We had just had a conversation about how we would like a sleigh bed, when we came across one at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store on our anniversary. The finish wasn't great but the headboard and footboard were sturdy, so we thought we'd take it on as a project. Here is what it looked like when we bought it:
A close up shot shows how worn the finish was:
We borrowed an electric sander from a friend so that we could strip the finish:
9 hours later, the headboard and footboard were sanded. Conor worked hard in 100 degree weather to get this stage of the project done:
Next, we stained the pieces. It took a couple attempts to find the right color, but we settled on a dark walnut stain:
We did 2 coats of stain, each coat taking about 2 hours to put on:
We let the stain dry for 5 days as we researched what type of finish to use. After hours of research, we chose a water-borne poly because of it's low levels of VOC and minimal off gassing. Here Conor is applying the first coat:
We applied 3 coats to some of the bed, but 5 to other parts that soaked it in faster. We sanded between each coat. This took about 5 hours. Here it is after 1 coat:
And here it is after 3-5 coats were applied, and we allowed it to dry for 2 days:
We love our new bed! Conor did most of the work, and he did such a wonderful job!
It is so elegant and classic. We will be using this bed for a long time.
