DIY Farmhouse Bedroom Makeover - Chalk Painted Hope Chest

DIY Farmhouse Bedroom Makeover – Chalk Painted Hope Chest

When I redid my whole bedroom in Farmhouse Chic, I targeted this almost-matching hope chest bench that I’d had almost as long as my bedroom furniture. They weren’t an exact match, but they’re the same style – Louis Philippe French eclectic/neoclassicism. This poor thing was never sturdy, so I had my work cut out for me.

Materials I used to chalk paint my hope chest

Directions

As you can see, the bench started out a dark cherry stained veneer over laminate wood. The cushion was tacked to an even thinner sheet of wood-like stuff, which was glued to the top. Getting that glue off was a chore! But, in the end I prevailed. The glue left a mark on the wood, which I sanded down after scraping off as much as I could.

Although I did end up winning the war, I was wounded! Ouch!

Since the bench was really wobbly, I added wood glue, tightened the cam lock fasteners and then clamping and leaving to dry overnight. This made a huge difference! It’s a good idea to always repair your furniture as best you can before beautifying it.

The drawers are actually faux fronts (they’re not drawers, they’re fake) and the drawer pulls serve no purpose other than to look pretty. Some people would say you should get new ones so that all will match. They’re not wrong! However, I feel that reusing is much more economical. So, one can of spray paint and all my pulls and knobs match. Easy enough!

To paint the pulls, I enlisted a piece of cardboard. I poked holes through the cardboard, then put the screws into the back of the pull to attach to the cardboard. Because of the pull design, by hanging the cardboard upside down, the pulls would not touch the bottom of the plate and mess up the paint.

Shown here, my drawer pull painting invention! I hung it upside down from a clothes hanger thing I have, using zip ties and clothes hangers. this way the pulls were away from the plate and didn’t mess up the paint while it dried.

Not that I’d suggest buying this clothes hanger just for this, but it’s really handy as intended too. I got it at IKEA.

The spray paint I used was Rust-oleum Hammered. It’s kind of an antique bronze color and I love it! It goes so well with the white chalk paint.

Now, to painting the bench! First, I cleaned it with Trisodium Phosphate — or TSP for short — which does an unmatched job of cleaning and prepping old furniture for a fresh new finish. In some areas, TSP is not legally sold and there’s an equally good (in my opinion) alternative. Check your local hardware store, or you can buy online. Be sure to read the directions and use proper precautions when using.

After three coats of chalk paint, and it’s ready for a new cushion! My mom had bought burlap to make a different bench cushion for our cabin. But, that project got put off and I asked if I could have the burlap. It has a Paris themed print which goes exceptionally well with the French-style furniture! I really like it! I simply sewed a big rectangular case and used pillow stuffing — both some I had bought for another project, and some from a few unsuspecting old pillows. Then, I hand stitched the end closed. It turned out great, however if I wasn’t on such a tight budget I probably would have used a thick foam. You can get either at any fabric or hobby store. Once everything was done and dry, I reattached the pulls and marveled at how lovely it had turned out.