I was so wrong about painting old furniture with chalk paint

For years I thought chalk paint was just a gimmick for DIY blogs. But last month I tried Annie Sloan's chalk paint on a beat up oak nightstand I found at a garage sale in Tulsa, and I didn't even need to sand it. It covered that ugly orange stain in two coats and looks like a legit piece now. Did you have to seal yours with wax or did you just leave it as is?

2 comments

2 Comments

allen.ruby17d ago

Did you use the clear wax or the dark wax on yours? I tried the dark wax on a dresser and it gave it this really nice aged look, but I didn't realize how much extra buffing it needed. My arm was sore for two days after rubbing it in. But honestly skipping the sanding step is such a game changer, especially for those old pieces with detailed grooves and carvings. I bet that oak nightstand has some nice detail work that would've been a pain to sand by hand.

amymiller17d agoMost Upvoted

Not gonna lie, two days of sore arm sounds a bit much. I mean, yeah, buffing wax sucks but maybe just use a cheap orbital buffer next time? Takes like 10 minutes tops. And skipping sanding... sure, it saves time, but I've had wax peel off in spots where the old finish was still slick. Not a huge deal to touch up, but it happens.