bedroom pieces with new look

So guys, I have a friend who was leaving Texas to go back to her home state, New York. Naturally, being such a HUGE move and all, she decided to sell a lot of her furniture. My niece who recently moved to the hill country was in need of some bedroom furniture– so I snatched three pieces for $40—a steal and my niece was super stoked! I was too! I couldn’t wait to transform these bedroom pieces with new look, an updated and chic style for a young 30 something.

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Having done a bit of research and had played around in the past with painting different surfaces. There’s great ways to give old pieces a new look without much effort and without breaking the bank.

How do you paint on particle board pieces? Well it’s actually easier than you think. I found this amazing PRIMER that will knock your socks off! Especially if you’re not using it in a well ventilated area (preferably outdoors)! LOL

Start by giving it a good cleaning and removing all doors and hardware. (I put all the hardware in a baggie and set it aside.) You’ll coat the furniture with this primer, being sure to leave no exposed areas. (Use disposable brushes since the primer is oil based.). If you want to do more than one coat of primer, be sure to allow to dry well between coats. This brand dries super fast.

Here’s a video that might help regarding primer and particle (laminate) board pieces.

As with any cool project- I get antsy with excitement. However, it’s been so gosh-darn H O T that I was NOT looking forward to working outdoors on this one—(but, I didn’t want to stink up the house or pass out from primer fumes)- so outdoors it was.

My HEAT aversion + the locust I could hear singing in the distance + 99º temps, made me feel like I was in the dessert and about to wither away and die. Argh@#$%!!! No JOKE!!! But a girl has to pull on those boot straps every now & then and carry on!

I was so happy to finally have all the pieces primed- so indoors we went! Seriously my poor living room and hallway had furniture pieces & drawers strewn all over! But if you want bedroom pieces with new look…well!

Now for the fun part of mixing up latex paint to turn into chalk paint for a super forgiving surface and finish. Plus adding some accent colors for dimension.

CHALK PAINT:

2 cups latex paint
5 Tablespoons plaster of Paris
2 Tablespoons water (hot tap)

Combine the above in a small plastic tub with lid. Just blend away. The mixture will be thick and might have a few grainy pieces but that’s okay. (Use lid to keep painting from drying between coats)

I applied two coats of a light cream chalk paint mixture to all the pieces. You can find any latex paint at your local hardware store. I followed with some light sanding before using the accent colors shown above (optional). I just mixed a combination of acrylics to give it some dimension and varied look. Once dry, I sanded lightly with a sanding block to smooth any bumps. Wipe off residue with a damp cloth.

I applied a wax finish for sealing and protecting the pieces. (You can see the product used below) The wax gives it a smooth finish and a matte sheen. Then you just reattach all the hardware or replace with new and you’re good to go!