This Restored 1980s-Era Daybed Is the Ultimate Home Office Accent

Living home editor Lorna Aragon didn't snooze when she spotted this somewhat tired 1980s-era daybed at an antiques auction. With its simple curves and classic sleigh shape, she knew she could transform it into a chic chaise that would also accommodate overnight visitors. Much of the cherrywood finish was damaged, so she sanded it down, prepped it with primer, painted it white with Benjamin Moore's Satin Interior Paint in China White (price dependent on quantity, acehardware.com) and settled a new twin mattress—covered in a machine-washable white canvas cover from Slip Cover Shop ($62, slipcovershop.com)— atop its wooden slats. Pillows dressed in powder pink washed-linen cushion covers from H&M ($13 each, hm.com) and taupe shorn-sheepskin iterations sourced from CB2 ($159 each, cb2.com) added texture, while an oversized Casaluna throw ($79, target.com) was the finishing touch.

It now serves as a sofa in her home-office-slash-guest-bedroom—and is a purr-fect spot for catnaps, too. "The clean lines of this piece are classic but not fussy; all it needed was a few coats of white paint to make it look more modern," says Lorna. "Now I have an extra bed—without my home office looking like a bedroom." Ahead, discover how she transformed this piece, step by step.

Prep

Disassemble frame and sand sections with 80-grit paper, then again with 120-grit. Use a corner-cat sander for grooves and edges, and wipe the pieces down with a tack cloth after each sanding.

Prime

Ready parts for paint by applying primer to flat surfaces with a foam roller, and to edging and grooves with a paintbrush. Let dry four to six hours.

Re-sand

Once dry, sand the primed surfaces with 220-grit paper to eliminate any fine imperfections, and wipe them with a tack cloth.

Paint

Apply three separate coats with a roller and brush, letting each dry for six to eight hours. Lightly sand with 180-grit paper after the first and second coats, wiping down with a tack cloth each time. Let dry completely, then reassemble. Searching for other paint colors to try? We love Valspar Signature Satin Interior Paint 4001 2B in Cinder Fox (price dependent upon quantity, lowes.com), and Farrow & Ball in Hague Blue (price dependent upon quantity, farrow-ball.com).