Colonial Blue Cedar Chest Chalk Paint Makeover

A thrifted cedar chest gets a makeover using DecoArt Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint in Colonial and Annie Sloan Dark Wax.

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The Rules:

• Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
• There’s no monthly theme.
• There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela – Deborah | Salvage Sister & Mister – Angie | Flippin Fanchers – Denise | My Thrifty House –
Jenny | Cookies Coffee and Crafts – Lynne | My Family Thyme –
Meredith | Southbound Blog – Marie | The Inspiration Vault – Gail | Purple Hues and Me – Molly | Just a Little Creativity –
Pili | My Sweet Things – Amanda | Domestically Creative – Ali | Home Crafts By Ali – Carmen | Living Letter Home –
Emy | Semigloss Design – Jeanie | Create and Babble – Marie | DIY Adulation – Heather | Glitter On A Dime

Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

One of my goals when we recently updated our basement was to create a mudroom area, coming in from our garage.  My plan was to refinish and use this chest. In addition to the chest, I added a simple DIY Wireless Wall Sconce.  This amazing lighting hack requires no wiring and was installed in just a few minutes.  I also used my DIY Farmhouse pillow cover and Threshold brand wall hooks from Target.

 

My husband, Andy, and I bought this beautiful Lane cedar chest at an auction shortly after we were married for just $50.  This chest spent the first seven years in our bedroom at our old house and has been here in the basement for the past fifteen years.  I have always intended on refinishing this little beauty, but never have.  Now is the perfect time to give it a makeover!

(Please excuse the photographs.  There is no natural light, so it is very difficult to photograph!)

Supplies:

• Guardsman Deep Clean – Purifying Wood Cleaner
• Guardman Clean and Polish for Wood Furniture
• DecoArt Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Colonial
• paint brush
• fine grit sanding block
• lint-free cloth
• Annie Sloan Dark Wax
• wax brush
• Rustoleum’s Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint

I started by giving the entire chest a good cleaning with Guardsman Deep Clean – Purifying Wood Cleaner.  The top was in pretty good shape so it just needed to be cleaned and polished.

On the body of the chest, I brushed on two coats of DecoArt Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Colonial. This beautiful, rich color goes on so easily. I love using chalk paint because no priming or prep is needed and its dries so quickly.

I allowed the paint to dry between each coat before I lightly distressed it, using a fine grit sanding block. Gingerly sand the edges where the chest would naturally wear and then wipe any dust away with a clean cloth. I like to use a Swifter dry cloth.

To give this chest an antique look, I used my wax brush to brush my Annie Sloan Dark Wax onto the painted surface.  I worked in small areas to apply the wax.  The brush helps get into all of the grooves and details of the piece. Then, using a lint-free cloth, buff the wax away. The surface should feel smooth, not tacky.

Lastly, I spray painted the hardware, using Rustoleum’s Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint.

What a beauty she is!  I should have done this years ago!

This space is coming together nicely.  I can’t wait to share more with you!

 

 

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

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