I don’t know about you, but for me, Spring, with its longer evenings and fresher, brighter days, is making me feel newly energised and motivated to tackle some mini projects around the house that I’ve been meaning to do for ages (you know how it is, they’ve been queued up on that never-ending list I have inside my head, probably not dissimilar to yours!)
One such job I have been planning to do for a while is to repaint an old mirror that a friend donated to me a few weeks ago. She had no place for it in her own home, yet thought it had some potential to be ‘prettified’, and so it arrived on my doorstep one day, ready for its mini makeover!
As you can see, it’s a cute little piece, of solid wood (unvarnished pine I think), complete with a little shelf beneath the mirror, so ideal for holding a hairbrush, spare bobbles, that sort of thing. For now, I thought it would be a great mirror for my 9 year old daughter’s bedroom, as she’ll enjoy placing her odds and ends on it, but because we haven’t quite decided on how we’ll redecorate her room, I decided to keep things simple and paint it white.
I opted for chalk paint to complete this project, as it’s so easy to use and you get quick results! (Patience and me have never got along). I used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Pure for a nice, clean look against a darker wall. I also plan to repaint a double bed frame white (I’m being inspired by all things Scandi these days), so at least I’ll get to use the rest of the paint tin up for that.
Upon cleaning down the mirror for painting, I discovered there were a few marks on the shelf, so I sprayed some sealing primer on these areas first, just in case. Chalk paint normally needs very little or no prep prior to painting, however in some circumstances it’s wise to seal any greasy looking marks with primer first. If the piece you’re painting is a very dark stained wood, it can also help to do a quick layer of primer first – saves on any hassle further down the line.
These are the products I used:
L-R: Annie Sloan chalk paint in Pure; Zinsser BIN Cover Stain Primer/Sealer Spray (similar to Shellac); Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax
It took 2-3 coats of the pure white chalk paint to get the desired finish, as out of all the Annie Sloan colours, this one has the weakest coverage. Then a quick coat of wax, which I left to ‘dry’ for 24 hours. This ensures no surface scratches or marks and guarantees a longer lasting finish. I would like to add here that chalk paint is not as durable in the long run as the traditional method of sanding, priming and painting 2 coats of eggshell, but for a quick update, the chalk paint is hard to beat.
And here is the end result, which I have to say I’m pretty pleased with!
I like how the cut of the wood grain still shows through a little, giving that almost imperfect finish that is the charm of chalk paint. Not a bad transformation for a couple of hours’ work!
Well that’s my latest weekend project. There are plenty more in the pipeline! I look forward to sharing some more with you in the coming weeks.
Have you any upcycling or painting projects planned for the Spring? I’d love to hear! #HomeEtc
K x
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It looks amazing!! Like a brand new mirror. I love wood but this definitely needed a coat of white to shine.
Thanks Rachel. I agree sometimes you can have chalk paint overkill! Wood is lovely but this really needed a new lease of life!
This looks beautiful and like new! I like white paint and love painting anything that stands still! Great job :) Jess xx
mummyofboygirltwins recently posted…Home Etc #43
Thanks Jess. Starting to use up the rest of the paint tin now- as you say anything that stands still is in the firing range!!
What a pretty little mirror, especially after your lovely paint job. Bet your friend wished they’d kept it now! #HomeEtc
Molly recently posted…In the Pink for Easter
Lol! Don’t tell her! X
Ooh, yes, that’s really lovely! Looks like a gorgeous addition to her room.
Thanks Naomi, hopefully she’ll enjoy it for a few years to come
x
It’s amazing what a coat of paint can do! I went to a great Annie Sloan workshop a few weeks ago and I’ve also made my own chalk paint in the past. You can read the DIY here in case it’s useful.
http://www.hellonancy.co.uk/2014/01/how-to-make-chalk-paint.html
#HomeEtc
thanks Nancy I’ll take a look! x
Aaah it looks GORGEOUS Kiera! What a lovely transformation! Amazing what a difference a lick of paint can make isn’t it? Thanks so much for linking up with us!! xx #HomeEtc
Caro | The Twinkle Diaries recently posted…We’re going on an Egg Hunt (we’re going to catch a big one)
Thanks so much Caro! Still haven’t finally decided where it’s going, but I like waiting until that perfect little corner of the house reveals itself! x
that has turned out really lovely. I did a mirror update with chalk paint a while back too – a metal framed mirror – and it made such a difference. These kind of projects are great, aren’t they? So simple and quick but so rewarding too.
Thanks Fionnuala! I love the satisfaction you get from completing such a project in a day or two. My next project is a double bed frame that is currently a dark wood colour. Will post a picture of that soon, too!