Sideboard Makeover

Bryan's Workshop
by Bryan's Workshop
5 Materials
$100
5 Days
Easy

Painted furniture, people love it or hate and I'm in the middle. I collect and restore antiques and I also find pieces to paint. I think some furniture is meant for paint! I have no idea why both can't be appreciated and the strangest thing to me is, people who hate painted furniture, really hate it!


If you hate painted furniture, this post is not for you!


We actually got the sideboard for free when we went to pickup a hutch. We found the hutch on an auction site and when we arrived to get it, we were asked:


"Do you want that too?"

Psst....of course we do!


We didn't plan on painting it at first, and went back and forth on the idea for years. The paint selection in our area of Japan isn't that big, so none of the colors available really talked us. Chalk paint is rare over here too, but luckily Annie Sloan products are popping up in boutique shops. My wife, Mariko, was checking out new colors one day and discovered Barcelona Orange and Aubusson Blue.

Check out the video first!


This is the sideboard!

Yeah, it's kinda retro and shiny, with all kinds of fun accents. Furniture like this is perfect for a makeover!



This is the paint and wax we used.

For most purposes, one to two coats of paint are enough. Mariko used the orange for the base coat and blue for the final. The best thing about Annie Sloan chalk paint is that it adheres to almost any surface, and there is rarely any need to sand or prime before painting. Just clean the surface first. Be careful, because chalk paint with latex in it is not actually chalk paint and it wont adhere as well.


Annie Sloan products get a lot of hate, because they're expensive. Almost double the price in Japan too, but I think they're well worth it.


The clear wax is the perfect complement for the paint and it adds durability, deepens the colors slightly and adds a very light sheen. The dark wax gives age to the paintwork and emphasizes brush marks, cracks and texture.


You need to clear wax first followed by the dark wax. It take 5-21 days to cure.

On with the orange.

Diluting chalk paint makes it easier to paint with.

On with the blue paint!

Using two colors is an awesome way to accent parts of furniture with light distressing. Once the final coat is dry, you can lightly sand it away to expose the base color.


Do all of the distress work and clean up the mess, before you wax.

Wax time!

I painted the inside with a semi-gloss gray latex paint. It was painted with the orange chalk paint first and this acts as the primer.

I love it!

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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 6 questions
  • Jenn Cunningham Jenn Cunningham on Aug 05, 2021

    She painted over that awesome grain on the doors. 😭

  • Tammy Tammy on Aug 05, 2021

    Nice color choice, I have painted many pieces and I use Aqua Coat clear lacquer in gloss, it brings out the color. But what is with the legs, or stumps? I would have had to do something about that, the eye goes right to the strangeness. To me it throws off all the beautiful work.

  • Katen Katen on Jul 09, 2023

    Is piece solid wood? I redid a table top from ‘70’s while back. It was low quality to start with but as I got into it was a plastic type of wood. Struggled thru and still 100% improvement but lesson learned make sure what you’re working with unless you like tears. I might have considered keeping doors. The fan inlay is eye catching but may be significantly difficult to do

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3 of 62 comments
  • Parker Parker on Jul 09, 2023

    They ruined it - then put in a room where it cannot fend for itself.

    • Bryan's Workshop Bryan's Workshop on Jul 10, 2023

      Calm down Peter Parker, this sideboard didn't take Uncle Ben from you.

  • Cathy Cathy on Jul 14, 2023

    I love it! ❤️ Unique and stunning placed in a beautiful location to highlight all its glory!! Job well done it is beautiful!!

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