If you have been following my home updates for the past few weeks, you’ll know that I tried to strip my dining room set to make it into a more modern, bleached wood. Easier said than done.
I started out with Citristrip – applying a thick coat, wrapping it with Saran wrap, and then scraping it off. It worked to get a small bit of the stain off, but didn’t work evenly at all. I tried re-stripping it a few more times before resorting to sanding.
Then the sanding didn’t work too great, either. This particular dining set had SO many grooves and details – I could not get it all sanded. I spent several weeks on it and then gave up.
And that’s when I got desperate and started searching crazy things on Youtube. I ran across this video that lays out a pretty detailed method of how to chalk paint furniture to look like wood.
I used different brands and colors from what was in the video, so here is an outline of what I used! You can see the rest of the process and transformation in my latest YouTube video!
- RustOleum Tintable Chalk Paint – I got it tinted at Lowe’s in the color Manila Cream
- Art Deco Chalk finish Paint – dark brown (from Hobby Lobby)
- Valspar Semi-Transparent Wood and Deck Stain, Water-Based – Got it stained in Cinnamonwood
- Finish with Polycrylic
The Steps:
-Start with a good layer of the chalk paint! I did about 2 coats everywhere so that there wouldn’t be any streaks. The great thing about chalk paint is that it’s mixed with plaster of Paris so it adheres perfectly and doesn’t need priming.
-After the base coat is dry, I move on to applying the dark brown paint. I applied the tiniest bit onto my brush and then blotted it out on a towel. I used light strokes of this to make a wood grain look.
-Next up, I layered on the wood stain with a paintbrush. Since it’s semi-transparent, you can still see all the wood elements you created. I did about two coats.
-Finish with a clear coat of Polycrylic when it’s all dry.
The finished product is stunning! Check out the video below and see some other home updates, too!
