Fashionably late to the chalk paint trend, an entryway sofa table became the victim of my very first makeover experiment. After endless research while trying to convince myself (and my husband) that I should paint all of our cabinets, furniture, and the dog white for the better part of a couple years, I’m not sure why I always talked myself out of it!
The traditional process of painting furniture (sand, prime, paint, sand, paint, repeat x 1,000 and then seal) isn’t for me. Meanwhile, the chalk paint process is for less handy folks, such as myself. Perfect for those who only have the time and skillset for one paint to do all of the work. Chalk paint requires NO sanding or priming, or even a sealer if you’re okay with a rougher/dead touch. Although I’ve heard rave reviews about Annie Sloane chalk paint, none of the local hardware stores offer that in stock. But I was able to find Amy Howard At Home chalk paint at Ace Hardware and it went fantastically! I highly recommend that paint!
I ended up choosing this entryway table because it’s just a piece of filler furniture that we’ve had forever, with wear and tear, that nobody was too attached to, plus the outcome potential could really spruce up the wall it was on! Basically, I wanted to be sure that if I royally messed this up, I wouldn’t be too heartbroken about it, which is what I also recommend if you are trying this for the first time like I was!
After wiping down the table, I applied my first coat and the section I started with was dry by the time I was finished with applying the coat, so I was able to repeat coats back-to-back until I was satisfied with the results. One coat made it look really rustic and worn. Perfect for the farmhouse trend, but that trend doesn’t work if you actually live in an old rustic farmhouse… Everything ends up looking a little too rustic (read: dirty and old). The second coat finished it to my liking- solid and covered. I touched up a few areas with a third layer, but it really was nit-picking details at that point! I had spare decorative knobs handy from my desk that husband built (he’s much handier than I). So we changed out the knobs, which really finished the look.
If you’re considering giving a piece of your furniture white-over, jump in and go for it! It’s much easier than the years’ worth of hesitation that I gave it!