Refinished Furniture Using Chalk Paint

Meet my new lovely furniture piece (well its not new but received a makeover) ....

BEFORE AND AFTER 

I have had this buffet with hutch for a very long time.  It was my Grandmothers and reminds me of her so I love it......just not the look of it.  It was made in the 1940s and has taken me years to be OK with refinishing it.  

I have refinished furniture before and it was a lot of work (sanding, priming, blah blah).  A friend told me about chalk paint and said it was so much easier to use.  No sanding to prime the piece!  I headed to the paint store and picked up Rust-oleum Chalked Paint and Sealer.  The Sealer protects the paint from wear and tear.  I have read that wax (used as a top coat for chalk paint) needs to be re-applied every few months and I didn't want to deal with that. :)

You get a vintage look with a matte finish when complete.  

THE PROCESS

I used their LINEN color (I applied three coats).

I took the pieces apart and used a slightly damp rag over it to make sure it was clean before painting.

Then I applied the first coat.  Then two more coats.  As I said earlier, its a chalked distressed look I was after and I could see my brush strokes.  The  more coats you do the less brush strokes you see.  The instructions on the can are well done.  Read them before starting the project.

I used a smaller brush for the grills and tiny pieces.

"Meow" (gotta have fun!)

NEXT STEP

Once the LINEN color was dry I started to paint the back of the upper cabinet COASTAL BLUE using the same brand Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint.

Heres what the color looks like.

I taped off each back wall with green painters tape to keep the paint only in the areas I wanted blue. (TIP: stronger painters tape options will stick to your paint and pull it off when you remove it-chalk paint is not protected until you have the sealer on). 

I only needed to apply two coats of the blue paint.

DISTRESS IT

Lastly I lightly sanded the edges around the doors and sides of the base and top so the wood showed through a bit.

SEAL IT

I then brushed on the Sealer.  It was easy to apply.   Looked milky but dried clear.  IT DID GIVE A YELLOWISH TINT IN SOME AREAS.  I read online this is typical.  I added dry brush strokes of the LINEN to lighten those areas up.  (there are a lot of good tips online about using chalked paint and sealers!)

RESTORING THE HARDWARE

I bought new gold pulls for the drawer and cabinets but restored the original door hinges.

I let that dry and moved on the hardware.  

There are a lot of helpful tips online to get rusty hardware clean.  I used a Brillo pad and baking soda paste (just a little water added to baking soda) on the pieces, then after cleaning them off, I let them sit over night in vinegar.  Then used brill pad again with the baking soda paste.  It worked really well!

HERE IS THE FINISHED PIECE

REMEMBER THE BEFORE PHOTO?

NEW CABINET PULLS

I picked up the pulls at Hobby Lobby.  

*I can't find the crystal knob on their website but you can try to find it at the local store!

This chalked paint comes in an assortment of pretty tones to choose from!  If you have a local store that carries this paint, pick up the brochure that shows the color options.  Here are just a few:

Pink Living Room Becomes a Classic Library

I am sitting back on my sofa with my computer on my lap.  Next to me is a giant slice of pumpkin pie that I made  earlier tonight with my daughter (we used the easy recipe on the back of a can of Farmers Market Organic Canned Pumpkin I picked up at Walmart while getting Halloween candy (p.s. i used a pre-made graham cracker crust-mmmm & easy).  I am blogging and catching up on all the Nate Berkus Show segments I missed.  Nate is my long time crush and I am so impressed with how many wonderful ideas and creative designs he showcases through fellow designers, decorators, and DIYers everyday.  If you haven't seen his show, it deserves your attention.   Even if it is just to check out his 'sweet as sugar' smile.

Speaking of grins, I wrapped up a living room renovation for a client, transforming it into a library that makes me so happy.  This room has been through so much.  This wasn't just a face lift; it was a head to toe surgery going from a traditional front living room that was never used, into a room that feels the love everyday!  If you don't have a purpose for a room it becomes a dumping ground-poor room.  

I had so much fun working with Linda and Wayne on this project.  Afterward Linda and I sat in the library and chatted for a long time.  The comfy seating, the glow of the fireplace and the ambient lighting made me want to stay, perched in the wing chair, then the leather sofa, all day.  During the reno process I blogged about the materials used- click here to see the materials used "We Are So Over Our Living Room".  

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

The inspiration for the room became the oversized wingback chair floral fabric.  When it came to designing the window treatments, I did not want to use anything that would compete with them.  So we brought in these gorgeous powder blue criss cross chanille pattern fabric drapes with medallion fringe dot embellishments.  Then pulled them back with 14" jeweled tassle tie backs.

A giant personal touch in the library is the display of beautiful plants photographed by Linda and Waynes' daughter.

This space needed to be fitted for the gas fireplace so it was really important to add architectural detail around it so it felt like it had always been there.  When it arrived it was long and had a 2' mantle BUT the niche we created above it fills in the emptiness and adds drama.  The water feature was something Linda and Wayne always wanted.  It is all the little soothing touches like this, the variety of lighting, the warm tones of the wood, and softness of the furniture, that makes you want to be in this room......and feel mmmmmmmm.