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Rustic Inspired Living Room Refresh ORC Week 3

April 20, 2022 by Kimberly Snyder 12 Comments

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Have you ever wondered how easy it is to transform furniture with chalk paint? Let me share my experience with you!

To kick off week 3 of the One Room Challenge (ORC) , I am sharing my experience using Annie Sloan Chalk paint to transform furniture with chalk paint.  The piece I have chosen to start with is a bookcase my grandfather made for my Mom.

Mood board for ORC week 3

I decided to use this piece as my practice piece before tackling the large pieces that are part of my rustic inspired living room refresh!

bookshelf circa 1950 -before

Before

Let’s Get Ready to Transform Furniture with Chalk Paint

The bookcase has two doors which my husband removed for me.  When my grandfather first made this book shelf for my Mom, the doors had shiny mauve colored fabric in the center.  I removed the fabric shortly after we moved some of the furniture to the Florida house.

door to dark stained bookshelf - before

At some point, my Mom had added contact paper to the top of the cabinet.  My Mom was a big fan of contact paper and wall paper border!  There is even wall paper border on the doors of the corner cabinet that I am redoing for the room refresh!  The picture shows white contact paper lining the display area.  I did remove that as well as the contact paper on top of the bookcase before we moved the pieces to Florida.

Corner cabinet as found

Back to the bookcase! After the doors were removed, I washed the cabinet and the doors with a mild oil based soap.  Once the bookcase was dry, I started painting it.  I decided to use Annie Sloan Old Ochre.  The beauty of chalk paint is that you don’t have to sand or prime the pieces that you want to paint.  I was a little worried about the dark color of the bookcase bleeding through but it didn’t.

Annie Sloan Old Ochre chalk paint

 

Old Ochre Chalk paint being used on a dark stained bookcase

I tried using a small paint roller to paint the top but I soon switched to a brush.  I felt I had more control with the brush and it went on a lot smoother.  Maybe I had the wrong kind of roller.  We didn’t take the hinges off so I used Frog Tape to protect them from the paint.

50 Sq ft tile, gift card and Frog Tape

Prizes I won 

After I got the bookcase painted with the first coat, I started working on the doors.

dark stained bookshelf with one coat of chalk paint

dark stained bookcase doors with one coat of Annie Sloan paint

I let everything dry for several hours and then added a second coat to both the bookcase and the doors.

Thyme to Wax!

Chalk paint does need some type of top coat on it to protect it.  I decided to use Annie Sloan clear wax.  I have used this product before on some things I have used chalked spray paint on.

clear wax by Annie Sloan

Wax is easier to apply if you use a brush rather than a lint free cloth.  Simply scoop out some wax onto a paper plate, grab your brush and you are ready to get started!  Wax needs to be applied evenly.  It is best to work on small areas and then wipe off any excess wax with a lint free cloth. You can apply the wax in any direction.  I was trying to do a circular motion when the picture was taken.

applying clear wax

Even though the wax is clear (colorless), it does make the paint look a little darker.  The photo below show where I had stopped waxing for a bit to take a short break!

top of chalk painted bookcase partially waxed

Once I got the entire piece waxed, I went back over it with a lint free cloth to remove any excess wax.  I let it dry overnight.

I did the same wax, wipe and let dry process with the two doors.

chalk painted bookcase door

Final Steps

After the bookcase was no longer tacky to the touch,  I asked my husband to put the doors back on.

Dave putting doors on cabinet

I really want to replace the knobs with crystal knobs but I couldn’t find the screws that went with them.  I am hoping they show up before I am done with the rustic living room refresh!  In the meantime, I simply used regular spray paint on the wooden cabinet knobs.  I will attach them before we take the piece back into the house!

chalk painted knobs

The results

I was really surprised at how easy it was to paint a piece of furniture with chalk paint.  I have always been more of a “scrub it and leave it” kind of girl.  I never thought I had the patience for painting with a brush.

Primitive Cabinet - using hand sander

My Favorite Curbside Find!

This project taught me that I was wrong!  It was easier and less stressful than I thought!  It was actually kind of relaxing!

Side by Side Comparison – Did I Transform Furniture with Chalk Paint?

bookshelf circa 1950 -before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bookcase in bedroom ready to stage

A Little Background About Me

If you are just starting to follow me, my blog name reflects the big lifestyle change when we moved from the Illinois Farmhouse where I had spent the majority of my life to our home in Florida.   I shared the journey starting here: Thyme to Let Go ; How I Downsized the Family Homestead Part 1

and ending here: Thyme to Let Go : How I Downsized My Family Homestead Part 7

with many steps in between and lots of thyme, energy and a few tears.

I also like to say I blog about flowers (as a former florist) to flour (a former pizzeria owner) and many related topics. I like to use “thyme”  instead of time in sentences.  My favorite things are herbs, rusty things, architectural salvage and old wooden carriers!

gray themed gathering on table

Worn Wooden Boxes & Cool Rusty Things!

To Find More Information about my Rustic Inspired Living Room Refresh and the One Room Challenge

More information about my plans for my rustic inspired living room refresh can be found here:

Rustic Inspired Living Room Refresh ORC Week 1

Rustic Inspired Living Room Refresh ORC Week 2

Links to all of the guest participants can be found here: One Room Challenge

ORC Spring 2022 Mood Board
Please come back next week and see what I have accomplished!

Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription.

Filed Under: Blog Post, Decorating & Design, DIY, Entrepreneur, Furniture, Petals & Porch Posts Tagged With: chalk paint, painted furniture

Kim’s Zesty Crab Roll
Garden of Tasty Delights

Comments

  1. Kylie says

    April 20, 2022 at 7:38 pm

    Loving the transformation!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder says

      April 21, 2022 at 8:24 am

      thank you so much!

      Reply
  2. Donna Allen says

    April 23, 2022 at 3:29 pm

    I love to paint furniture with chalk paint! Isn’t it amazing to see the transformation! Great job and can’t wait to see what you’re going to paint next! Donna

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder says

      April 23, 2022 at 4:41 pm

      Thank you , Donna! I can’t believe I waited so long to learn how to use a paint brush! It was so simple!

      Reply
  3. Cindy says

    April 29, 2022 at 4:44 pm

    I love painting and I find it rewarding and relaxing. Great job!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder says

      April 29, 2022 at 8:23 pm

      Thank you! It is very relaxing!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Rustic Inspired Living Room Refresh ORC Week 4 - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    April 27, 2022 at 11:02 am

    […] using Annie Sloan Chalk paint to refresh furniture with chalk paint.  After my successful transformation last week, I felt ready to tackle the next piece of furniture on my […]

    Reply
  2. Chalk Paint Furniture Ideas ORC Week 6 - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    May 13, 2022 at 8:06 am

    […] Rustic Inspired Living Room Refresh ORC Week 3 […]

    Reply
  3. Spring Refresh using Architectural Salvage - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    October 18, 2022 at 8:44 am

    […] Rustic Inspired Living Room ORC Week 3 […]

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  4. Chalk Painted End Table Refresh - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    January 22, 2023 at 9:11 am

    […] Using Chalk Paint to Transform Furniture […]

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  5. My Favorite Curbside Find! - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    October 28, 2023 at 5:32 pm

    […] Rustic Inspired Living Room Makeover […]

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  6. Chalk Paint Transforms Wicker Baskets - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    February 28, 2024 at 9:05 am

    […] How to Refresh a Bookcase with Chalk Paint  […]

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Hello! Kimberly (Kim) Snyder and I'm glad you're here. An entrepreneurial spirit, I've owned a flower shop and antiques store, a pizza parlor and now we're in Florida living a new adventure. Join me as we downsize into our new digs and continue the adventures! WRITER & BLOGGER

Kimberly Snyder shares the adventures of moving to Florida and beginning again in a new space as a herbalist, a creative, and a serial entrepreneur

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Mowgli isn’t quite sure about the hat! But he is Mowgli isn’t quite sure about the hat! But he is sure that it is thyme to celebrate Summer! #summertime #fromfarmhousetoflorida #chugsofinstagram #kimstyledecor
Pretty in Pink for Spring! Thinking about layering Pretty in Pink for Spring! Thinking about layering in some aqua for Summer. What do you think? #kimstyledecor #coastalfarmhouse #coastalfarmhousestyle #fromfarmhousetoflorida #decoratingwithshells
Summer thyme is just around the corner! Let’s re Summer thyme is just around the corner! Let’s refresh your outdoor area! #fromfarmhousetoflorida #kimstyledecor #outdoorlivingspace #summervibes☀️ #coastalhomedecor #coastalfarmhouse
It is so easy to refresh a wicker basket with a co It is so easy to refresh a wicker basket with a coat of chalk paint! I used some left over chalk paint for this project. After the basket was dry, I filled it with a couple pots of blooming plants! #chalkpaint #wickerbasket #basketmakeover #basketlover #gardenstyledecor #kimstyledecor #fromfarmhousetoflorida
We had the house painted last fall. I finally got We had the house painted last fall. I finally got the vintage urns out of storage and added white mums.  #brocantestyle #brocante #gardenantiques #gardenstyle #kimstyledecor #whitemums #fromfarmhousetoflorida
Instagram post 18044738081437452 Instagram post 18044738081437452
I love to use my Mom’s vintage Hamilton Beach mi I love to use my Mom’s vintage Hamilton Beach mixer! It still works after all these years. I did have it re-wired several years ago because the original cord was frayed. #hamiltonbeach #fromfarmhousetoflorida #vintagekitchenwares #mothersday #farmhousekitchendecor
Not sure if I ever shared this version of the pott Not sure if I ever shared this version of the potting bench. I started decorating it with a lavender theme. I must have gotten distracted before I finished it! It just needs a few potted lavender plants ti finish it! #lavender #farmhousedecorating #gardenstyle #fromfarmhousetoflorida #pottingbench
Simple Summer sugar mold idea! I made the flower o Simple Summer sugar mold idea! I made the flower out of the trim from an old pillowcase.  #sugarmoldcenterpiece #sugarmolddecor #fromfarmhousetoflorida #farmhousedecor #fauxhydrangeas #gardenstyledecor #cottagedecor #kimstyledecor

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