Chest of drawers painted with homemade chalk paint

[leck]

This is my first adventure with chalk paint.

These two photos show how it was before I started. The drawers have been removed.

The second photo shows the top of the piece of furniture. There is a lid that lifts up with mirror on the back so it could also be used as a dressing table. There is a slide out ledge just below the two very small drawers in the top section.

[leck]

This is the result of two coats of chalk paint and a light sanding. I tried to use a small electric sander first but it took off too much too quickly. I had better control sanding by hand.

The emulsion used was a pale greenish gray (same as on walls) but it dried to a bone white color. The chest of drawers is standing in front of a fireplace (painted in gloss white) and looks much closer to that than to the color of the walls.

[leck]

Sorry, not sure how to add photos inline with text so adding another post to show the result after waxing.

Finding wax was a problem. I'm in Mayo. The local hardware shops only had beeswax which I felt would not work. I was looking for some kind of wax like SC Johnson's but couldn't find it. Then last week I found Rustin's Premium Furniture Wax in a hardware shop in Wicklow. So that's what I used. I found it difficult to apply. First I tried putting it on with a soft rag but it was hard to spread. Then I used a brush. The result is patchy. Also the wax seemed to dissolve into the paint surface darkening it to the greenish tint of the original paint. The results are rather uneven and blotchy and the wax also dissolved extra paint in the distressed areas making them more pronounced. So now it has a very distressed look. I tried warming the wax over warm water so it brushed on evenly and that did give a more even result.

Finally I lined the drawers with some Laura Ashley wallpaper. The print is rather big and bold but it was an end-of-line roll priced at €5.60 vs. €40+/roll.

[jeep2]

Excellent work, well done

[Leyazile]

Fantastic! Love the distressed look and the lining inside is a great touch-Great unique piece

[Eily]

Very very well done - it's lovely.

[Pacman]

Fab job - you've transformed it completely. Looks wonderful.