mid-century modern meets homemade chalk paint and louisa the dresser is born

Welcome to the post with the world's longest title!

I have always loved mid-century  modern designs.  The simple lines and balanced proportions make my heart sing.  Unfortunately, I have never been able to find any pieces that I could afford.  A few weeks ago, as I searched Craigslist for a dresser to replace my over-sized armour in the mudroom, my luck changed.  I found a beautiful piece for just $20.  She was everything I had dreamed of, gorgeous legs, a form that emphasised her function and she was well crafted, made by hand in the USA.

I loved her so much, I named her Louisa.

But, Louisa had seen better days. She was dirty {sticky goo on the outside, dirt and cobwebs on the inside}.  She was musty.  She was scratched and dinged.

obligatory before shot.  note the mix of solid wood {legs}, veneer {drawer fronts} and laminate {top}

imagine, poor louisa didn't even have anything to cover her derriere

Now, I have refurbished a couple of pieces of furniture before. {  If slopping on thick layers of paint in ill-advised colors counts as "refurbishing".  }  My new {old} dresser deserved more.  Thank goodness for the Internet and Bloglandia!  I spent a couple of days doing research on furniture painting and learned so much.  Thanks to so many talented bloggers who generously share what they've learned, I was able to give my dresser a paint job fit for a queen great vintage piece.

here she is in her forever home

Louisa got a fresh coat {actually, many fresh coats} of homemade chalk paint in a foggy blue and tomato red.

I'm not going to reinvent the wheel and do a painting tutorial here.  There are many talented ladies who have given much better advice than I could ever give.  But, here are a few tips that might help others who are taking on their first {real} furniture rehab.


<<>> Blogs with great insight into furniture rehab:
          Miss Mustard Seed
          Centsational Girl
          Perfectly Imperfect
          Altar'd {Mandy published a great e-book, Paint your Furniture.  i bought it, followed her great advice and found it indispensable.  totally worth every penny.}
      
Of course, there are many more blogs with fantastic insights, but these were the ones that were my go-to sites when I had any questions about technique or materials


<<>> Study the web and design books to find furniture and finish styles that you love.  In the past, I simply used high gloss latex paint on furniture thinking that would give me the look I love.  But, when I started reading blogs, I realized that my eye was almost always drawn to furniture refinished in a particular style.  My heart always flutters when I see pieces painted in muted, but vibrant, colors with a soft sheen.  When it came time to repaint Louisa, I knew that I wanted to use chalk paint and wax to achieve the look I love.  When choosing paints and stains for your project take a look at pieces that have the look you want and use the same finishes, techniques and materials.

she has just the right sheen {thanks to some great advice from some wonderful bloggers}

<<>>  My past painting projects were miserable failures not stealer, and I was not confident that I could achieve the results I wanted.  I was prepared to repaint/ strip/ sand Louisa a few times to get the look I envisioned.  Knowing that I might have to {re}do the redo multiple times, I did not want to spend a lot of money on paint.  In short, I wanted the look of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, but at a Home Depot clearance price.  Luckily, there are tons of recipes for home made Chalk Paint online.  I decided to mix Plaster of Paris with my paint to get the look I wanted.  This approach had many pros.  It was inexpensive, the paint mixed up easily, didn't need primer, sanded beautifully and had a wonderful soft, silky texture when it dried.  It did, however, have some significant cons.  The paint got lumpy about twenty minutes after mixing and stirring just made it lumpier.  And the Plaster of Paris turned the red paint pink.  Luckily, there were simple work arounds for these issues.  I mixed the paint in really small batches {enough to complete one coat} and I did a coat of strait red {no plaster} as a top coat to get the vibrant color.

the homemade chalk paint adheared to both the wood and laminate beautifully

Would I use home made Chalk Paint again?  Absolutely, on inexpensive pieces.  When I take on a more valuable or harder to replace piece {say, my bathroom cabinets} I will be buying Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  Everyone raves about the quality and the depth of color and I'm sure that justifies the price for more high-stakes projects.

<<>> Invest in a good paint brush.  Everyone raves about Purdy, so I decided to invest in one.  Worth every penny.  The paint seemed like it floated off my brush and there were no streaks.


I love how Louisa turned out, and am really proud of my handiwork.  The furniture refinishing bug has gotten to me!

Have you revived furniture?  What are your most useful tips? Have you made your own chalk paint?  How did you do it?  Did you like it?


I'm taking Louisa to these parties, join us, will you?