10 Ways to Make Over Furniture with Chalk Paint
How to paint dated or damaged furniture with chalk paint. Ten before and after furniture makeovers with Dixie Belle chalk paint that you won’t believe! Give an old, ugly, damaged piece of furniture that is destined for the garbage a new take on life.
Have you ever bought or been gifted a hideous piece of furniture that was just outdated or severely damaged due to water or wood chipping? If so, you’ve come to the perfect place! I’m going to show you how I have completely made over nine different pieces of furniture that were destined for the trash with a little love and chalk paint.

Products to Use
Before we dive into the projects, let’s go over the basics of furniture restoration.
-Prepping with Cleaner
This is by far the most important step of furniture painting in my opinion. If the surface is not clean, you can have issues with your paint adhering. Before begging the painting process, I always wash my furniture with THIS cleaner. I have tried different strengths dish soap and other all purpose cleaners and nothing compares to how this furniture cleaner works. You can see photos HERE.
-Paint
For my furniture restoration pieces, I always use my favorite type of products; Dixie Belle mineral chalk paint. I was first introduced to Dixie Belle by a friend who had bought some of this paint at our local antique store. I gave it a try and have never turned back! Personally, I find that chalk paint is much easier to apply (no paintbrush lines like regular latex paint) and is much more durable and resistant to scratching. Read more about why I choose Dixie Belle paint HERE.
-Brushes
My all-time favorite brush for painting furniture is THIS paint brush. The tapered edge gives it magical powers and gets into all of the nooks and crannies of detailed furniture. I simply love it!
-Heat Gun
For pieces that are severely damaged, the wood veneer finishing may need to be removed. In that case, I use a metal scraper and my heat gun. You can learn more about the heat gun and how to use it HERE.
Now let’s get to the fun! Here are 10 various pieces of furniture that I turned from trash to treasure!
1. Repurposed Old Table
I was gifted this old, water damaged side table that was destined for the trash. With a little bit of elbow grease, help from my son, chalk paint and a stencil, this table took a turn from the trash line to a permanent space in my home!
Paint Color: Driftwood

2. Fire & Smoke Damaged Shelving
Our lightning strike/house fire damaged a lot of our furniture. Some of the pieces I couldn’t part with so rather than sending them to the dumpster, I used this AMAZING product to seal these shelves before painting!
Paint Color: Antebellum Blue

3. Water Damaged Side Table
Another water damaged gift! I just love being given pieces of furniture that others find only suitable for the garbage. This side table became part of my son’s nautical/outdoor room decor!
Paint Color: Bunker Hill

4. Shelf Turned Vanity Storage
I picked up this little wall shelf at my local thrift shop and transformed it into a vanity storage container on our master bathroom sink! The color was inspired from a trip to George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon.
Paint Color: Kudzu

5. Farmhouse Inspired Serving Tray
During one of my thrift store runs, I found this adorable serving tray. While the girl reading a book with her cats and dog was adorable…I knew it had the potential to have a new take on life! With just a little paint and stencil, this tray went from outdated to amazing!
Paint Color: In The Navy

6. Dining Room Sideboard Hutch
My husband and I had moved this dresser to four homes in four different states…always with the intent to redo it. While it took me way more years than I had anticipated to get around to it, this sideboard hutch was one of my favorite pieces that I’ve renovated!
Paint Color: Driftwood

7. Paint Pour Dresser
This was one of the most fun projects I have done…pouring paint on furniture to create a unique and fun look! I picked this dresser up off of the side of the road and gave it a whole new life!
Paint Color: Various Blues

8. Dining Room Hutch
My friend Kristin and I went together to pick this adorable hutch up from a son who was helping his dad sell his furniture. I was on the fence about painting this, but I was so glad that I did…as it’s still in my dining room now in my 1886 Victorian home!
Paint Color: Driftwood

9. Upcycled Magazine Holder
Another thrift store makeover! I love love love this project. Such a fun way to give new life to a really ugly and dated magazine holder!
Paint Color: Palmetto

10. Vintage Sewing Desk
This cute little vintage sewing desk got a whole new take on life with a fun and colorful spin!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.
Paint Color: Soft Pink

Check out: Before & After Projects Using Dixie Belle Chalk Paint
