We have been in need of lamps for beside our bed and I’ve been looking everywhere for some that were tall enough.  And some that fit in the budget.  No luck.  Then I started thinking that sconces would be the perfect answer because we could mount them on the wall at the exact right height.  But I didn’t want to pay an electrician to come and install them and I also did not want cords hanging down the wall.  I hate that.

So I got creative.  I didn’t like the look of our bedside tables any longer…they didn’t mesh with the bed.  I figured, why not paint them and add a spot for a sconce to go?

Here’s My Night Table and Sconce Makeover DIY

I painted them a grey white and then hand brushed some darker grey on top for an accent.  Hubs isn’t into my ‘decorative’ painting but I think it turned out ok.  I didn’t want flat white – too boring.  I think I might also add some handles but I haven’t gone hunting for any yet.  Something vintage would be ideal.

 

Then I painted a pine board (it’s a touch wider than our tables and about 6 feet high) to match and cut a hole in it to pass the sconce plug in through to the back.  My jigsaw left marks on the paint but I just touched it up.  If I’d been smart, I would have cut the hole FIRST.

 

 

After it was all dry, I attached our sconce to the board, propped it upright with the table and voila…no hanging cords and no electrician! When hanging your sconce you’ll want the shade to be about shoulder height when you’re sitting up in bed.   I’m happy with how it turned out.  I’d like to add those handles if I can find any that speak to me…and maybe I’ll jazz up the lamp shade a bit but I want to buy some new bedding so I’ll do that first.  It would be cute to coordinate the shades with our bedding.

Here’s the finished item!

 

 

To Make this Look:

Side Table – Ikea Malm 2 Drawer Chest $ 69.99 ea

Boards – Home Depot Pine Shelving $27.99 ea

Sconces – Ikea Arstid Wall Lamps – $19.99 ea

Paint – 1 qt ‘main’ color and 1 qt ‘accent’ color – $15 ea