 before cleaning, stripping, painting, and staining it. The result was a beautiful nightstand that looks like it’s straight out of a Crate & Barrel catalog.

In the comments section, the user recommended others take to YouTube, a local handypersons group, or DIY classes at hardware stores to learn how to take their thrift store finds to a new level.

Thrifting has taken many shoppers by storm, as it’s a way to find diamonds (sometimes, in the rough) and transform them into something new. For this individual, taking the time to convert the nightstand from something antique into something modern was not only chic but also environmentally sustainable.

All forms of thrifting, including buying secondhand and shopping at resale stores, can decrease the environmental impact of consumer goods. Rather than throwing away items that are functionally in good shape (but may need a good coat of paint), thrifting allows the goods to fall into different hands rather than face the fate of a landfill.

This increases the amount of space available for other items we throw away and makes the accessibility to conventionally expensive things, like furniture, more available.

Many Reddit users praised the crafty person’s attempt to actually refurbish the nightstand — rather than just slapping a coat of paint on and calling it a day.

“I was holding my breath before I saw it. I thought it would be some hideous paint job. This is wonderful!” one user wrote.

Other users appreciated the craftsperson’s attention to detail and vision. “Amazing job! You restored that piece back to its original beauty,” one Redditor shared.

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