Hey guess what? You’re getting a before and after from ME today! I know, I know, pigs flying and whatnots. Well, if you follow me in Instagram (betterafterlnz) you may have seen the $14.99 Goodwill table I scored a few weeks (ok months) ago.
It was kind of gross. My husband was not thrilled.
Well, it sat in my garage forever until the kind folks at Annie Sloan Unfolded offered me a chance to try out their Chalk Paint® decorative paint, in my choice of colors. Exciting! Though I was a Chalk Paint® virgin, I’ve seen duck egg blue successfully used in bloglandia hundreds of times, and thought it might look nice with my gray walls, so I decided to give it a go.
I sanded and stained the the tabletop nice and smooth, but wasn’t about to spend forever on those legs, which were coated in some sort of neglected waxy lacquer-like substance. Luckily, the premise of this paint is that you can skip the sanding and priming steps and get straight to it.
Tada! What do you think? She’s worth a little more than $14.99, I hope! I used
Kona stain by Rustoleum on the top, and buffed it up to a soft finish with
Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax. The Chalk Paint® was awesome to work with, I was shocked at how well it covered. In fact, I even had to water it down a bit.
Psst: Want to see what it really looks like in real life?
Ha ha! I don’t normally have it tastefully styled with books and candles. No, this is where I keep this MASSIVE houseplant that I brought home from my Papa’s funeral last June. It’s sentimental and reminds me of him, so obviously I can’t bring myself to part with it, but man that thing is starting to take over the house.
Hey, here is one more project from me. I’m on some kind of roll! I wanted to add in a little more of
duck egg blue in the room, so I made this sign out of an old piece of plywood and a stencil. There is a little heart on Arizona, if you can tell. The white color also is also from Annie Sloan and called
old white.
(I forgot to take a before… this is the back!)
Even though I didn’t distress the table, I wanted to really rough up the sign, just to see how the paint performed. I’d heard many times how great Chalk Paint® it is to sand down and distress, and I was thrilled with the results.
And a couple more beauty shots, just for funzies.
If you are interested in learning more about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® decorative paint, here are some links for you!
Have a great weekend friend!
37 Comments
Lindsey @ Better After
March 29, 2013 at 11:28 PMThanks guys! I actually made the stencil with my Silhouette machine, or more like, cobbled together a giant paper America and traced around it. 😉
Erin @ The Impatient Gardener
March 29, 2013 at 11:10 PMJust so you know, I hate you for finding that table. But my hate is tempered by the fact that you made it look even more awesome. Nope … the hate is back again.
Ronda Batchelor
March 29, 2013 at 11:12 PMI love the legs on that table good eye
Amie
March 30, 2013 at 6:15 AMYou did a fantastic job! I can totally picture this looking perfect in your house. Way to branch out against the gray. 🙂
René
March 29, 2013 at 11:24 PMI love everything!!! Can I ask where you got the US stencil?
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper
March 30, 2013 at 12:06 AMthe table looks amazing!!! i love the legs! and the US piece is awesome!
Martha
March 30, 2013 at 12:20 AMI’m not much on chalk paint but THIS is fantastic! Excellent piece. Not so much before but OH SO MUCH after! Yay for you!
Korrie@RedHenHome
March 30, 2013 at 1:37 AMWay to go! It’s fun to see a project from YOU!
Dolly Madison
March 30, 2013 at 2:37 AMThus is gorgeous. Great job! !
sparkschronicles
March 30, 2013 at 3:16 AMLove the color! I must try this paint.
Kat
March 30, 2013 at 3:28 AMThat table is awesome! Husbands have no vision… 😉
Christina Dawes
March 30, 2013 at 3:38 AMI love your blog! Definitely following now, stay in touch xx
thedailysugar.blogspot.com
Miss Riss
March 30, 2013 at 3:47 AMI love the table and guess what!? I love it best with just the plant on it. The other stuff takes the eye away from the beautiful carving on the edge and the awesome swirly legs. That is just my opinion though. Thanks for sharing your creativity and making a place for people to share theirs. This is the blog I that I click to see every post.
Maureen
March 30, 2013 at 4:19 AMThat table was worth more than $14.99 even before you gave her a whole new Easter outfit. Beautiful!
Sarah
March 30, 2013 at 5:30 AMPigs flying for sure! I love your before and after. The table looks so, so amazing! (And the staging with the grey sock with pink hearts just does me in. It will be the new rage.)
Julie @ Being Home
March 30, 2013 at 7:05 AMBeautiful work, Lindsey! That able has some great legs! 😉
I agree, staging with the gray and pink heart sock, adds to the overall look! It will be all the rage! 😉
One of these days I will need to try chalk paint!
Jomo
March 30, 2013 at 12:02 PMWesołego Alleluja!
:*
Faye Libler
March 30, 2013 at 12:06 PMGorgeous! It’s nice to see some of your own work, you did a great job, that is a beautiful table. I love the other piece too, it turned out great, I love the worn look of it.
Faye (MacGIRLver)
Wanda
March 30, 2013 at 1:24 PMFabulous find, I love the dark top and the blue on those gorgeous legs.
Kim
March 30, 2013 at 2:48 PMLOVE the table! Those turned legs are gorgeous – even more so in that blue! And the sign is adorable. So glad you featured your own projects for a change!
Sylvia
March 30, 2013 at 2:57 PMA vintage barley twist table for $ 14.99? Be still my heart! Great job.
Brittany
March 30, 2013 at 3:06 PMOMG I busted out laughing when I saw the ‘reality’ shot of the table with momstrous plant. Hilarious.
The table is b-e-a-utiful. I hear about this chalk paint all the time, I need to google it to know what makes it so magical!
Britt @ Creating Space for Five
Janet - The Painted Piglet
March 30, 2013 at 5:36 PMReally love it – the table turned out beautifully and the sign is a bit of a scene-stealer! I too love and appreciate that you placed a stray sock on the chair instead of the throw. And, I totally ‘get’ where you’re at with the plant. It might need a bigger pot, though… at which point it will no longer fit on the table 😉
stephbo93
March 30, 2013 at 6:17 PMthe table is beautiful! I love the carved edge–a little bit of detail without being too frou frou. The colors are great!
Hanna
March 30, 2013 at 9:26 PMI love the table! And the stenciling is awesome! Go you!
Lori C
March 31, 2013 at 12:13 AMI’m having a visual affair with the table – before OR after (although you did a nice job there!)
MUST STOP DROOLING!
It’s just so darn shexxy! Love it love it love it! I would have paid twice that for it in the before condition!
Amy Lou
March 31, 2013 at 3:11 AMThe table is amazing and I think your other sock is in my laundry room somewhere.
Kris @ Driven by Décor
March 31, 2013 at 12:44 PMSo jealous about your table – why don’t I find things as awesome as that at thrift stores?? The makeover rocks – love that color of Chalk Paint!
Christine Freeman
March 31, 2013 at 1:52 PMHi! A friend just gave me two spindles that are hand turned antiques. They could be twins to your table legs. I think you have more of a gem than you might have thought! The end result is lovely. And… I love the plant:)
I’ve only recently found you, but I’m going to be unsubbing from email. I wanted to know I’m moving to Blog Lovin’. I know you probably don’t care, but I didn’t want you to feel someone didn’t love you and your great work anymore. That would be [insert deep voice] WRONG.
Thanks!
Carol Hake
March 31, 2013 at 4:57 PMLindsey you have really inspired me with both projects. I have seen a table similar at my local GW. Of course it’s gone now but any style will work. Can’t wait to do the plywood art piece. Possibilities are endless! Love it!
Jenny
March 31, 2013 at 9:21 PMThat is gorgeous!! Both the table and the map! I started painting my kitchen cabinets with ASCP in Duck Egg, and then decided the waxing was WAY too much work for a whole kitchen. A table is MUCH more do-able. Ha! 🙂 Love the wood top and painted legs combo.
Member of the Justice League
April 1, 2013 at 6:49 PMGreat project. It looks good.
What are your floors made out of? It almost looks like cork in the picture.
Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles
April 2, 2013 at 2:25 AMThat table is to die for! NO WAY you could have left without that one! You transformed it perfectly…so glad you left the beautiful wood top. Love your map art also!
Allyson & Jere
April 2, 2013 at 4:45 AMFirst of all, SO good to see you on Saturday, even if I did look scarier than anyone should. Secondly, that table is beyond beautiful. LOVE the paint, love the top, love it all! You should be proud! Finally, I’m STILL in love with your U.S. mappy sign thing and I’m mad at myself for not buying it. Oh, and finally, finally, I MUST get my hands on that magical paint. The awesome dude who bought the old crocuet set and the giant frame, we had a grand conversation all about Annie Sloan paint and how he did his entire bedroom set with one little pint of paint. MAGIC!
Allyson & Jere
April 2, 2013 at 4:46 AMFirst of all, SO good to see you on Saturday, even if I did look scarier than anyone should. Secondly, that table is beyond beautiful. LOVE the paint, love the top, love it all! You should be proud! Finally, I’m STILL in love with your U.S. mappy sign thing and I’m mad at myself for not buying it. Oh, and finally, finally, I MUST get my hands on that magical paint. The awesome dude who bought the old crocuet set and the giant frame, we had a grand conversation all about Annie Sloan paint and how he did his entire bedroom set with one little pint of paint. MAGIC!
Bec
April 2, 2013 at 3:22 PMOh, husbands…no sense of potential. Sigh. 🙂 Well you showed him, cause that table looks AWESOME! Very nice!! It makes me want to try chalk paint now! And that plant is beautiful! So is the pot it’s in. Basically: may I move in? 🙂
Linda @ it all started with paint
April 5, 2013 at 9:28 PMI absolutely adore your very own before and after — and for keeping it real. And I laughed out loud that YOU of all people forgot to take a BEFORE!!!!!
I picked up some Annie Sloan a few months ago but hurt my tendon (okay, torn the tendon in my finger) so my DIY has been limited to easy “unstressful” projects. Now I can wait to crack open that can. And I need to remember to take a BEFORE shot too!!!
🙂 Linda