Have you ever had a vision of how something would look in your home – and you were convinced it would be awesome?  That’s what happened to me when I purchased this antique tall dresser in a Facebook resale group recently.  I knew it would be gorgeous in my living room (to take the place of the changing table I turned into a console table)!

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It had some minor damage – like knicks, gouges, and missing hardware – but nothing that I couldn’t easily fix with wood filler and some paint in strategic places.

My vision told me I needed to paint this beauty a shade of mustard yellow or gold.  In my mind, the contrast of the yellow with the green walls in my living room was going to make a statement!  

So I got to work mixing up some homemade chalk paint using my favorite recipe: 8 oz. of flat latex paint, 4 tablespoons of calcium carbonate powder, and 2 tablespoons of water.  I used a yellow gold color from Behr and painted the front and sides of the dresser.

I put the drawers back in and knew it was ALL WRONG.

This was definitely NOT the statement I wanted to make!  My daughter said it looked horrible and I knew she was right.

Back to the drawing board as they say.

I used this as an example to show my kids that if at first you don’t succeed, try again!  (And hey, maybe this will be an example for you, too.  You don’t always have to get it right on the first try.  If you mess up, so what.  Get a new color of paint and try again!  Don’t let fear stop you from picking up the paint brush!)

I went back to Home Depot and picked out a shade of green paint about three shades darker than the green on my walls – Cypress Vine green by Behr.  I mixed it up using that same chalk paint recipe and got to work.  With the first coat, it looked almost the same color of the walls.  I was nervous!  

But after another coat and a topcoat of varnish, it was just right!

I then got to work replacing the drawer pulls on the top two drawers because one of the original four was missing.  I found these antique brass drawer pulls (pull pictured on the left) and think they work well with the original look of the piece!

I put the whole thing back together and was so happy that this tall dresser now looks right at home in my living room!

It took a bit of effort to get here, but it was worth it!  I love the character of the piece and how the colors work together beautifully!

I hope my color choice mistake inspires you to take a chance and paint something, too!  It really is no big deal if you pick the wrong color.  You’ll find the right one eventually!

-Bre

Several years ago I refinished my childhood dresser for use in my son’s bedroom.  I recently got the matching lingerie chest of drawers back from my sister, and I couldn’t wait to give it a makeover, too!  My son’s room has enough furniture already, so I decided to make over this piece for my husband (as, like most men, he needs all the storage and organization help he can get!).  I tried a new denim faux finish furniture painting technique on it and I’m so excited to show you how to replicate the look on your own projects!  Before we get to the good stuff, however, take a look at the dated “before” of this chest of drawers!  

It’s hard to see in this photo, but the chest had a lot of dings and scratches.  The orangey red cherry finish was not my favorite, either!  Because of that, I hatched a plan to make this piece extra manly with a denim inspired paint job.

Supplies Needed for a Denim Faux Finish for Furniture

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• Dark blue chalk paint (I used this paint)
• Light blue chalk paint (I used this paint)
• Sage green chalk paint (I used this paint)
• Clear finishing wax (this is my all time favorite!)
• Black wax
• Disposable chip brushes
• 1″ paint brush
• Large wax brush
• Stencil brush
• Spray bottle filled with water
• Lint-free rags

How to Create a Denim Faux Finish for Furniture

For this piece, I began by removing the hardware and wiping it down to clean off the dirt and grime.  Once it was clean, I used a cheap chip brush to paint on chalk paint in a sage green color.  Some areas got a heavier application than others.

Once that paint dried, I did the same thing with the bluish gray chalk paint.  At this point the chest of drawers looked CRAZY, and I cringed with embarrassment every time the garage door opened.  I’m sure my neighbors thought I was working on the ugliest furniture piece in history!

I made sure to leave some of the green paint showing, as well as some of the original cherry finish.  As with the green paint, some areas of the light blue paint went on thicker than others.

After this second coat of paint dried, I switched brushes to a real paint brush (from the cheap chip brushes, which give a streakier look), and began applying the dark blue chalk paint in sections.  I brushed the paint on, let it sit for a minute or two, and then sprayed it with a mist of water from the spray bottle.  

I then went over that area with the same paint brush and worked to blend the paint and water throughout that section.  Using the spray bottle allowed more of the colors underneath the dark blue paint to show through, and created a blended paint look.  

I worked in sections until I covered the whole chest of drawers with the paint / spray bottle technique.  

I let the chest of drawers sit overnight to be sure it was completely dry, and the next day I got to work sealing it with my favorite clear finishing wax.  Once the entire piece was sealed, the final step in creating a denim faux finish on this piece began.  I applied black wax with a stencil brush to the raised portions of the chest, and then I used a clean rag to rub it in.  

For the drawers, I applied black wax along the outer edges and then rubbed it inward so that the outer portions were darker than the middle portions of the drawers.  (I don’t normally wear a dress to paint furniture, but it was 92 degrees that day and this was one of the coolest things I had to wear!  My husband snapped this picture while he was sitting there “supervising.”  ;-))

The black wax is the KEY to giving the furniture a moody and worn denim feel!  So are you ready to see the finished piece?  

It’s so masculine, don’t you think?  

The black wax adds so much depth to the finish!  I really think it makes the piece special and is what makes it feel like an old pair of jeans instead of the new, stiff ones you just picked up at the Gap.  The blended layers of paint and moody colors make this chest of drawers perfect for my husband!  Now I just have to make sure he keeps the contents within tidy!  (Easier said than done.)

I would really appreciate it if you’d share this post with anyone you think would enjoy it!  Pin it or share it on Facebook to show how easy it is to make a dramatic statement with paint! 

-Bre

Several weeks ago my kids and I were driving when I spotted a table in the alley behind our church.  Like the dedicated furniture hoarder that I am, I immediately threw the car into reverse and backed into the alley to check it out.  It was an old drop leaf table that hadn’t sold at the church’s annual rummage sale, and it had been put out (along with a lot of other random stuff), just waiting for me to come along and scoop it up!  Divine furniture intervention?  I think so.

I struggled to get it into the hatch and sort of got it to fit.  Being unable to close the hatch door, I enlisted the help of my children, and pleaded with them to hold onto the table so it wouldn’t fall out as I drove us the four blocks home.  They told me I am crazy and I told them I’m giving them memories to laugh about someday when they’re grown.

Having already dealt with my children’s judgment, I next had to face the laughter of my husband and his friend, who had no faith in my ability to tighten the table’s legs and make it pretty again.  I got to work and showed them.

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Because the table had been out in the rain, I sanded it down and sprayed it with two coats of Zinsser Shellac.  Then I painted the table top with two coats of ArtMinds chalk paint (available at Michaels), in this color.  I’ve used this paint a couple of times now (like on my Mirror Makeover) and I like it and its low price!

Once the top was finished, I painted the table base and legs with FAT Paint in Parchment.  I had this color left over from the Console Table Makeover I did last year and was happy to put it to good use because it’s great paint with great coverage!  

I decided to add a stencil detail to the table top because, for better or worse, I have a hard time leaving things “plain.”  I used this stencil and carefully dabbed on the same color paint used on the table legs (Parchment by FAT Paint Co.).  

Once the paint was totally dry, I used a fine grit sandpaper to lightly distress the legs and edges of the table top.  Then I used the same fine grit sandpaper on my sander to lightly distress the table top and to remove some of the paint left by the stencil.  I was going for a somewhat aged look, but not overly beat up.  Then I sealed it with a coat of clear wax and buffed to a subtle sheen.

How do you think my painted drop leaf table turned out?

Not too bad for an alley find, right?  

I think the stencil was a good touch; not too much detail and just enough to make this table have a little more personality.  

Plus, how fun is it that you can adjust the levers underneath the table and make it larger when you need it?  

I think this little alley cat is giving my other alley table makeover a run for it’s money!  If you agree, I’d love for you to pin this post to Pinterest to share the inspiration (thank you)!  

What’s the best thing you have found in an alley or on the side of the road?  Let me know in the comments!

-Bre

Two things I love love love are Rifle Paper Co. and furniture makeovers.  If you’re not familiar with Rifle Paper Co, check out their website.  Their floral and whimsical patterns are right up my alley.  I’ve used their patterned papers on several projects, including this Console Table Makeover, my grandma’s Side Table Makeover, and most recently, on books flanking my Spring Mantel.  I’m definitely a fan girl.

When I scored this little bench or side table at Goodwill for $4, incorporating Rifle Paper’s beautiful patterns was not part of the makeover plan.  

I was just going to sand it down and paint it.  

But once I began working on it, the plan changed . . . as it almost always does.

I re-stained the top portion of the bench/table and painted the legs with a beautiful mossy green chalk paint.  

It looked a lot better but was a little too plain for my liking, so I decided to decoupage some leftover Rifle Paper Co. paper on the top.  I cut the piece to fit the entire top portion of the bench/table (or so I thought), and found it was totally wrong.  The curvature of the top of the bench/table really messed me up.  I ruined a perfectly good sheet of decorative paper.

Not one to give up easily, I cut out a small part of the paper and then drew the pattern from that portion onto the top of the bench/table.  

I filled it all in with a mix of chalky finish paints and acrylic paints that I had in my craft stash, and then sealed the entire piece with wax.  

And just like that, the little bench/table got some personality!  

I love her sweet curved legs and arched top – she’s just the cutest little piece of furniture!  

I think she’d make an adorable plant stand sitting on someone’s covered porch or next to a fireplace.  Where do you think this piece of furniture would fit best?

-Bre

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