Country Chic Paint: Old Furniture Makeover
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Brining you a bit of a throwback today because I did this Country Chic Paint makeover about a year ago, but I still wanted to bring it here to the blog because it was such a fun one. I took an old dresser that’s been in my friend’s family for years and gave it a refreshing new look. Not only is she my friend, but she’s a teacher, so she definitely deserves a fun makeover like this.
When I did this makeover, it was the first time using Country Chic products, and they were amazing. Before we get started, check out the dresser that we’re starting with.
Products Use for This Country Chic Paint Makeover
Zinsser BIN Primer (available at most hardware stores)
Surf Prep 3" x 4" Electric Ray (Use Code PRETTYDISTRESSED10 for 10% off your order)
Festool Rotex 90 Sander
Dresser Prep Work
We all know that the prep work is no fun, but it’s necessary. Before priming and painting this piece, I had to do some cleaning, sanding, and minor repairs.
Clean
For this old dresser, I grabbed some Dawn dish soap and some warm water to give it a good scrub. Usually with older furniture, the finish will bleed through the paint. When cleaning, you’ll notice if the finish is coming off on the rag. If that’s the case, you’ll definitely want to prime your piece like I will with this one.
After cleaning, always rinse with fresh, clean water.
Scuff Sand
Since I'm going to be applying a primer, I want to give this piece a quick scuff to make sure my primer has something to adhere to. I attached a 220-grit sandpaper with a foam applicator and used that to scuff sand. After that, I wiped back the dust to prepare for priming and painting.
Filled cracks with Caulk
The last prep step is to fill some of the little cracks on the frame with caulk because the gaps are a bit too big to fill with paint.
Prime: 123 BIN Shellac Stain Blocker
Now it’s time for the primer. We aren't painting just yet! But we did get all of the prep done!
I'm going to be using a stain blocking primer, 123 BIN Shellac Primer. I rolled it on with a microfiber roller and used a chip brush to get any spots that the roller couldn’t reach.
You only need to wait 45 minutes for this primer to dry to apply a second coat.
Strip Drawers
I didn’t prime the drawers because I planned on sanding them down to raw wood for a sleek two-toned finish. I grabbed an 80-grit sandpaper with a foam abrasive so that I wouldn’t mess with the contour of the curved drawers. After stripping back with an 80, I went in to smooth it over with a 120-grit sandpaper.
Country Chic Paint: Darling Pink
Finally … to the fun stuff! At the time of this makeover, this was the first time trying out Country Chic Paint. I picked a fun very pale pink color called Darling.
This is a chalk style paint, which means it's going to have a matte finish. What’s unique about it is that it’s actually a clay-based paint, so it’s a bit different from what I typically use.
I wanted to keep the character and rustic look of this old dresser, so I didn’t repair any of the knicks and dings. This paint went on so smoothly even without adding water like I do sometimes with my paints. The star of this show was also the paint brush!
Country Chic Paint Brush
I used Country Chic’s one and a half inch oval synthetic brush. Before using it, I had heard a lot about it online, and let me tell you, it lived up to the hype. I was in awe of how amazing it was. It was the smoothest finish, and I was in love.
Country Chic Paint White Wash
Now that I have the first coat of Country Chic paint on, I’m moving over to the drawers which I planned on white washing. I grabbed another Country Chic paint color in Crinoline.
To make a white wash, I used a one-to-one ratio with paint and water. After mixing that up, I used the same synthetic brush, put on a slip coat of water, applied the diluted wash, and wiped it back with a lint-free cloth.
Trial and Error
Sometimes projects become a bit of trial and error. When I whitewashed all the drawers with the same technique, I was not liking the way the top drawers were looking compared to the bottom drawers. So I grabbed my other sander to strip more of the finish off to help it match. It still wasn’t looking right, so I finally made the decision to paint the top drawers with the pink paint instead of keeping it whitewashed.
Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but that’s okay!
Second Coat of Country Chic Paint
After working through the drawers, I went back to do a second coat of paint on the base and frame. The second coat went on just as smoothly as the first coat.
More about Country Chic Paint
I love supporting small paint businesses. Country Chic is owned by a husband and wife duo out of Canada. The paint has low VOCs and is made in small batches from North America using raw materials whenever possible.
Many of my furniture painting friends love it, so it’s a trusted brand for me.
Country Chic Hemp Oil Seal
I wanted to use Country Chic’s hemp oil to seal the majority of this piece because it is 100% natural, and I haven’t used hemp oil a lot in my project. Their hemp oil is sustainably sourced from Canadian farmers, and it has this beautiful dark color to it. Just a note, this will show up as a greenish yellow color when you're putting it on. But it’s a drying oil, so it dries as you rub it in, and the color will disappear.
Once hemp oil dries down, it will give you a water resistant finish, but it is a light protection top coat, so you wouldn’t want to use it on a piece of furniture that will be used a lot. This is more of a decorative dresser, so it won’t be used daily.
Three ways to apply Country Chic Hemp OIl
Apply with a Country Chic Sponge: The first way I applied the hemp oil was with their sponge. I like using this method on big, flat surfaces. Using the sponge is simple. I dipped it in the oil, wiped back the excess, and applied it to the dresser top in long strokes.
Apply with a lint-free rag: Another way to apply is by using a lint free rag. I liked using this method to get in the details of the piece because I could use my finger to apply it.
Apply with a synthetic brush: Probably my favorite way to apply the oils was just by grabbing a synthetic paint brush because I could really get into the corners. This method did put a lot more oil on, so I liked to brush it on and then take the rag that was already saturated with some oil and rub it in a bit more. This helped with not having so much oil sitting on the surface of the dresser.
I recommend letting this set for 12 hours, and then you can come back in with a clean lint-free cloth and wipe back any of the excess oil that hasn't been absorbed. At that point you can add additional coats if you want to. They recommend doing two to three coats. One thing I want to call out about Country Chic is they call for a long dry time before you top coat. They want your piece to be dry for 24 to 48 hours before you top coat. So keep that in mind!
Seal Drawers with Country Chic Clear Coat
The last main step I have in the project is to put a top coat on my drawers. Because I stripped the drawers, I didn’t want to use the hemp oil because it really soaks into raw wood and darkens the color. So instead, I used the Country Chic Clear Coat. This seal will give you a bit more protection, so I would recommend it for pieces that will have more use.
To apply this one, I grabbed a brand new sponge. I really loved the way it applied with a sponge. You can also use a brush if you prefer, or if you have more details to work around.
The clear coat will have a quicker dry time, so you can recoat it after about an hour.
Finishing Touches and Reveal
And now for the finishing touch … the hardware! I found these beautiful teardrop knobs that are antique looking brass from Amazon. They fit the look of this dresser perfectly.
They also had matching pulls, so I got those for the bottom drawers too!
The dresser had fun keyholes that I painted over because I didn’t want to worry about painting around them. So my very last step was to get a bit of sandpaper and sand off the paint to reveal the hardware again.
I’m so glad I got to do this project for my friend and give this old piece of furniture new life using Country Chic Paint and more! I’m so happy with how it turned out!
If you want to see this dresser come together, head to my YouTube™ tutorial where I take you step by step through this process.
Take a look at the finished product below! I hope you love it!