Antique Bookshelf...

Amanda Bishop
by Amanda Bishop
6 Materials
$30
3 Days
Medium
How I turned an antique bookshelf into a beautiful kitchen piece!
I bought this old antique green bookshelf from my neighbor a couple of years back, she bought it in the 40's or 50’s from an independent owner furniture store, as it is in the picture. Antique green! I wanted a rustic red to match my country style theme in my home!
I started with the spray Citristrip thinking that it would make it a lot easier to take off the old... 👎🏻 it did not work the way I needed or wanted it to. The shelf had about 5 coats of different paint to make it the color it is!!! (Primer, mint green, hunter green, a brown stain, and then a poly coat is what I am guessing). So after using a whole can of the citristrip with little stripping actually done, I went to my trusty electric hand sander and used a 60 grit paper and a good mask (not sure if the original paint was lead based). I got to work and got down to the original wood with nothing on it no primer, just the raw wood... (I forgot to take a picture of it). Thank you Lord!!! Sanding the entire piece took about 2-3 days because I work funny hours.
I did not prime it or anything. Next I made up my chalk paint.
1/3 cup Plaster of Paris
1/3 cup cool water
1 cup paint color of your choice


I mixed the plaster of Paris with the cool water until it is dissolved, then
add in the paint color and mix well.


This can also be used to distress furniture depending on the painters technique and the paint brush.


I painted on one coat of Rusty Red homemade chalk paint (cheaper to make rather than buying "chalk paint") and let it dry over night and it turned out just how I was expecting it to! I decided that after I was done I would make a bar/island to go infront of it, out of reclaimed wood and wooden pallet (to make it feel more welcoming)! I will do a how-to on it also!
Suggested materials:
  • Trim & Edging brush (for the corners)   (My father in laws garage)
  • 1/2 gallon of Paint tented to my color preference   (Home Depot)
  • Citrustrip   (HomeDepot)
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