Do you feel like your home could use a little brightening up? You can do that by simply painting your furniture! I’ve always loved dark furniture; I still do, but I’ve been looking around my house and that’s really all I have. It seems the trend is going to a lighter, more casual feel and I really like it! But dang! I can’t buy all new furniture! But I can paint! And so can you! I promise!
Painting your walls is the number one thing that can change the over all feel of a room, but painting furniture makes a huge impact as well. Take a look at this bench ( I almost forgot to get a Before picture).
It was really dark! I thought, even if I just painted it white, I think I would like it better; however, I wanted something a little different. I love the Restoration Hardware look on furniture…you know, the kind of soft weathered look?
So I decided to go with a white chalk paint. Here, I was using Dixie Belle chalk paint in Cotton. I had never used this brand of paint, so I was trying it out. As I was painting, I decided I wanted to prime it first and thought spraying it would be easier. It was a little difficult getting a paint brush between all the slats. I used Rustoleum spray primer in white. You can find this at any Lowe’s, Home Depot, or Walmart. After getting one coat of primer on, I noticed several pink spots! Ugh!
I had forgotten that a lot of dark furniture have tannins that would bleed through to the surface. To remedy this, I recommend Shellac or shellac based primers.
I used a spray Shellac as pictured. Spraying 3 coats, allowing to dry in between, worked great! I primed it again and this time, no pink!
I didn’t really have a plan as to what color I was going for but, I ended up spraying it with Rustoleum chalk paint in the color Aged gray. (I did this live on facebook if you want to check it out here). Again, I got the chalk paint at Home Depot.
I loved the color and I loved spraying it, but it took two cans and they’re not cheap. I could have gotten a quart for the same price or less and still had some left over. Oh well, I learned. It’s just easier spraying something like a bench. Here it is in Grey.
After the two coats of Grey dried, I then glazed it. You can see that on a live video here. For the glaze, I went with General Finishes Glaze Effects is Van Dyke brown and Winter white. I loved how smooth this glaze went on.
If you watch the video, you can see I was somewhat torn between the brown and white glaze and in the end, I used both. I first brushed the brown on, using a cheap chip brush, and then wiped some off using a baby wipe. You could also use a damp rag, paper towel, etc. I then did the same with the white, going back with the brown in some spots until I got it like I wanted.
Doesn’t it look so much better? I was really happy with it! Now, I’m off to find something else I can paint! You should try it too! You could always start with a picture frame or a jewelry box until you get comfortable! Have fun! It’s just paint; You can’t mess it up!
