Hello out there!
So lets dive on in!
We have been blessed since we got married that our families have gifted us a lot of furniture which has been awesome because we have not had to spend a lot of money to make our first house a home.
So, today I wanted to share probably my favorite piece of furniture that we have because it is so special. My mother in law gave it to us in December, and I absolutely love it. This buffet was actually bought by her father who Justin has always admired and looked up to so much. He bought it and since then it has worked its way down from Justin's mom to me and it is just so special for me.
I made a little gallery wall in our living/dining room (which I just realized I never blogged about...ekk) Anyways..... I love that I put it where I did because as soon as you walk into our front door if you turn your head to the left you see it. I love having it in a spot for us to see everyday as well as when people come over. So, here is the set up before...
One of the things I love most about this piece is that it has two sides that I can easily pop up to have more room to put more food on if we need it. I love that it is different than a lot of buffets that I have seen, and the shape is amazing. I also love that it has drawers, but is still open at the same time!
So, I devised my plan on what I wanted to do and gathered my supplies...
I knew that I wanted to make my own chalk paint which I had done before and I loved the result. So I needed...
- Fine grit sandpaper and a sanding block (optional)
- Zinsser white primer
- Angled paint brush
- Plaster of Paris
- One sample size container of the paint color I chose
- Empty container with a lid to mix my paint
*There is a foam roller in the picture that I thought I might use, but I didn't like the way the paint looked so I didn't end up using it in the end.
I decided that I wanted to paint it navy blue because I wanted to have some color, but I didn't want to do anything too out there; I was really going for a timeless look because I love this piece of furniture so much. I chose Blue Spell by Behr...
I only needed a sample size because I knew that I would be priming it before I painted
So, my first step (after removing all of the hardware) was to sand really quickly in all of the nooks and crannies of the piece. I have found that wrapping a sheet of sandpaper around a sanding block really helps this go faster, and its much more forgiving on your poor fingers.
Here is what it looked like after the sanding step. Really, I just spent maybe 5 minutes quickly sanding; it doesn't have to be perfect. Make sure that after you sand you clean the piece really well before you prime.
Now I know that one main reason people us chalk paint is to avoid having to use primer, but with this piece I really wanted it to be as close to perfect as I could get, so I didn't want to take the quicker route. Here is what it looked like after one coat of primer...
And then I did one more coat of primer....
While the last coat of primer was drying I went ahead and mixed up my chalk paint. You will need Plaster of Paris (which is not expensive at all, and I will last you FOREVER), the paint color that you choose, and water. I have found that mixing it in a plastic container with a top that you can get at Home Depot or Lowes is awesome because you can store any left-overs you have, and you will need a paint stirrer.
For this sample size of paint I mixed 3 tbsp. of Plaster of Paris and 2 tbsp. of water with the paint. Always remember to add a little and then if you need more water you can add, but you can't take it away! One recipe that I saw said 2 cups paint, 5 tbsp. Plaster of Paris, and 3 tbsp. water.
You want it to still be a paint consistency, but a little thicker. It is okay to have a few clumps, but not too many. Just make sure to mix it really well.
Here is what it looked like after the first coat of chalk paint. I was getting nervous because it looked much more bright blue than the deeper navy color I was going for and I got extremely nervous.
At this point it was dark outside so the lighting isn't the best, but here is what it looked like after two coats plus one small coat of touch ups where I needed it.
The last step after everything is dry is to wax which serves as your "sealer" After you use the chalk paint on a piece of furniture it literally feels like a chalk board and it is not fun to touch, and it is very easily scratched. So, I used this wax that I got from Home Depot in the "Natural" color so it didn't alter the paint color in any way. All you do is apply it with a rag or old (clean) t-shirt, let it sit and set for about 15-20 minutes. Then, take a clean rag or tshirt and buff it. It definitely gets your arm workout in for the day!
The next day after it was all dried and waxed I put the hardware back on and started styling; which of course is the most fun part!!!
Here is the final product....
This is the view that you have from the front door when you walk in and look to the left...
All of the things that I used to style it with I already had in different places around my house so I just went shopping in different rooms and moved stuff around. So yay for not spending money that I didn't need to!
I love the drawers in this buffet too! I love the top drawer with it's dividers for serving utensils. It is amazing...
And the bottom drawer now holds all of my table runner, placemats, and napkins!
One last look..........
And there you have it guys! I hope that you enjoyed today's little makeover, and maybe get inspired to try making your own chalk paint for yourself!!!
