tarva nightstand | la salle design blog

Happy Saturday!

I am very excited to bring you the 100^th post on la sale design blog!!! To celebrate the 100^th post, I’m featuring the top 10 most popular posts.

1) Storage Baskets & Bins – This is an oldie but goodie showcasing attractive yet practical storage options. I implemented one of these options in my home to store/conceal my son’s toys in our living room.

2) Blooming Nine Patch in Progress – This poor quilt top has been a work in progress since the very beginning. It has been hard to make the time to finish this beauty, but I hope to have it complete soon!

3) Tutorial: Train Décor, Banner and Signs – We did a Train themed party for my son’s 2^nd birthday and I meticulously planned everything down to the last detail. Then, made my templates available to you so you don’t go as crafting-crazy as I did!

4) Sconces – As I look back over this post, I am inspired to do more like it. This post featured high-end and affordable sconce options.

5) Bedding: All Ruffled Up – Feminine details have grown on my over the past few years and I love the bedding options featured on this post… I’m just not sure if my poor husband will ever go for it!

6) X Marks the Bench – Drool worthy “X Benches” and tons of glamour!

7) Five Ways to Use Otomi in Your Home – My boss just came back from Mexico City with another of these beauties! Take a look and see how you can implement this design in your home.

8) Chevron Burlap Wreath Tutorial – In the last few years, I have received many complements on this wreath. My favorite element is still the chevron burlap ribbon. It just looks like Fall fin personified!

9) Becca’s Dorm Reveal – I am so proud of this space! It was later featured on the website for her university!

10) Finished Tarva Nightstand – Pieces in a child’s room can be so special, especially when a personal touch has been implemented. This particular piece was stained to match a family piece in the same room!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this walk down memory lane as much as I have!

Have a fabulous weekend!

How is it the middle of September already? Time seems to be flying by lately!

We had the most incredibly wonderful, fantastic cool front last weekend! (I may have enjoyed it a little bit) In Houston, when the high temps don’t make you sweat like crazy the minute you walk out the door… Autumn is approaching. I welcomed these mild days with open arms, but they also reminded me that Fall is almost here and the end of the year is nearing the horizon. There was a twinge of sadness, but also excitement because it is almost my favorite time of the year… the Holidays!

Ever since Christopher made his transition into a big boy bed this past January, we have been using the small table from my nesting tables as his nightstand. I have been searching for a simple nightstand that I could refinish to match his dresser to no avail. I had contemplated using the IKEA TARVA nightstand and after little to no luck on my thrifting expeditions, I swung by IKEA for the TARVA.

I started this project with the simple unfinished TARVA nightstand from IKEA. In a stroke of pure genius, IKEA produced a completely “hackable” side table with drawer. There are infinite variations of this piece since it is literally a blank canvas.

A few ideas swirled around in my head, but in the end I stuck to the original plan and stained the TARVA to match Christopher’s existing dresser. I used the same Minwax Gel Stain in Chestnut.

I stained the piece before assembly to avoid any inadvertent gaps in stain. Also, it is much easier to manipulate individual pieces rather than the entire table.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I had finished staining Christopher’s nightstand and I finally got around to assembling it and putting the protective coat on it last week.

My favorite top coat is by far Polycrylic in Clear Satin. It provides fantastic protection without a heavy sheen. I applied three coats to the top, sides and drawer front/handle.

My best advice with any stain or sealer is to follow the directions to the letter. I ended up putting the Polycrylic on in our entryway due to the abhorrent amounts of humidity we’ve had in recent weeks. At long last, the finished product made its debut in Christopher’s room last Thursday.