Sometimes the best pieces aren't bought new they're rediscovered. With a bit of sanding, paint, and imagination, this worn chest of drawers and tired old chair found new purpose and charm. Here's how we brought them back to life.
By admin3 min read
I like to bury myself in some of my much loved hobbies. So this year I planned on upcycling this tired preloved bedroom chest drawer. What a better time such as spring.
Whilst on twitter, I saw this paint brand that, apparently gives that charming vintage finish; thought i must try it. It is called Rustoleum Chalky Paint. Come with me, lets explore this new range of chalky paints.
Rustoleum chalky finish furniture paint
LETS DO THIS:
I started by sanding to get rid of old dirt and oils as well as smoothen the surface using some of my left over sand paper from wilko. Then cleaned it and got rid of dust particles.
Photo by Jijjy MaisonPhoto by Jijjy Maison
Proceeded to applying the primer. I used wilko mdf primer which have used in my upcycling delights. I have always been happy with the results. It dried in to a white mat colour so any paint you apply is not drowned by the wood or previous colours. It is a quick dry primer that will dry in 2 hours.
Photo by Jijjy MaisonPhoto by Jijjy MaisonPhoto by Jijjy Maison
End of drying time, I was very excited to try out the new chalky furniture paint. In this project I tried to be more adventures and went for a sage green colour to give it a pretty, shabby chic, country cottage look. The shade was delish; the images do not do it justice.
Photo by Jijjy MaisonPhoto by Jijjy MaisonPhoto by Jijjy Maison
I applied 3 coating; you only need 2 hrs between coats. This was a different experience since I am used to either matt or satin finished for my furniture paints. I also tried to give it a vintage effect my Over-touching with some cream paint as seen below.
Photo by Jijjy Maison
The piéce de résistance for me was the damask detailed decor I added on the drawers. My initial idea was to use mouldings. But an idea popped into my head, to use old left over embossed wall paper with really pretty damask patterns. I remember getting it from brewers decor center.
Photo by Jijjy Maison
After cutting them to size I applied a dash of vintage cream colour using another of my favs – i.e. international Japlac porcelain satin finish. Then went over the damask patterns with Gold rust oleum furniture pain. Seriously how pretty is this gold colour. Definitely worth the money and at 750ml I can use it on alot of my vintage projects, for a while, compared to my spray plastikot gold metallic spray.
I then glued decorative piece on to the front of the drawers using wilko ova glue. Voila, here is the finished product; tell me what you think.
Jijjysmaison Upcycled Chest Drawer using Rust Oleum Chalky Furniture Paint
How long does an upcycling project like this usually take?
Depending on drying times between coats, most furniture upcycles take a full weekend a few hours of hands-on work spread across 1-2 days.
How can I protect the finish once the piece is painted?
A coat of clear wax or a matte/satin sealant helps protect painted furniture from scuffs and everyday wear, especially on high-touch areas like drawer edges and chair arms.
What supplies do I need to upcycle a chest of drawers or chair?
Basics include sandpaper, a primer (if needed), chalk or furniture paint, a paintbrush or roller, wax or sealant for finishing, and optional hardware like new drawer pulls or handles.
