Farm Table Makeover with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

A few years ago, I found this farm table at an antique store in Georgia. Petite and primitive, the little table was the perfect size for the small dining room in our 1890s rowhouse. With a rough plank top, the table boasted legs and apron in a pale minty green. No doubt it was originally built as a work table for someone's kitchen or shop. I highly doubt it was intended to be used as a dining table, but hey who cares. Styles change, right?
For two years, the table stayed its original mint-green color. It worked with our original eclectic decor. But as our styles evolved, I grew bored with the green color. Especially once no one else in our house was green anymore.  So, I did what I always do when I'm ready for a change: I whipped out my paint brushes.
To coordinate with our kitchen color and with the upcoming living room makeover, I chose the color Paris Grey by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It's a soft pale grey, the same color actually as our recent dresser makeover. I decided to paint just the legs and apron, leaving the surface rough and unadorned. 

The whole project took about 20 minutes-- and I love the finished look! I only needed one coat of paint and chose to not wax. I felt that a chalky, matte finish was more in keeping with the table's style. . It was exactly the change our dining room needed. The table now blends with its surrounding decor, highlighting the grey shades in our birch tree mural. 
My next project? Reupholstering and painting those white metal chairs. I may go Paris Grey on them as well, with a blue-and-white fabric for the cushions. I just need to go pick out the fabric! 

Chalk Paint Makeover: The Stair Rail

So, let's take a vote: Stain or paint? I repeat, stain or paint? Hmmm...? Well, if the post title didn't give it away, you guessed it! It's paint! Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, to be exact. 
For about a year, our stair rail and our banister rail did not match. One still possessed its original golden oak stain while the other had a new dark walnut stain. I knew we needed to make the two match, but I absolutely dreaded stripping and re-staining the massive rail that led upstairs. The mismatched railing bugged me everyday, but the project loomed before me. 
Then, Mark suggested painting it. At first, I balked at the idea. I knew I didn't want to paint it solid white or black-- the craftsmanship of the piece was too good and the wood grain too pretty. But then the idea struck us... 
Maybe there was a way to chalkpaint the piece in such a way that it would mimic stain. 

Here's a glimpse of the original railing before we began our Chalk Paint makeover. Not bad-- it just didn't match. Also, please pardon our carpeted stairs. Ugh. I sincerely wish we could rip out the carpet and replace it with lovely stained risers. But since we haven't won the lottery... that's not happening anytime soon. 
Anyway, back to the rail.
As Annie Sloan Chalk Paint has continued to prove time and again... anything is possible! This project took about an hour to complete and was mind-bogglingly easy. Today, I want to share how we achieved this "stain look" without stripping, sanding, or staining.

What You'll Need:
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Graphite Water Stirring sticks Paint brushes Annie Sloan Soft Dark Wax paper towels clean buffing rag
What You'll Do:
1. Make sure the rail is clean and free of dust
2. Mix the Graphite Chalk Paint with a few tablespoons of water. Some people recommend doing a 50/50 mix, but I felt that this was a bit too runny for the amount of coverage I wanted. Mine was probably more like 60/40 or 70/30. You do want it to be a bit drippy, however. 
3. Dip your brush into the water-paint mixture. With a spare paper towel, dab some of the paint off so that only a little remains on your brush. Then, paint onto the railing with quick, even strokes. Work a small section. I probably did about a foot or two of railing at a time. 
4. Go back with a clean paper towel and wipe away the excess paint. This will behind leave a "whitewash" affect. You can even work the paint into the wood grain somewhat.
5. Continue down the length of the rail, repeating steps 3 and 4. If your opened can of paint begins to thicken, just add a little more water. 
6. Allow the first coat to dry, then repeat with a second coat. 
7. Once the paint has dried, apply a coat of Annie Sloan Soft Dark Wax using a clean rag or paper towel. Remember that a little bit goes along way with the wax. Tip: you may want to wear gloves when using dark wax so your finger nails don't look gunky. 
8. Allow the wax to dry, then buff the rail to a high sheen using a clean rag. It make take the wax about a week to fully "cure." 

You would not believe how easy this was and how closely it matches the walnut stain on the rest of the railing. As you can see in the above picture, the rail's brackets were outdated brass, complete with paint chips. After these photos were taken, we ended up removing the brackets and spray painting them black to match the wrought iron balusters upstairs. Much cheaper than paying $6 a bracket to replace them all. 
What do you think? Feel brave enough to try out a Chalk Paint wash over staining? The best part: zero prep work. I just wiped off the dust and got to work. It cut down on time, money, and yucky stain smells. Finally no more mismatched railing! 
What's your favorite Chalk Paint project? 

Warm Industrial- Inspired Vintage Desk

Before getting married, I had a very eclectic approach to design. If I attempted to give the style a name, it would be some some hybridized concept like "eclectic-vintage-global-glam," a trail of adjectives that leave you blinking and thinking "Wait. What the what?" Then I married this blue-eyed Virginian who loved all things sleek and modern. Sheesh. How does that work?  Over time, however, we've come to realize that our mutual favorite style, while still eclectic, fits more into the category of New Traditional, with the occasional industrial twist.

This design style certainly inspired my most recent Furniture Makeover project. A vintage typewriter desk revitalized with a good scrubbing, a fresh coat of paint, and a new design. Here's what it looked like once we purchased it:

Good bones, am I right? My favorite feature (other than the hidden typewriter drawer) was the marble drawer pulls. They really set this piece apart. I couldn't wait to get at them with a scrub rag and some warm soapy water.

Here's what I used: 
-soapy water
-rags
- painter's tape
-sanding blocks (200-1000 grit)
-mineral spirits
-Annie Sloan Chalkpaint in Graphite and Paris Grey
-Annie Sloan Soft Clear Wax
-paint brushes
- paper towels

Voila! Like most of my Furniture Makeovers, the process of painting this behemoth desk was simple. I simply gave it a good cleaning and sanding in any damaged areas. Once the piece was wiped clean of any grit and grime, I taped off my desktop design. I decided to go for a feedsack stripe design, to augment this warm industrial theme.

The body is painted in two coats of Annie Sloan Graphite, while the stripe design is both Graphite and Paris Grey. After the paint dried, I heavily distressed the piece using sanding blocks, hammer and nails, and even a small chain. (Yes, I slapped a chain on the desk. Yes, it made me feel a little mean. But whatever-- it turned out pretty! Yes, I know it's an inanimate object.) Finally, I applied a topcoat of Soft Clear Wax and thoroughly buffed for a high sheen.

I am so pleased with how it turned out. The white marble drawer pulls cleaned up perfectly and truly set this piece over the top. While cleaning the piece, I found its manufacturer's label inside one of the drawers. Believe it or not, this desk is also a little piece of Maryland history. It was made in Baltimore by Lucas Brothers--once one of the nation's oldest office supply and furniture distributors. I like to imagine that this desk belonged to some mid-century teacher... but who knows.

The desk will be placed  for sale in Repurposed & Refined's downtown Frederick brick + mortar. So, if you're in totally in love with it, you're more than welcome to stop by their shop at see it in person. Or, if you can't wait, you can always message me here or on Instagram for more information.

Ahhh. I wish I could just keep it! But if I kept every project, I would definitely show up on that show Hoarders someday.  Want more furniture makeovers, here are a few more I've done recently! Also, if you're in the Frederick area this weekend, head over to Sweet Clover Barn. The ladies of Repurposed & Refined have a booth there, and Cassie of Primitive & Proper-- whose projects and home tours you know I love--has stocked the place full of vintage goodness.

Happy weekend!

Project shared at Nifty Thrifty Things link party.

Old World Style Dresser

Hello everyone. It's been a while since I've written for the blog. My days have been super  busy lately with painting, writing, and adventuring with the hubs and the pup. Unfortunately, this good-kind-of-busy left me with little time to sit down and actually jot down some blog posts. Rest assured though-- I'm still out there crafting and writing. If you ever wonder what's become of us, give us a follow on Instagram @ampnabi for proof that we're still alive.

A recent Craigslist find had me whipping out my paintbrushes and paint cans for a quick furniture makeover. Last week, I spotted this old dresser for sale. I immediately knew that I wanted it, so a quick email chat ensued and I headed to the owner's home to pick it up. She informed me that the rickety old (and I mean old) dresser actually had belonged to her great-grandfather. She hated to part with it, but just truly didn't have any use for it. So, home it came with me!

My favorite thing about it? It still had all its hardware. So often I find beautiful pieces with beautiful hardware... just not all of it. When I saw that this dresser still possessed its knobs, I was super excited. Already, a vision was unfolding of what it be with a little elbow grease and a lot of chalkpaint.

Here's a glimpse of the "before"...

Beautiful, am I right?

I knew I wanted this antique piece to have an Old-World style. The words dark wax, dark wax, dark wax kept repeating like a mantra in my mind. But what color?

I kept it simple and went with colors I already owned: Old Violet (from our kitchen renovation) and Paris Grey (from my bedroom dresser makeover). The end result was awesome--even better than I anticipated--and surprisingly not that difficult.

Materials used:
Annie Sloan Chalkpaint- Old Violet
Annie Sloan Chalkpaint- Paris Grey
Annie Sloan Soft Dark Wax
mineral spirits
paper towels
paint brushes
old rags (for buffing and waxing)

Because the dresser was pretty scratched up, I had to give it a pretty thorough sanding. Now, typically. with Annie Sloan products you don't have to sand or prep the piece. That general rule is still very true. The sanding step served only to create a smooth surface. Over the years, the dresser had sustained some dings, nicks, and scratches. I simply wanted a smooth surface on top.

After sanding the dresser top, I cleaned and dusted the entire piece. Now it was finally ready to begin layering my paint. First, a base coat of Old Violet and then a top coat of Paris Grey. To get the peek-through of dusky-blue, I utilized a wet-rag distressing technique, simply rubbing away the still damp grey chalkpaint. Then,  I distressed the entire dresser using a high-grit sandpaper. A final coat of Dark Wax served as the topcoat-- and gave the piece its "Old World" patina.

And viola!

I have to say-- I'm thrilled with the way it turned out. True to the power of chalkpaint, this dresser went from shabby and neglected to stylish and unique in just two days.

Have a chalkpaint or furniture DIY you want to share? Link in the comments below!

Console Table Makeover

Happy Monday, everyone!

How was your Fourth of July celebration? Did you come through the other side, retaining all your fingers and toes? I hope so! Mark and I kept it simple this year. We stayed in Frederick to enjoy a cookout with friends and fireworks in the Baker Park. Which, by the way, if you're a local Marylander, you should definitely make the trip to Frederick for our Fourth celebration. This little town can put on a lightshow. Complete with a rousing soundtrack of patriotic songs, the firework show dazzles you with light and color before concluding with the national anthem played on the park's belltower. I shared a few images on my Instagram which you can find here.

Of course, holiday weekends always end, and Monday inevitably returns. Today at the Frederick shop, I've been working on a console table makeover. This piece is not vintage, but even newer pieces can benefit from an Annie Sloan chalkpaint makeover.

Originally, the piece was a butternut yellow color. Not bad-- but again, not great. Slightly one-dimensional. Here's a look at what the piece looked like beforehand.

To give the piece a more French Country feel, we decided to paint it in Annie Sloan Chalkpaint Graphite, the closest shade to black that Annie Sloan carries. Graphite is a really lovely color: a dusky chalkboard black. However, painting and waxing with Graphite can be a little more difficult than with other Annie Sloan colors, solely because the dark shade sometimes betrays any lint or dust that becomes trapped in the wax topcoat. Recently, I found myself in a vicious circle of painting, sanding, waxing, buffing on a custom Graphite bedroom set. The seemingly unending task would definitely be my version of Dante's hell. The problem turned out to be the buffing rags: somehow this ragbag had unreasonable amounts of lint that kept ruining the wax topcoat. Ugh!

Anyway, the console table project turned out to be much easier. No lint escapade anyway!

Materials used:
-Annie Sloan Chalkpaint in Graphite
-Annie Sloan Soft Clear Wax
-brushes
-rags (waxing and buffing)
-paper towels


As with any Annie Sloan project, this was ridiculously simple. We simply painted a few coats of Graphite onto the console table, distressed, and then added a topcoat of Soft Clear Wax. After buffing the topcoat to a nice sheen, we were done!

The end result is a piece that certainly is no longer one-dimensional. The charcoal grey color gives the table a more dramatic flair, while the original pale wood stain still peeks through. It would work well as an entryway table or console table behind a sofa.

If you have any chalkpaint or furniture DIY questions,

please don't hesitate to ask in the comments below!

Repurposed & Refined

217 W Patrick Street

Frederick, MD 

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored, nor did I received any compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are truly my own. I just really love Annie Sloan chalkpaint and think you should try it out too! 

Shabby Table Gets Chalkpaint Refinish

For several months, this little black pedestal endtable sat unused in our Frederick shop. It wasn't particularly ugly. It just wasn't particularly pretty. Tired of seeing its dull black visage every day, I decided last Friday to provide the table with an Annie Sloan chalkpaint makeover.

Here's the "before" picture, along with a glimpse into our back workshop at the Frederick store.

As you can see, the table was quite shabby and boring. It wasn't horrible. It just didn't showcase the full ability of what we do at Repurposed and Refined. So, I threw on a painting smock and got to work. In the South, we love color. So I was immediately drawn to a jar of Antibes Green that hadn't been used in awhile. My sales sense always tells me that white pieces tend to sell more quickly. However, sometimes you just have to get creative.

Materials Used:
-Annie Sloan Chalkpaint Antibes Green
-Annie Sloan Chalkpaint Louis Blue
-Annie Sloan Soft Clear Wax
-Annie Sloan Soft Dark Wax
-chalkpaint brushes
-rags
-paper towels

Refinishing the table to have this distressed French-country appearance was much easier than it seemed. To be surprise, the whole project took less than an hour. I simply began by quickly brushing a thick coat of Antibes Green over the entire table. Once that had mostly dried, I applied a second coat of Louis Blue using an dry-brush technique. (If you've never attempted dry-brushing before, check out this video tutorial. But don't worry, it's not hard.)

Once the paint had dried, I applied the Anine Sloan Soft Clear Wax, using a clean rag. Because the workshop stays warm in the summertime, I was able to immediately go back and buff the table. The warm temperatures caused everything to dry very quickly, which helped speed up the entire project. Finally, I applied a second coat of wax using Annie Sloan Soft Dark Wax. The dark wax gave the table it's old world patina.

Here's a little hint: if you apply clear wax before dark wax, you can more easily control the stain and spread of the dark.

I was so pleased with the way this little table turned out. Rather than looking sad and dull, it now has a unique French-Country flair. The dark wax patina is what really sets it off. It will easily suit a French-country, eclectic, or Southern decor style. By accident, it perfectly matches these pale blue armchairs in the shop. I can't wait to see who this little table goes home with!

If you have any questions about furniture refinishing or chalkpaint, please don't hesitate to contact me or to ask in the comments below.

Paris Grey Dresser Makeover

Sometimes you just get tired of looking at a certain piece of furniture. There's nothing wrong with it. In fact, when you originally bought the item, you absolutely adored it. It has good lines. The wood is in good shape. Yet somehow, you've grown tired of it. Until one day, you walk into your bedroom and think "that is a big brown piece of furniture."

So what to do when you "fall out of love" with your furniture? You  have two options when this unfortunate event occurs: 1) sell it and buy new, or 2) flex your DIY muscles. Can you guess which route we took? I bet you can. I mean, come on, you're reading this blog for a reason.

To revamp my boring but shapely dresser, I applied two coats of Paris Grey Annie Sloan chalkpaint purchased at the downtown Frederick store Repurposed & Refined. As I've mentioned before, the great thing about chalkpaint is the fact that it doesn't require extensive prep-work. No sanding was needed. I just thoroughly cleaned and dusted the piece before painting.

Once the paint had dried, I added some slight distress marks to allow the original wood color to come through. I had a hunch that the original color of the dresser would look beautiful paired with the Paris Grey. And I was right! I love the way it turned out. The distress marks really accentuate the shape and details of the piece. Finally, I applied a top coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax to both protect the dresser and give it a nice sheen.

This project was my first time using Paris Grey on a personal project, and I am thrilled with the result. Since our bedroom walls are a deep charcoal color, I initially hesitated to bring in another grey hue. But I'm so glad I did! The milky grey pops against the dark walls and, despite standing out more, simultaneously makes the room seem larger.

Since this project proved successful, I plan to turn to another room this weekend: the kitchen. Curious about what we have planned? Here's a color hint: "Old Violet" or "Napoleonic Blue"? Decisions, decisions. Stay tuned for updates!