Ombre-ish Cedar Chest

So before we got any new living room furniture, we were in the market for a coffee table (our sweet Ikea one fell apart on us). My mom said we could have her old cedar chest that she had growing up. I was excited to find something that was kind of retro looking, but that also was sentimental like that so we decided maybe it would work for our little coffee table.

Well turns out it was too tall, so we ended up just using it in front of our TV to hide all the wires and components - and it stores some of Finn's toys.

This was after a little sanding. Wouldn't it have been pretty had it been stained?

I have to say... I wish I hadn't painted it. Or put glass knobs on it - because I'm really not a shabby chic person. I originally was planning on staining it but I thought painting would be easier? Boof. It wasn't. But oh well, I plan on using it as a toy chest in our next house's playroom. Not that we have a "next house" yet, but the point is it won't always be in our living room, looking all... painted and stuff. But it was my first ever painted furniture project so it was a good learning experience.

For example, I learned that a clear, water-based polycrylic - which everyone online says will dry crystal clear - will, in fact, not always dry crystal clear. But Krylon spray poly worked really well... after I sanded the top and painted two more coats to cover up the yellow polycrylic.