Transformation Tuesday with Chalk Paint

Chalk paint is a wonderful way to update and give new life to a piece of decor or furniture in your home. 

You know how much I love chalk paint if you just take look around my home. I’ve made over this ugly thrifted dresser above, painted my childhood breakfast table and chairs, renewed our old bedroom furniture in the master bedroom, painted some stools to give them a farmhouse look, transformed JJ’s dresser, revived a nightstand my friend found next to the church dumpster (true story), and restored old chairs with paint and new fabric. Chalk paint can truly be magical! Check those links to see all the before and after pics. 

I received this bird cage thingy from my in laws when they retired from their flower shop. I’m not sure exactly what they’re called. It was one of those pretty decor pieces they used in their flower shop and I love putting candles or plants in there. I just never loved the yellowish color. I finally decided to give it a quick coat of chalk paint. For all of these projects, I used Martha Stewart and I really liked the quality. When using chalk paint, remember, a little goes a long way. One tip I recommend when painting smaller projects is to use make up brushes! My favorite one is a cheapo $1 ELF blush brush. It cleans beautifully and applies chalk paint so well. I gave this bird cage just one application of the linen color chalk paint and it was easy peasy. 

Light and bright! Chalk paint is wonderful because no sanding or priming is needed. It’s perfect for us lazy painters. 😀 

These little Ikea faux plants are so great because they actually look real. Instead of buying containers for these, I also gave them one quick coat of chalk paint. It used to be black but now it has an antique distressed finish and doesn’t need a container. 

Look how cute it is. #gimmealltheplants

A while ago, my neighbor sold these little stack of books for a buck at his garage sale. I scooped them up and gave them a coat of paint because they were multi-colored. Now, it matches my decor perfectly. Yup, there’s another Ikea plant there too. It was also a victim of my chalk paint. 

If you have something in your home that you don’t love, think about changing it to another color rather than buying a whole new piece. You may just fall in love with it all over again.

For all of these mini projects, I didn’t apply any wax or poly coat. If you decide to paint a piece of furniture, I recommend giving it a few coats of polyurethane or buffing it with some wax. A good rule is if you’re painting a tabletop, stool or something that you will constantly be wiping down, give it 3 coats of polyurethane. It will give it a nice smooth, shiny finish. Use wax when painting decor pieces and things that don’t won’t have constant wear and tear. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email at loveyourabode@gmail.com. Caution: Once you start painting, you may not stop!

A few small things received a paint makeover and now it’s looking all fresh again. I recently repainted some of Linda’s lamps in her family room and I’ll share that project soon. I have a few things left to do in her family room and can’t wait to show you! 

 

Yuni

Let all that you do be done in Love. 1 Corinthians 16:14