repainting a dresser in chalk paint®
In the furniture painting business, some pieces take longer than others to sell. This dresser was painted in Amsterdam Green Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan was one of them.
The time finally came to repaint it and give it a fresh new look. Hopefully a more neutral color would appeal to a wider audience. Fortunately, it’s very easy to repaint Chalk Paint® with more Chalk Paint®!
painting the dresser the first time
When I first got this dresser, this is what it looked like.
It has a lot of veneer damage on the bottom and the top was definitely in rough shape.
The makeover process started by using a heat gun and a putty knife to remove the damaged veneer from the top and the bottom drawer.
When I finished, the top looked something like this.
I tried applying a stain to the wood on top, but it didn’t take well. Instead, I opted to apply two coats of General Finishes Dark Chocolate to mimic the look of a dark wood stain.
It went on like a dream with an F50 ClingOn! brush.
For the base, I opted for a lovely jewel tone green shade called Amsterdam Green Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan. I don’t retail this type of paint, but I won a can in a giveaway contest, so I wanted to use it up.
After the painting was finished, I used some Furniture Wax and Antiquing Wax by Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint to seal the Chalk Paint®.
Once the piece was adorned with fresh hardware, this is where it stood.
repainting the dresser with chalk paint®
Painted furniture can take anywhere from a few days to a few months to sell. I had nibbles on this piece, but no serious buyers. People liked it but I have a feeling the bright jewel tone of Amsterdam Green wouldn’t work in their homes.
The time eventually came for me to take it home and repaint it in something more neutral. I had given it long enough to sell, and it became obvious it needed to be re-worked. Because I used Chalk Paint® the first time and had a wax finish over top, I could easily paint right over it with more Chalk Paint®.
My new (more neutral) color of choice was a beautiful shade of greige called French Linen. (Greige is a mixture of Beige and Gray, just in case you didn’t know!) I used it before on a few pieces early on in my furniture painting career. It’s definitely a favorite! If you like greiges, you should check out Schloss by Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint. Or you could mix your own using Millstone and Driftwood by General Finishes.
But back to my dresser! I applied 2 coats of French Linen Chalk Paint® and sealed it with the same waxes at my first round – Furniture and Antiquing – and installed the hardware again.
The top was still in great shape, so I kept the Dark Chocolate Milk Paint finish in tact.
chalk paint® dresser reveal…again
So, what do you think of the dresser’s new look?
Isn’t it so soft and dreamy? It has warmth and character along with a fresh neutral paint finish.
Keeping the Antiquing Wax finish brought out all of those lovely carved details. These are the perfect types of surfaces for this type of decorative wax!
This combination of rich brown, greige, and antiqued brass hardware lends itself well to many types of decorating styles!
You could hang a gilded mirror above this dresser or stage it with more farmhouse type decor like I did. It lends itself to many different looks!
To add to the softness of the piece, I lined the drawers with a fun pink patterned paper.
It’s subtle and not too pinky-pink…if that makes any sense!
This paper makes a much more appealing first impression than this, don’t you think?
purchasing details
If you’re interested in this piece, you can get all the details by viewing the listing in my online shop. If you’re local to me in Southeastern Pennsylvania, you can come and pick it up. I also offer delivery services within a certain radius. If you’re further away, you can inquire with me about getting a shipping quote. There are several fabulous furniture shipping companies that will make sure this piece arrives to your home safe and sound.
If you love the look of this piece, you can shop for the paint products I used and replicate it for yourself!
- Schloss Milk Paint by Miss Mustard Seed
- Driftwood Milk Paint and/or Millstone Milk Paint by General Finishes (mix them together to create your own shade of greige)
- Dark Chocolate Milk Paint by General Finishes
- High Performance Topcoat in Satin
- Antiquing Wax by Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint
- Furniture Wax by Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint
- Wax Brush
- ClingOn! Brush
