Thrift Store Furniture Makeover: How Paint Over Chalk Paint With Latex
5 Materials
$30
90 Minutes
Easy
Last weekend, I painted the entryway table in our foyer. I picked up this table for $20 at a thrift store last year. I love doing a yard sale or thrift store furniture makeover. It’s so much fun to find a piece for a steal, and visualize how it will look in our home. I painted over chalk paint with latex paint to give this worn out black table a new look.
Painting Over Chalk Paint with Latex Paint:
I learned a few things about repainting chalk painted furniture. If chalk painted furniture has not been waxed or sealed, it can be painted over with latex paint with no primer necessary. Chalk paint is super matte so it acts as a great primer for new paint.
If a chalk painted piece was waxed or sealed in any way, it is necessary to sand the surface before repainting, similar to a glossy finish latex paint. If the sealant is difficult to sand off or you would rather not go through the extra work of sanding, a gripping primer or an oil based primer like Kilz will seal in the old coating and ensure the new paint adheres well.
On my table, the surface didn’t feel like it was waxed at all. I painted right over the black chalk paint with two coats of Benjamin Moore Advance in White Dove.
I also removed the handles on the table and cleaned them. Then, I spray painted them with a couple light coats of Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze.
The top is stained with my all time favorite furniture makeover product, General Finishes Gel Stain in Java. I love to use this for every wood furniture makeover I do, because it allows me to stain over polyurethane furniture without really sanding…hello time saver!
I have used this amazing goopy stain for everything from oak builder grade bathroom cabinets to thrift store furniture. You can even use it to fake a woodgrain over a solid surface like a garage door. One can lasts me forever. It is so fast and easy to use, which is especially important when your trying to makeover furniture during an episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.
I very lightly sand with a fine grit sand paper, just a twenty second rough up job on the top.
Then, I put on some latex gloves and wipe on a light coat of the stain with an old sock. I don't wipe it off. I just wipe it on in the same direction as the wood grain in a light coat until I like the look, then let it dry overnight. If it looks like I went too light in a spot, I add a second coat. Normally the more drastic the color change, the more coats I need. This table top just needed one coat of gel stain and it looks like new.
There is no poly finish needed with this gel stain, because it is a stain and topcoat all in one. It is very durable, I have refinished several pieces this way, and they are still going strong years later!
It's so gratifying to make such a big impact without much effort at all. Since I already had the paint and stain in the house from other projects, this makeover didn't cost a thing! :)
I decorated the new table with some pinecones we collected and some DIY white dollar tree pumpkins. I taped off the stems and spray painted them ivory for easy fall decor I can save from year to year.
A large thrift store basket holds pillows and a crocheted afghan. I am loving our new and improved cozy foyer.
Do you have a favorite thrift store furniture makeover? I would love to hear your refinishing tips!
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3 comments
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The table looks amazing! Thanks for sharing the tips for using paint on Chalk paint; it was very helpful.
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Beautiful result
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