chalk painting & Repainting: savannah mist + stormy seas nightstand

About 6 months ago I picked this little girl up from our local Snowline Thrift Shop. She was sitting all alone just outside the doors. Instantly I loved her curves and because she was so sturdy. 

I was intimidated by her. I immediately thought to make her white and distressed. A quick paint job in white, seal, then distress with a sanding pad. That would do it, right? Nope. 

Don't get me wrong, she is so cute in white. Note & Reminder: take before pictures! Imagine her in dark oak. 

We sealed her in satin polyurethane & put her up on Marketplace. We had so many bites but nothing serious. I even dropped the price!

I put her in my shop and over a week I looked at her so many times. What did she need? I tried to sand some more. Sanding is necessary to break that polyurethane seal. I distressed her some more. Then added a blue color wash on top. Nope! 

---

color recipe

• Body:
  • ​2 coats of Slick Stick on the body - let it dry for 2 hours between coats
  • Body except the middle of the drawers in the Stormy Seas 
  • Middle of the drawer in Savannah Mist
  • Blended the 2 colors using water mister & my a great brush (Dixie Belle mini)
  • I added black wax around some edges.
    
  • I sealed w/ 3 coats of Easy Peasy Spray Wax. 
    
• Top:
  • Sanded back the top w/ 220 grit sandpaper
  • Put on a coat of Dixie Belle's Tobacco Road (Water based gel stain) & wiped off 
  • I didn't love this look - the white was still too white
  • So I added a coat of mud puddle, then wiped back. Mud Puddle was the only brown I had so I made due. Else I would have used a richer brown. 
  • Once dry, I used another coat of Tobacco Road. 
  • I sealed w 3 coats of Easy Peasy Spray Wax. 
• Knobs: 
  • The knobs were pretty well coated in white paint so I started w/ soaking them in TSP (White Lightening by Dixie Belle) for a long while. Then I used a wire brush to work through all the cracks and crevices. This worked great but wasn't exactly as clean as I expected. 
  • I then boiled them in a project pot (basically a pot that is used for non-food items) w/ baking soda for about 20-30 minutes. Another pass w/a wire brush worked great. 
  • I found the hardware was inconsistently tarnished so I used Art Alchemy's Vintage Gold wax using a wax brush. 
  • When I placed back on the dresser, I used the black wax to lightly outline the hardware. 

---

the economics 

1. Bought for $30. 
2. Distressed white: Placed on Marketplace for $60. 
3. Distressed white: In desperation, I offered to sell it for $50 to the last person to inquire on the piece. 
4. Repainted: Placed on Marketplace for $120. Sold in 2 hours.

---

The product list 

• Dixie Belle (DB) Slick Stick
• DB Stormy Seas 
• DB Savannah Mist
• DB Mud Puddle 
• DB Best Dang Wax in Black 
• Art Alchemy's Vintage Gold 
• DB Easy Peasy Spray Wax