Chalk painting is a way to get new furniture without buying it. Its simple application on finished wood allows you to start and finish a project in as little as a couple hours. No stripping or heavy sanding is required, and the results can be incredible.

Here’s what you need:
– a clean item to paint (wipe off dust/cobwebs with a damp rag)
-chalk paint
-a paint brush (either chalk paint-type or regular)
-wax to seal the project (there is a specific kind, designed for the paint).

Most home improvement stores sell a couple knockoff brands, or you can pay a little more and get what I use — Annie Sloan Chalk Paint — from distributors (‘stockists’) around the globe. I like Annie Sloan products because she singlehandedly made chalk paint a thing, plus, she’s lovely (watch any of her YouTube videos). She made me — an instruction-following, overthinker — feel courageous and free tackling furniture renewal.

“Just get it done, so you can move on with your life.”

Amen, sister.

And, oh, her color palette! It is the definition of Coastal French style. If you can’t find the perfect shade, MAKE it. Mix one up, like I did in on our dining room trim. Don’t fear, just paint!