Creations, Chalk Paint Secretary with Silver Leaf Trim
Ta Da! After over a year of pondering, I finally got out my paint brush and painted the secretary in the family room…
My daughter and I painted a dresser for CC’s room, which gave me courage and confidence. The dresser orginally matched the nightstand below
A couple of coats of Annie Sloan chalk paint, French Linen, and Old White on the drawer fronts and Voila!
We changed out the knobs, and chose crystal to match the lamp, and make it girly~
and it matched the shelf already in the room perfectly
HH was skeptical when we started, you know, “Why would you want to paint a perfectly good piece of furniture?” he asked
Here we go
He’s still skeptical at this point, but doesn’t hate it
I used “Graphite” on the main body, and “Old White” on the hardware. I first painted the hardware Graphite, then when that dried I went back with a fairly dry small brush and lightly painted the Old White on over it. This gave a distressed look in one step
I added dots on each side of the handles and then all around the middle desk top key. Dots are made by dipping the end of a small paint brush in paint and then carefully dotting in a firm, straight up and down motion
At this point I lived with it a few days, thinking about what to do next. I decided to paint the back of the interior cabinet Old White
It’s still wet when I shot these photos, but I could tell it really brightened up the dark corner of this room
Then I debated on painting a pattern in lighter Paris Grey on the back wall…
I did a quick paint “sketch” on paper to try it out
There is a lot of pattern going on it the room already, so I decided against that for now and used a silver leaf paint pen to highlight some of the ridges
By pressing firmly into the ridge I was able to paint straight lines
I know it will be fun to change the accessories seasonally
I have it styled in neutrals right now
so it doesn’t compete with Valentine’s Day
and Mardi Gras in the adjacent foyer
I am really happy with the result, and HH loves it now~
I’m still debating on the back wall of the cabinet though…
What do you think?
Juicy Details
You can read more about Annie Sloan chalk paint here. There are tons of tutorials on blogs and on YouTube full of great tips
You can paint it directly on to anything without stripping or sanding first. It dries quickly, and doesn’t smell. You might think it’s expensive but a little goes a long way. I used a little over 1/2 of a quart to paint this large piece. Soft wax is applied after painting to finish the piece and add a soft patina to the paint. The wax is pricey too, but again, a little goes a long way and it’s wonderful stuff~
I used Annie Sloan “Graphite” and “Old White” and finished it with clear wax
I used a Krylon silver leafing pen from Amazon.com here
The crystal knobs on CC’s dresser came from Lowe’s
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You gave your secretary a beautiful makeover Jenna! I love the interior lightened up to showcase your accessories! CC’s dresser is adorable too, I love the contrasting drawers and glass pulls ♥. I was amazed at how quickly ASCP dried and how easy it was to work with it when I used it to paint my grandmother’s chest for my Potting Shed. You just need some muscles to get your waxing on 🙂
Both look lovely.
OH I’m drooling over that dresser. The gray, the old white…just beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
thanks so much, I am dying to paint everything now 🙂
Great make-overs. I especially like the secretary, the silver accent color makes the design of the secretary pop.
thanks so much Candy!
What I think is that I love the transformation! Beautiful.
The secretary looks fantastic in Graphite, and plays so nicely with the charcoal print in your chairs. Great little details around the drawer pulls, too, and the silver trim is the icing on the cake. Go ahead and deck out the backboard — you could do it on a piece of foam board cut to fit, and then it would be removeable.
Thanks Ellen, brilliant idea!
wow Jenna, both pieces are awesome…I love the colors in CC’s room….oh my goodness…the beautiful greyish wall paint with the little pink accents…GORGEOUS…..I love Annie Sloan chalk paint and I have a large armoire in the playroom that I have been meaning to paint the same color than yours….Is the secretary also Annie Sloan paint???? Christine from Little Brag Hopping By….LOL….AND YES BUGSY is like a little dog these days….
Thanks so much Christine, yes the secretary is Annie Sloan Graphite~I need to amend that, I can’t believe I didn’t put it in the post. Thanks for pointing it out 🙂 Give Bugsy a hug for me!
“Why would you want to paint a perfectly good piece of furniture?” MEN and their silly talk!!! Will they ever quit??!?!?! I think both pieces turned out great! I wish I had the confidence to pull out that paint brush and go to town on several pieces of furniture in our house! Our dining room table and buffet would be the first victims…er, uh…pieces to be painted, followed by an armoire in the master bedroom.
I think it turned out great-enjoy:@)
CC’s dresser is beautiful! The new knobs are perfect. I love the new secretary…those dots are such a nice addition. The silver-leaf detail is really nice, too. I like the lighter color inside, and it’s a nice, clean slate for whatever you display inside. Whatever you decide, I know it’ll look great – because it already does. Can’t wait to see how you change the displays through the seasons!
thanks Kim, you really helped me here! I was fearless after I read about all your repainting!
Oh my, your secretary is beautiful. I have just discovered chalk paint and can’t wait to start a big project. Paris Grey is one of my favorite colors. Thanks for the inspiration.
hi Cathy, you are in for a lot of fun, this stuff is amazing! I have used in to paint silver, wicker, ceramic, and wood and the results are always awesome! Have fun~
Jenna, that secretary came out gorgeous! I have been waffling over whether to use chalk paint or regular paint for a couple hutches. Do you have any preferences? Pro/cons? How much paint did you use on the secretary? I am unsure if I want to lightly distress or not.
Enjoy the rest of the week!
I am a huge fan of chalk paint Marigene, it’s so easy to use, no smell. The waxing part is easy too, but it does have a little odor. I used 1/2 quart to paint the secretary with 2 coats, and about the same amount for the dresser. I would go ahead and paint it and then decide if you want to distress. You can always do a little and if you don’t like it, paint over again. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out!
You did a beautiful job!
Sweet makeover, I love the choice of color on the interior, makes a great blank slate for changing out the decor. I adore the dots detail….. so funny I did the same thing on my pieces I debuted this week!
I am in love with the dresser!! Actually both pieces turned out just beautiful!! Yeah for Annie Sloan paint..I love this paint! So so nice!! I will be highlighting you on Centerpiece Wednesday tomorrow!!
Karin
Thanks so much Karin! I am so excited with the way they both turned out~ I can’t wait to paint something else!I am thrilled to be a feature this week, you’ve made my day! Jenna
I love both your dresser and secretary. Both make such beautiful statement pieces now. Thank you for sharing at Share It One More Time. Cathy
Thanks so much Cathy!