I challenge you to think of one product that’s more transformative to a space than paint.

I’ll wait…

There is nothing quite as simple yet powerful as an application of paint to cover imperfections, breathe new life into furniture, and transform the feel of a space.

I’m hyping up my love for this product—but I have to confess, I used to hate working with it. It wasn’t until after I opened Village Antiques and clients asked me how they could easily make over their old furniture to match the look of their farmhouse aesthetic that I considered making my own line of chalk paint.

I created Amitha Verma Chalk Finish Paint to help people makeover all the things they already own without having to wait decades for the furniture to naturally “antique” with the distressed paint and patina.

Today, I’m sharing my top five absolute favorite chalk paint projects of all time. Make sure you watch the video until the end because I have an amazing gift for you. It’s a tool that you’re going to use for a long time with your home projects, and you don’t want to miss it!

Project One: The Chalk Painted Buffet

This buffet table was one of the first pieces of furniture that I brought into our home after completing our renovations, but it almost didn’t make it in.

As far as home makeovers go, we blew over our budget (by a lot), so new furniture wasn’t a top priority. The problem was that the house felt so cold and uninviting with all its hard surfaces—there was nothing soft or warm in the space to break it up. That is until I found this buffet with all its gorgeous carvings, scrolls, and curved details.

I just knew it would be a beautiful candidate for a chalk finish paint makeover.

To make all the carved wood details pop:

1. I used a combination of French Gray and Chantilly White all over
2. Sealed it with our Protect Clear Sealer, and then added a layer of antiquing glaze in brown with a medium-level of distressing.

Doing these steps to the buffet table added a lot of character and warmth to the piece. I distinctly remember how quickly the feeling of my dining room changed as soon as I brought it in.

Even with nothing else around it, the room had the warm and welcoming feeling I was looking for just with this simple project.

Project Two: Chalk Painted French Country Dining Chairs

My next top favorite chalk finish paint makeover was one that I did on all the French country chairs in my dining room.

These French country chairs originally came in natural wood, which is also beautiful, but I really wanted to take it up a notch by doing something unique.

Here’s how I did it:

1. French Gray all over
2. Kept the finish simple with no antique glaze or distressing but one layer of Amitha Verma Protect Sealer

I went for a simple finish on this project because I knew I wanted the silk cushion coverings to be the star of the show.

These French chairs paired beautifully in the dining room with the paint-chipped buffet table. I felt that I didn’t need to go overboard with distressing the applied chalk paint.

Let’s move on from the dining room and into my bedroom for some applications for chalk-paint projects.

Project Three: Chalk Painted Bedroom Nightstands

This nightstand is called a commode in French. My husband and I love using these as nightstands in our bedroom because their size gives us a good surface area to place little items down before bed, and the height pairs well with our bed.

My inspiration for this bedroom nightstand makeover was the same warm and inviting feeling that I wanted to accomplish with my dining room buffet.

How I finished this nightstand:

1. Mixed French Gray with a bit of Belgium Blue all over
2. Filled in the details with Chantilly White
3. Finished it with a clear sealer and brown antiquing glaze to create a little bit of distressing.

Whenever I have a piece like this with lots of detailed and raised carvings, I use those as my cue to add details of contrast with chalk-finish paint.

Project Four: Chalk Painted Antique Secretary

You may recall that I have a beautiful antique secretary desk in our bedroom that I’m absolutely in love with.

On an antiquing trip, I stumbled across another very similar piece in shape and size, but this one was in really rough shape. I knew that I could take inspiration from the secretary in my room, and it would make for the perfect DIY makeover project with the help of chalk paint.

Here’s how I transformed this secretary desk:

1. Started with a base color of French Gray all over
2. Then added a second color of Chantilly White in all the details and the carvings
3. Brought in a third color of Provence Blue to add more dimension
4. Finished with a clear sealer and a little bit of gray antiquing glaze

Sticking with the gray, blue, and white color palette kept the feel of this antique secretary desk very calm and soothing.

Project Five: Chalk Painted Antique Cane Back Sofa

This sofa is one of my absolute favorite chalk finish paint makeovers of all time, and I am still kicking myself for not bringing it into my home!

I stumbled upon this sofa while antiquing, and it was one of those pieces that most people would pass off as junk—but I saw the potential in it with a chalk finish makeover and re-caning the back.

When I took it home, I knew that Belgian Blue was the color for this beautiful cane back sofa.

How I did it:

1. Painted all the caning Belgian Blue
2. Sealed with a clear sealer
3. Finished it with brown antiquing glaze

I love how beautifully the brown pairs with the Belgian Blue!

The sofa needed a bit more work before it was complete, so I reupholstered the fabric with white and added some vintage pillows, et voila! French-country chic.

Bonus Makeover: Chalk Painted Fabric

Here’s a little fun fact about our chalk paint: you can chalk finish paint on fabrics, too!

A few years ago, a team member decided to try this out on all their dining chairs. It ended up being such a beautiful makeover, and the fabric was soft, flexible, and comfortable enough to sit on after the chalk-paint project.

Tips For Painting Your Fabric With Chalk Paint:

1. Use an all-over color (our team member used Chantilly White)
2. Seal with a clear sealer
3. Finish with an antiquing glaze

When you’re painting over fabric, keep in mind that the fabric’s natural texture will show through your paint, which can add its unique effects to the finish of your project.

My Gift To You:

I hope you’re excited to makeover some pieces in your home now! For a more detailed guide with step-by-step home decor projects, you can sign-up to receive a FREE downloadable workbook on the right-hand side of this page.

It includes every single step to follow my chalk paint process. My team and I created a fool-proof system to make chalk-paint projects easy for anyone.

You’ll find answers to how to prep your furniture, painting techniques, sealing, antique glazing, and even tips for sharing your finished projects on Instagram.

I’d love to hear any questions or thoughts you have about chalk finish paint furniture DIY projects, so please leave a comment, and I will answer away!

Lastly, if you’re not already signed up to receive your design newsletter, you can do so at the top of this page.

Keep using your amazing design gifts to create heart in your home,

Amitha

P.S. You can pick up my chalk paint at our store Village Antiques in Houston, TX. Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am to 5:00pm, stop on by! Or feel free to give us a call at 713-468-3931 if you have any questions.