Welcome back to our series, The Power of Paint. In the first part of the series, we talked about how wall color can really transform a space. We showed you several client before and afters, see here if you missed it!

Today we're going to dive into transforming furniture with the power of paint. The exciting part about today's topic is this is something totally achievable for a weekend project or during quarantine. 

All of the pieces below were refinished using Amy Howard's Chalk Paint line. We carry this at The Mill if you're looking to rehab some pieces now! If you've never used Chalk Paint, you are missing out.

It really is as simple as:

1. Clean your piece. Use a degreaser like Simple Green to remove any build up or residue. If there are any rough areas, gently sand those down. You DO NOT need to sand off the existing finish, you just want to create a smooth canvas.
2. Shake. Shake. Shake. Before you open your can of paint, make sure you shake it really well. You want to make sure the chalk base mixes really well with the pigment. 
3. Apply 2-3 THIN coats of chalk paint. Depending on the color of the paint you are using and existing finish, you can apply 2-3 thin coats. You will be able to tell if you need another coat. This paint dries pretty quickly and you will be able to tell when it is dry because you'll notice a very chalky finish. 
4. You can either leave it the chalk finish (it is completely fine like this) or apply a wax or sealer. If you are going for an antique finish, I would recommend light antique wax all over and dry brushing dark wax in areas it would naturally distress. 

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Displaying several examples below

Not all chalk paint finishes have to be "Shabby Chic." For this space below, I did a simple sleek finish to tie into this modern, lived in space. 

What I did: Black Chalk Paint, Gloss Sealer. 
We also reupholstered the cushions in a textured black leather. 

Amy Howard finishes can be as simple or as complex as you want. For this fireplace below we refinished EVERYTHING, tile and all in Amy Howard. This was a bit more complex and something I would recommend after you've done a few smaller projects.

What I did: Refinished the mantel with Black Chalk Paint, distressed with light antique wax, dark antique wax, dust of ages, liming wax to give a little more depth and gilding on the details. For the tile, I refinished in a light gray chalk paint with a darker gray glaze to give a marbled look in the crevices and sealed with gloss sealer. I feel like I could do an entire post on just this mantel, it turned out great!

This is our most common refinish. It is simple and can be tackled in an afternoon or weekend.

What I did: Refinished the frame in a gray chalk paint, covered with light antique wax, distressed with dark antique wax and dust of ages to give a antiqued look.
We also reupholstered the cushion to give this chair a whole new life. 

Grab a chair, side table, or a chest of drawers and let's get to painting!
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Have questions about refinishing? Leave a comment below so others can see too.