The Rast. It’s cute, it’s versatile, and it’s SO affordable at just 35 bucks a pop. There are a PLETHORA of ways to take these babies up a notch, so they were a perfect choice for us in our budget-friendly master bedroom makeover. You can certainly check out Pinterest for some really impressive “hacks” and makeovers of the Rast, but if you want a very simple and effective before + after, read on!
I knew I didn’t want to spend any time changing the “bones” of these (adding legs, etc), but I wanted to add a modern finish and updated hardware. Step one was removing the original hardware (which I forgot to do at first – oops!) and wiping everything down with a damp rag. This helps SO much with opening up the wood grain and makes for a much more even finish. After that sat and dried for about 15 minutes, it was time to stain!
I used this stain, and I only did 1 layer. I LOVED how it evened out the yellow a bit, but wasn’t TOO grey. Such a great balance!
Then I decided that I wanted to add a slight white “haze” for an even more modern look.” I am not a patient person, so I went to work on that right away before the stain had even completely dried. I tried two techniques: white-washing (using very watered down white paint) and dry-brushing with white paint.
White-washing “won,” because it was so hot and dry out that day that the dry brush dried too quickly to blend well. You can see in the photo below where I tried both techniques on the side of one drawer.
To white-wash, I added about a tablespoon of regular old white latex paint to 2-ish cups of water. You can play with the ratios here, but just make sure to try it on scrap wood first! I could NOT believe what a difference the white-wash made once I put the three drawers side by side! I was so in love with the finish, and it was exactly what I envisioned!
Next was the hardware! I purchased these brass handles from Target on clearance over Christmas last year, and I could not wait to add them to the drawers!
However, I didn’t care for the brass against the new finish, and I wanted black handles to tie in the hardware on our dresser. So, I spray-painted them in matte back, and… suddenly my DIY dreams had come true!
What do you think of her?! I would love to hear from you in the comments! Have a great day, friends!