The chalk I am referring to is of course chalk paint . . . oohhhh how I LOVE me some chalk paint!!
Hello everyone . . . I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I spent my Saturday working on a couple of projects for my own home (for a change) . . . using my home made chalk paint.
The first project was a big one . . . this display cabinet.
Ordinarily I would never paint furniture inside, preferring to take it out to the studio, but this cabinet is in a precarious place to get in and out of.
It normally sits in an alcove in a walkway. . . which is perfect for the unit but a difficult place to move a heavy item in and out of. That’s probably why it has been on my ‘To paint white’ list for quite some time. In the end I decided to simply pull it out from the wall, slide a drop cloth under it and work on it right there in the middle of our walkway between rooms. The sanding made everything a bit dusty, but I decided it was all worth it once I saw the first coat of paint finished.
I spent a couple of hours preparing the unit for painting. . . sanding, removing hardware and taping up the glass. I can’t stress how important the prep work is to the final outcome of your painting project. . . that’s why I devoted a whole chapter to ‘Preparation’ in my book Simply Shabbilicious – Decorative painted finishes for the shabby at heart.
A perfect example was one of my students who worked on a similar cabinet project recently (I secretly had cabinet envy for her gorgeous cabinet), but she was so eager to get to the fun part of painting that she kind of skipped past the prep stage. When she went to distress her final paint coat she found she had very little control of what paint chipped off or fell away from the timber. I know a lot of people have experienced this same thing and it’s not that they don’t know to prep. . . I think it is more that until you have a bad experience you don’t realise how important the prep stage is to the final outcome.
For the cabinet above I stripped away all of the previous varnish before painting and because I used chalk paint I didn’t need to prep the bare wood. When I was finished painting, I distressed lightly with fine sand paper and then applied a thin layer of natural bees wax all over. To give the project more of a French provincial look, I then applied a darker wax in the detailed areas, which when rubbed off, left a darker stain in all the grooves. You wouldn’t believe what a huge difference a colour change has made to this cabinet and the space it lives in.
My second project for the weekend was finishing a magazine rack I picked up thrifting quite some time ago.
Here it is in the rubbing back stage. When I got it, it was scratched and neglected, but at just a couple of dollars I figured I could do something with it. I liked the overall shape and the little feet were kind of cute.
Before I painted it, I applied a fleur de lys design using texture paste and a stencil. . . oops, didn’t get a photo of that stage. I left it then to thoroughly dry. . . which in this case meant it was put aside and forgotten about for a few weeks, so it was definitely dry!!
A couple of coats of antique white chalk paint and it’s a new look for an old discarded magazine rack.
When I was finished painting, I made a faux glaze which I painted over the texture design and then I rubbed most it off, leaving a vintage distressed look. It certainly adds another dimension to the French shabby look.
For those of you in Australia, don’t forget my Market Night is tonight. . . 7 pm sharp on Facebook. See you there!
Hugs ~ Kerryanne
The Pink Poodle says
Gorgeous as usual Kerryanne…
I am giggling cos i just clicked onto your site & the music started playing…
MR SOOTY is barking wondering what the hec is going on!!~
poor blind gorgeous little boy…
how is your poodle faring??~~ xx andrea
Leeanne says
Very creative! Is chalk paint readily available? Not that I have looked for it but I haven’t seen it here in New Zealand.
misteejay says
Both projects look wonderful Kerryanne.
Toni xx
sassy says
wow that cabinet is awesome….both project are fabulous…would love a tour round your home…sassy
Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says
The cabinet turned out great, Kerryanne! I have a corner curio cabinet on that same “paint it” list, although I’m not sure if I want to do white or a french linen {grey} color on it. It is currently in it’s original oak finish. I’m not in any hurry though, so that will give me time to decide!
chillin with Quillin says
I always kept wood in its natural state, thinking it would not look good painted, but I think your Cabinet looks gorgeous, and it sets well in the rest of the room!!!!
Paula
Feral Turtle says
Beautiful! Love both projects!
Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddies says
Hey Kerryanne! Ooohh!! Lovely make-overs … especially that cabinet … what a classy home for your pretties. Well worth the sanding dust, I’d say! :0) Bear Hugs! KRIS
SwedishCorner-DownUnder...Pernilla says
Love the cabinet!
Greetings from sunny Qld♥
~Pernilla
Custom Comforts says
Lovely, lovely makeover. Looks so much nicer all dressed up in white. You did a fabulous job.
Cindy
cindy-stitches-n-stuff.blogspot.com says
Amazing make over!
cindy@stitches
Deanne says
Great Job, nothing like some white paint to make things look fresh and new!
A Vintage Fairy says
Great transformation! I love it!
Michele @ The Nest at Finch Rest says
You have done marvelous work on those two awesome pieces.
Love.
Nellie's Cozy place says
Your hutch and your magazine holder turned out beautifully.
It looks so great in the white…………..
clean and fresh……job well done.
blessings, Nellie
Shelia says
Oh my! Your cabinet is gorgeous! What a difference it is painted white!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
PitterAndGlink says
Soooo beautiful! I have never used chalk paint, but I want to so badly!
greylanehome-Brandy says
I love you cabinet. Chalk paint rocks and so does your cabinet.
The Cottage Market {Andrea} ♥ says
this is absolutely gorgeous…STYUNNING!!!! my friend — you have the MAGIC TOUCH!!!!! hugs : )
michele says
loving loving the transformative power of white painted magic!
i am your newest follower and hope you’re following back!
http://hellolovelyinc.blogspot.com
have a wonderful weekend.
michele
Beth says
Both pieces are definitely a major improvement! The magazine rack is is a super cute style and the textured fleur de lis is perfect!