Chalk Paint Furniture 101: Transform Thrift Store Finds!
Find out more about chalk paint furniture below!
Ever wondered how to chalk paint furniture? Follow my easy tips to get started. Plus, see inspo of painted thrift store pieces from my home.
Thrifting is the best, and so much fun to see what kind of treasures you can find!
Thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, and platforms like Facebook Marketplace offer inexpensive opportunities to create a personalized and cozy space. The key is to look beyond an item’s current appearance and envision its potential. Transforming furniture with chalk paint is an easy process, and I share tips for this and showcase my favorite thrift store finds that I’ve refinished in my home.
I enjoy exploring thrift shops, garage sales, flea markets, and auctions, and taking advantage of designer discounts to find and refurbish secondhand furniture, including pieces rescued from bulk trash to prevent them from going to waste. I appreciate the satisfaction of breathing new life into these finds while also recognizing the superior craftsmanship often found in vintage furniture compared to newer alternatives.
Typically, I use chalk paint to refinish wood furniture pieces because it’s so easy to use!
Water-based chalk paint with furniture wax on top is my go-to method because it’s simple to accomplish, has a matte finish, less sanding is involved and is very forgiving. If you are new to painting furniture, this is the way to go! I also love that using a separate primer coat is unnecessary when using chalk paint!
What chalk paint do I use?
I’ve used pricier Annie Sloan chalk paint from local boutique stores and I have also used Rustoleum chalk paint and I personally don’t have a preference for one over the other.
My teammate Sara has used the more affordable Rustoleum chalk paint and loves the great results she gets. I have also made my own chalk paint!
Turns out that mixing up your own chalk paint at home is EASY!
I have made my own chalk paint to use on furniture a few times using this DIY chalk paint from The Home Depot.
Mix 1/3 cup of Plaster of Paris with 1/3 cup of room temperature water and about 1 cup of leftover latex paint. You can even hang onto the leftovers and continue to use it!
If you’re like me and have leftover house paint in the garage and have Plaster of Paris on hand, it makes for a great zero-cost chalk paint furniture makeover! The DIY chalk finish paint honestly does a great job at refinishing furniture.
Steps to apply DIY chalk paint to furniture:
- Prep your piece of furniture by giving it a good cleaning. Remove any stickers or gunk, and let it dry.
- Apply the first coat of paint with a paintbrush and let it dry. Make sure to use a light, even coat.
- Apply the 2nd coat of paint and also let that dry completely.
- If you are distressing your project at all, use a piece of fine grit sandpaper to sand any distress marks. This is optional according to the desired result.
- Apply a clear furniture wax using a dry paintbrush or cotton rag. Let that soak in and dry. This will help protect the finish on your piece of furniture for a lasting finish.
Check out my latest chalk paint furniture flip!
This vintage dresser that came from my grandparents was my most recent chalk paint furniture project. It’s actually the second time I’ve refinished it with chalk paint now and I’m thrilled with how it came out!
I used Behr Chalk Paint for this project, and I love that you can tint it any color. I updated the hardware with some more modern pieces from Amazon, and we upgraded the top with a leftover marble slab from a local stone yard.
The finishing touches were a bit of a splurge, but since this is a family heirloom and super meaningful to me I didn’t mind investing a little more for it to last for many more years.
Here are more thrift store chalk paint furniture pieces I’ve refinished over the years, along with an amazing before/after from my teammate Sara!
1. Stylish Wood Bar Cabinet
This cabinet was just under $12 after using my local Goodwill coupon; similar ones online are priced at around $130. It honestly was in good shape after a nice cleaning, and I could have left it as is but painted it white to give it a fresh look.
2. Oval shaped farmhouse style kitchen table
I paid just $50 dollars for this kitchen table at my local Humane Society thrift store many years ago, and it’s been the ultimate workhorse. I’ve since replaced it with a midcentury modern thrift store table, but it just goes to show how incredible an affordable find can go with some chalk paint. It saw many years of meals and craft projects!
3. Scrolly Vintage Coffee Table
I love little simple furniture makeovers that can have a big impact or become a fun focal piece! The vintage table (pictured above) was a thrift store find and was one of my favorite painted furniture projects EVER! It has a couple of coats of chalk paint followed by dark furniture wax to highlight the scrolly features.
I actually had this coffee table for many years and then eventually resold it for someone else to enjoy. It was hard to part with, but was certainly a great investment!
4. Tall White and Gold Wall Mirror
I was drawn to the shape of this $10 mirror at a local Salvation Army thrift store. I went over some of the details with gold gilding wax and it was a piece that I showed off in my home for over 10 years.
5. Magazine Holder Side Table
I found this little side table at a thrift store for just $20, and I thought it had so much character and was super functional with shelves and room for magazines and books. I painted it with white chalk paint, added some stripes on the top, and a cactus-shaped drawer knob was added as a playful detail.
6. Vintage Dresser turned Console Table
Here’s what my grandparent’s dresser looked like the first time I refreshed it with chalk paint! I left the top and drawers as natural wood and painted the hardware and outsides with white chalk paint. I enjoyed this look for many years before giving it its most recent refresh.
7. Blue and Cream Hutch
This hutch was one of our first furniture purchases as a newly married couple. I loved the shape and everything about it, but I lightened it up using cream and light blue Annie Sloan chalk paint and clear wax.
The finish has lasted many years, and my hutch is one of my favorites in our home!
Looking for a wood hutch to refinish? You can often find people getting rid of wood hutches on Facebook Marketplace as well as at thrift stores and garage sales. Painting them according to your style is an excellent way to update them!
8. Sara’s Pink Dresser
How adorable is this dresser that my talented teammate Sara just painted for her daughter’s room?! It’s a 25-year-old dresser that now looks so fresh and perfect for a little girl.
Here’s what Sara says about using Rustoleum chalk paint:
“I love using Rustoleum chalk paint because it’s quick-drying and can be used on multiple types of surfaces with little to no effort on your end!
The most recent project I did was with my daughter’s dresser. It was an old family piece in pretty rough shape. I only lightly sanded the top to get the grime off, painted two coats, swapped hardware, and in less than 24 hours we had a totally brand new dresser! If you’ve never tried chalk paint you have got to try it out – it’s totally game-changing!”
More chalk paint furniture thrift store makeover tips:
- Buy as low as possible to ensure you are getting a good deal compared to new furniture! Go to thrift stores on half-off days, and don’t be afraid to offer a bit less at garage sales or flea markets.
- Make sure the piece you are buying is sturdy and well-made. If you’re just getting started, opt for furniture that doesn’t need a ton of work or broken pieces.
- Pick furniture with character and ones that would look great with a simple paint or stain refresh. Starting with smaller pieces like coffee tables and end tables are great beginner furniture projects. I love pieces that are full of interest, have unique shapes, or feature pretty wood details that would look great made over.
- Painting and refinishing supplies can add up, so keep that in mind when starting this hobby. It may be more of an upfront investment for supplies and brushes, but you can take care of them and reuse them lots of times.
What about the idea of casually flipping thrift store finds after a fresh coat of chalk paint for a profit?
If you’re looking for a side hustle, consider flipping inexpensive thrift finds locally in your community as a fun and creative way to earn a few bucks on the side. You can list your painted furniture via apps like Facebook Marketplace, LetGo, and NextDoor.
Let us know if you’ve done this before, and if you have tips!
Thank you for this post. I love these makeovers. They look great!
Oh thanks, and yay glad you loved this post because I enjoyed writing it 🙌💕
My house is full of painted second hand furniture. Good, real wood pieces that will hold up for decades. I only paint wood that needs a pick me up to revive the piece, since I can’t bring myself to paint beautiful wood furniture. I buy the beautiful wood pieces too so that I have both painted and stained furniture throughout my house. Currently on the hunt for a real wood desk to have painted and ready for when the summer college semester starts.
Nice! Thanks so much for sharing Rachel!
Hi Lina!!! I love this post, and am so inspired by the idea of breathing new life into older things! Can you please share some tips for filling in or repairing any defects, prior to painting? I’d love to redo our old dining room table, but there are some sad areas, that need some attention. Thank you so much! 💕
Ohhhh Thank you!! I’m not an expert by any means, but it’s amazing how a little wood filler can fix so many small imperfections like dents or nicks. Just apply with a putty knife, smooth it, and then sand it once dry. Then you can paint or stain it. Good luck with your project, I am sure it’ll be great!
Excellent!!! Thank you so much Lina! I’m excited to give it a go! 😊
I recently used the paint by Heirloom Traditions to paint over an old side table and dresser that needed fixing. I was really impressed with this paint. I followed a video on Youtube. Thanks for the great ideas, Lina!
Oh that’s great! Thank you for sharing Alison!
Do you have to strip the furniture first?
No You do not have to strip furniture first when using chalk paint.
Perfect timing, Lina! I just bought the most gaudy dresser at a local thrift shop…something about all the elegant, over-the-top carving spoke to me…I could just see it refinished as an accent piece in my living room! I’m still debating between teal or white, but after seeing all these stunning pieces, I have inspiration 🙂 Thanks so much!
Oh yay! Sounds like a wonderful project piece! ❤️
There is a sherwin williams color app that will let you take a pic of what you want to paint and then change its color. Sometimes the new color over paints but it lets you delete the color off those areas. I used it to decide between several dark colors to paint a buffet. It made my decision so much easier.
Awesome, I will check this out – thank you!!
Ohhh that is a fun tip! Thanks for sharing ☺️
Wow, great makeovers! I swooned over that scrolly vintage coffee table! Would love to find a piece like that somewhere; it’s beautiful! Thanks for this helpful post Lina!
Oh thanks so much! Yes, that was an amazing find 💕 I am glad you enjoyed this post!
I’m really loving the cognac leather chair in the first photo. Would you be able to direct a link to the chair?
Hi! It was called the Milani leather accent chair from Macy’s. I checked and no longer available. We bought it 3 years ago – Sorry!