We have a family cabin in Lake Arrowhead and they have some amazing thrift stores around town. When we go up the mountain, I like to go hunting for treasures. When I saw this beautiful French Provincial Nightstand, I had to have it. The style had such charm and would be perfect for my daughter’s room update. It needed some TLC tho.
Similar to my Ikea Hemnes dresser makeover, you can find it here, I used Annie Sloans Chalk paint. Did you see the detail on this piece? I was not gonna sand it. So I naturally reached for Annie Sloans’s chalk paint because it worked so well for the Ikea Hemnes dresser.
THINGS YOU’LL NEED:
- TSP cleaner
- Tack cloths
- Synthetic Brush for a smooth finish. One of my favorites here
- Annie Sloan chalk paint, I used the color Pure
- #220 grit sandpaper
- Annie Sloan clear wax
- Buffing brush &/or cloth
- ‘All Surface Metallic Pure Gold Spray Paint and Primer in One
Preparation…
First, you’ll have to clean and wipe down the entire piece. You want to make sure to remove any oils or dirt before painting it. This will help the chalk paint adhere really well to the nightstand. You could sand it lightly with a #220 grit sandpaper, but it’s not necessary. If you do sand your piece of furniture, make sure to wipe it down with a tack cloth to remove all the dust. These tack cloths work incredibly well. I didn’t understand the hype until I used one. Game changer!!
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Time for paint…
I like to use a soft synthetic bristle brush for chalk paint, I recommend this one. Load up your brush with paint and start painting with little pressure. This will ensure you don’t have deep brush strokes. You’ll need 2-3 coats depending on the original color of the piece. Chalk paint doesn’t take long to dry, but make sure it’s fully dry before you sand between layers and/or starting the next coat. In between coats, take a #220 grit sandpaper and lightly sand the surface. This will give it a very smooth buttery finish.
Finishing it off…
Once the paint is dry, chalk paint needs to have a topcoat. I used Annie Sloans clear wax. For the detail of this piece, you could use dark wax to make all those details pop. I really like using the buffing brush to apply the wax onto the detailed areas. I then used a rag to apply the wax to the rest of the nightstand. The wax takes about 24 hours to dry to the touch and for light use. However, it takes 21 days to fully cure. This creates a very hardy top coat.
Hardware
The nightstand had the most ornate handle and I definitely wanted to keep it. It was a tarnished gold color which wasn’t bad, but my daughter’s room’s decor had pops of bright gold. So I thought a bright gold would be a beautiful pop of color with the milky white Annie Sloan chalk paint. I used ‘All Surface Metallic Pure Gold Spray Paint and Primer in One‘ – which is my go-to for a beautiful gold finish. I sprayed the handle with 2 coats to give it an even finish and gave it a day to dry before installing it.
I love how it turned out. The paint’s matte finish is so buttery. My daughter uses the drawer to hide all her treasures she finds. The shelf works great for books. The French Provincial nightstand has a lot of traffic and it’s held up great.
