Bluesky at Home Β» DIY Projects Β» Paint Projects Β» 3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

This is not a trick question.

What is easier to change: the color of your sofa and chairs or the color of your tables?

Right! The tables.

Most people have neutral colors in their upholstery ~ sofasΒ andΒ chairs ~ anything with fabric. I love the look of white and cream sofas. Then you can accessorize with color, texture and pattern in your pillows and accessories.

Like this room from Fixer Upper

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

Or this one

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

Wish I had thought of that.

I had to do it the opposite way.

When we were planning the decor of our living room (which included re~upholstering the sofa and 3 chairs), my decorator and I choose color for the sofa and texture and pattern for the chairs. Believe me, choosing 3 coordinating fabrics is hard work and we choose and then discarded many choices. (Then there was the time I misplaced the sample fabric for the sofa and we hadn’t written down the fabric information and had to pick a new fabric; that turned out O.K. because we found a less expensive fabric that I liked better. The missing sample showed up later stuck under my car seat.)

I’ll show you our entire living room later.

Suffice it to say that my decorating palette is backwards. I use neutrals in my pillows and accessories to tone down the color in the sofa and chairs.

SinceΒ we moved in our house 3 years ago, I’ve paintedΒ 4Β tables ~

  1. a pine kitchen table that I had cut down to a sofa table ~ I used Annie Sloan Coco on top and Chateau Grey on the legs. I loved it.
  2. an end table that was Sweet Shark’s grandmother’s ~ I used Chateau Grey and Dark Wax. I just sort of liked it.
  3. a set of stacking tables I found at an estate sale ~ I used Duck Egg BlueΒ over Primer Red, distressed it and used Dark Wax. I thought it looked great.
  4. a vintage lady’s “desk” I bought in Canton 30 years ago. I painted it Paris Grey.

Fast forward 3 years and I was tired of the Cocoa and Chateau Grey and even though I love Paris Grey, I wanted lighter.

I wanted WHITE! to contrast with with my colored upholstered furniture. WHITE! light and a little farmhouse. (I think Joanna has rubbed off on me.)

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

So I got to work.

I left the sofa table as is ~ I’ll tell you why when I give you a tour of the living room.

The Method

I painted all the pieces with 1 coat of Annie Sloan Old White, full strength and thenΒ painted a second coat with a wash of Old White.

Next I used Clear Wax to seal. Although I have used the Annie Sloan Wax Brushes, I also like to use an old rag.

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

I distressed the pieces where natural wear would have occurred, notΒ too much, but enough to give the tables character. I waited 24 hours and buffed the tables to give themΒ that beautiful patina and sheen.

I love this buffing brush that I bought online. I bought the sanding block at Lowe’s.

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

The End Table ~ Before

This table belonged to Sweet Shark’s grandmother and we have used it for years as an end table. The original finish was a drab, worn walnut stain. It has nice lines, 3 levels and a drawer, so it’s practical, too.

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

I used Dark Wax on the top.

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

Let the painting begin!

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

I left the inside of the drawer Chateau Grey.

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

And after painting, waxing, distressing and buffing

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

The Β Stacking Table ~ Before

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

Just starting to paint with Old White

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

And after painting, waxing and distressing

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

 

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

After buffing

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

The Lady’s Desk ~ Before

This is how the lady’s desk originally looked when I bought it 30Β years agoΒ with aΒ dark stained finish.

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

And when I painted it last summer with Annie Sloan Paris Grey.

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

Now, after painting it with Old White

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

And after waxing and distressing and buffing

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

3 Table Makeovers with Chalk Paint

To say I love the results is an understatement. The white tables contrast with the fabric and wall color and gives a great pop. I love how the slightly distressed finish provides some farmhouse, vintage vibe.

Next time I’ll show you how my older daughter and I rearranged the furniture in ourΒ living room which made a huge difference in the flow of the room.

Until then, when in doubt, go with white. You can never go wrong.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

8 Comments

  1. Your tables look GREAT! As a designer all of my hardlines are in a neutral color palette and I recommend adding color thru less expensive means such as paint and accessories that can be switched out at my whim. I generally recommend this to my clients as well. But I do recall my first sofa and chairs….I still have one and it is now slip covered in cream. πŸ™‚ Thank you for joining Thoughts of Home on Thursday. This post truly delighted me.

    1. Laura, I really appreciate your comments ~ especially from an interior designer. One of these days, I’ll probably either slip~cover this sofa or get a new one in a cream or white. For now, I love the look we have. I’m happy to delight!!

  2. That’s my motto too, Carol! Painting furniture is pretty new to me but white is always a good choice. πŸ™‚

    1. Stacey, I find I like white more and more in home decor. As we know, there are whites with blue undertones and yellow undertones and every other color undertone. The trick is finding the right white!