The Easiest Way to Paint Furniture

Painting furniture is a cheap way to make an old bedroom suit look like new. However, if it is done wrong then the furniture can chip off over time. Also, you do not want your furniture to look like it was painted. My bedroom suit is still in good shape and was an expensive set when I bought it several years ago. I knew I did not want to get rid of it. I loved the style but when I moved into my current home, I wanted to do a rustic chic look in my bedroom and did not like the black color of my furniture. My bedroom suit consists of a tall chest, large dresser and a night stand. I also have a large black mirror and a black makeup desk in my master bedroom and all of the black furniture made the room feel too dark. So I did some research and decided to paint it. And I am so glad that I did. It looks like all new furniture. It does not have that painted look at all. When I tell people I painted it, they always say, "I thought you bought it like that!" I spent a total of $98 on the paint and the tools for this project. As you read below to see the details of how I did it, you may find some ways to do this even cheaper. It takes some time to complete this project but the good news is that there is no sanding or De-glossing required.

Below are some pictures that show the transformation of my bedroom furniture. I also will give a step by step guide of how to do it along with the materials I used. I completed this project on my own but you may need someone to help move the furniture into the garage or working space. I recommend doing this in a place that has a roof because it will take a few days to complete depending on the amount of furniture you have.

**See below a complete list of tools needs and other materials used to paint your furniture. I have also included a step by step guide below so that you can try this yourself!

Cost- $90-$150

Time: 8-10 hours for one person

Materials:

-Annie Sloan Chalk Paint French Linen ($35 for one quart)

-White Primer (I bought a gallon for $10 but you may only need a quart)

-Annie Sloan Dark Wax ($25 large can)

-Annie Sloan Clear Wax ($25 large can)

-One roll of blue shop towels ($3)

Tools needed:

-Annie Sloan Wax brush (optional; you will need a wax brush but you can find them cheaper than the Annie Sloan brand)

-Annie Sloan paint brush (optional; if you decide not to use the Annie Sloan paint brush, then you need to purchase a paint brush with firm bristles and not too big)

Step by Step Guide to Panting Your Furniture

Step 1: Dust off any dust from the piece you will be painting. Remove the knobs or handles and place them in a secure spot so you can put them back on later. (I kept my clothes inside the drawers because I did not paint the inside of the drawers.)

Step 2: Apply a coat of white paint primer all over the piece. It does not have to cover completely because we will put the chalk paint on top.

*Photo on the left shows the original color of the photo and the photo on the right shows what it looks like with a single coat of primer.

Step 3: Once the primer is applied and dry, wash out the paint brush or you can use a new paint brush and begin applying the Annie Sloan Chalk paint. When applying the chalk paint, brush back and forth in small sections in all different directions so that you can achieve a rustic non-painted look.

** This image shows how the paint strokes should look when applying Chalk paint.

Step 4: When you finish covering the entire piece with the chalk paint, let it dry completely before adding the wax.

Step 5: Once the paint is dry, use the wax brush to apply the dark wax and the clear wax. I did not want my furniture to look dark so I mixed the dark wax with the clear wax by dipping my wax brush first into the dark wax and then into the clear wax.

Step 6: When you put the wax on the furniture, make sure to push it firmly into the grooves of the furniture. Apply to a small section at a time (approximately 8in by 8in) and then use the blue shop towels to wipe off the access wax until you get the desired color you want. When you wipe it off, rub over it with your hand and if the wax gets on you hand then you need to wipe it off more. Allow the wax to stay in the grooves and crevices of the furniture so that you get that non-painted look.

*** In the photo above you see that I left the dark wax in the grooves and wiped it off the other areas.

Step 7: Repeat Step 6 applying the wax and wiping it off until the entire piece is finished. This step takes the majority of the time and it is the most important. Make sure to blend the wax evenly across the furniture and continue to mix the wax unless you want it to be darker than the photos above.

Step 8: Once you finish apply the wax, put the handles or knobs back on the furniture and you are finished. See my pictures of the finished pieces below with no filters.

If you have any questions about using the paint or wax please email me and I will help any way possible!

Happy painting!