Magnolia Home Chalk Painted Bedside Table
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DIY Bedside furniture makeover using Magnolia Home Chalk paint.
Do you remember the thrift store nightstand I found for a few dollars earlier this year? I finally made it over. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do to it, but I knew I wanted it to be a little rustic since it was going to go in the guest room in my house that has a more masculine vibe.
If you don’t remember the post, here is the thrift store nightstand I bought. It had a thick, uneven layer of poly that was peeling on the back and top.
I like this table as a guest room nightstand because it has an open lower shelf for guests to put things they need, tablets, chargers, books, etc. which allows me to make the top pretty with a lamp and flowers. It also allows guests to see everything and not forget their stuff when they leave.
When at Target last week, I saw Magnolia Home Chalk Style Paint and wax on an end cap shelf. The paint has been on the market for about a year now, but new at Target.
Of course I was intrigued and took a look. After reading the labels, I decided to buy a quart along with a can of clear wax even with the high price tag to put it to the test to see how it compared with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and the DIY versions of chalk paint that I have used and posted about.
I wanted the table to coordinate with the white accents in the room and the APACHE ceiling fan from Hunter Fans.
I used the paint color, Shiplap. It is Joanna Gaines line of paint after all :-) and distressed the finish a lot to expose the brown wood underneath.
At the end of the tutorial you will see why I took most of the photos of the nightstand on my front porch and not in the guest room.
It was an easy makeover… here is how I did it.
Painting Furniture with Magnolia Home Chalk Style Paint
supplies needed:
- Magnolia Home Chalk Paint in the color – Shiplap
- Magnolia Home Clear Wax
- Paint brush
- 100 grit sandpaper
- Shop towels, rag, of lint-free soft t-shirt
1. Sand surface of wood with 100 grit sandpaper to rough it up a little. This will provide some tooth for the paint to adhere. You do not need to sand to the bare wood.
2. Clean surface with a damp rag and detergent to remove sanding grit and any grease or dirt from the surface. Let dry.
3. Apply one light coat of the chalk style paint and let dry. Add another coat and let dry.
4. If you want to distress your piece, use 100 grit sandpaper on a sanding block to remove some of the paint on the edges of the table and where, wear would naturally occur. For instance, around the drawer knobs and pulls.
5. Clean off sanding grit and then apply a light coat of the clear wax all over the surface. Let dry for about 15 minutes and then buff the surface with a soft, lint-free cloth. I like using Shop Towels to do this.
When I first began to apply the wax, I wasn’t sure I liked it since the label says to let it dry first, then buff to a soft shine. Once I buffed it though, I like the wax a lot, plus it had no smell what-so-ever.
Here is the table after one light coat of wax. I added another layer on the top for added protection.
As far as the chalk paint, itself. It is nice paint and goes on well, but it is a little pricey. It is the only thing I didn’t like, hence why I make my own using this DIY Chalk Paint recipe.
After I had the wax buffed to a subtle sheen, I placed the nightstand in it’s new home.
It looks perfect against the dark navy wall and bedding and just right for guests to place their stuff and charge their phones.
All looks nice and pretty in this corner of the room for a blog shot of a DIY project, right?
In my DIY decor blogger reality though… after taking this photo, I turned around and this is what the rest of the room looks like right now…
…hello all the contents of the game room that we are making over. As I type these words in my studioffice, I can hear Ed upstairs hammering a crowbar to remove the carpet tacking strips from the subfloor.
I will keep you posted on that makeover soon.
Have you tried the Magnolia Chalk Style Paint line yet? Do you like it and the color selection?
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Just wanted to echo the appreciation for keeping things real. The incessant drumbeat driving the search for perfection is best saved for life on Planet Perfect. Here on earth it is far healthier, mentally and physically, to create spaces and surroundings we enjoy at a price we can afford. I really enjoy this blog!
I absolutely love it.great job
Nice work, very nice table. But I think I’ll stick to Annie Sloan’s paint. It’s expensive but it does the job so well, I figure why not use the original… LOL
Hi Chantal – I agree with you that Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is the best. It really is, but I do like to experiment with every paint that comes out to see how it stacks up against it. Annie’s wax is the best, too. It buffs to a sheen almost instantly. Happy painting!
And you are absolutely right to experiment… on our behalf! Of course, if I saw any Magnolia farm product, I would be very curious too. And the colour Shiplap seems interesting. If that’s what it takes to get the Gaines’ shiplap look, I would go for it!
I prefer DIY chalk paint too because it does the job at a fraction of the cost of name brand chalk-type paints. Thanks for keeping it real with the wide shot of your guest room LOL
Hi Stacy –
When I realized that I would not be able to get into the room very easily to take the photos of the table, I thought of not posting, but them realized, it would be OK to show real life in the post. Everything doesn’t always have to look perfect all the time. Life is messy a lot more often then neat and perfect :-)
Love how the table turned out and can’t wait to see the game room makeover
Thanks Julia – It is the perfect little table for the tight dark corner of the room.