Charmed by Chalk Paint

I was a bit slow jumping on the chalk paint band wagon. Although I was intrigued by what I saw on Pinterest and loved pieces that my friends had painted, it took a push from Delys to get me started. Last summer, she decided to give her kitchen a punch of color by painting a small hutch that began its life as bedroom furniture:

We had planned to go with Annie Sloane paint because, frankly, that was the only chalk paint brand we knew, but I happened to notice that Lowes carries a chalk paint, Valspar Chalky Finish Paints, and we decided to give it a try. We chose a blue that matches colors in her living room--which is open to the kitchen--and got to work:

We simply followed the directions on the back of the can and were generally pleased with the results. One of the things that we had been told about chalk paint, along with the fact that you don't have to sand the original surface, is that it has excellent coverage. This piece definitely required two coats. We let the paint dry over night and then applied Valspar Sealing Wax for Chalky Finish Projects. The wax provides a protective layer and adds a warm patina to the paint. (They also have a darker wax that can be used for a more distressed, antiqued look.) The can suggests using a brush for application, but we used an old T-shirt rag to rub on a thin coat:

(The galley kitchen didn't give me enough space to get a great picture, 

but this gives you a glimpse of the result. It turned out great!)

A few months later while I was visiting Elin, she decided to update a desk that she purchased years ago at a thrift store. Some creative little student, Max, had written his full name in large letters on the top of the desk with a permanent marker. (It was interesting that Elin chose, without any influence from Delys or me, the same color for her project.) She also updated the drawer pulls. I don't have a before picture, but here are a couple of afters. I love that the paint makes the decorative details in the wood pop:

Our most recent project is a dresser and mirror for one of Delys' daughters. It was another thrift store find and was in good condition, so we debated about whether or not to paint it at all: 

But we opted to go white because we thought it would stand out better against her moss green walls. (This project required three coats of Valspar. My plan is to do another piece using Annie Sloane to see if the coverage is better.) 

However, we do love the result:

The Magic of Spray Paint

I have decided that there really is magic in taking something you already own that is old or out-dated and turning it into something (almost) brand new. Spray paint is often the key.

Project 1:

When my parents died, I ended up with a magazine rack that they had used for years. It was in excellent condition and I didn't want to get rid of it, but it didn't really fit in with the my decorating scheme. I didn't take a "before" photo, but here is a picture of one that is similar in shape and wood tone:

I was in the process of redecorating one of our bedrooms and was working with grays and yellows. A few coats of spray paint later, the magazine caddie was transformed from something a little bit tired into something bright and cheerful to hold bedside reading for our guests:

Project 2:

I like to hang a wreath or other seasonal objects on my front door for major holidays. My autumn wreath looked tired and worn out; it was multi-colored, papery baubles on vines. The colors were faded and some of the baubles were beginning to crack. When I found another one to replace it, I planned to throw the old one out. But as I put it on the "to donate" pile in my garage, I happened to glance up at the paint shelf and was inspired to try to transform it into an Easter wreath.

The original plan was to go white. I untwisted a wire hanger and hung the wreath from a tree branch. This made it easy to cover the wreath from all sides:

I let it dry and was pleased with the results. The faded colors were transformed by the white paint, and the cracked baubles now looked a bit like opening blossoms. But when I hung it on the door, I was disappointed. The white seemed gray against my black door.

So I went back to the paint shelf and grabbed the same yellow can that I had used on the magazine rack. And. . . . here it is:

Those of you who are less boring than I am could add ribbon, flowers, eggs, etc., to make it even more interesting.

Basically, for the cost of a single can of paint (well, two if you count the white mistake), I got two fun and functional items. So grab a can in your favorite color, find something a bit tired and worn out, and make something old new again.