How To Chalk Paint Furniture - Secretary Desk Makeover

I was provided product by DecoArt and compensated to write about this project, but all thoughts, opinions, and ideas are my own :) Get 20% off DecoArt paint by using my code: Thriftyandchic20 

Unintentionally...but probably subconsciously...I've been updating all the things in my living room. When I say all the things, I mean it. The couches are changed out, my sofa table is about to be, I got a new mirror for a corner, and this corner has been updated with my new secretary desk and hutch I just made over with chalk paint. Let's just say this room is going to be a lot different between last spring and this coming spring. When you live with something pretty much the same way for over 10 years, it gets old :) 

I wanted a blanket cabinet in my living room, but also needed a place to store toys. I had a few ideas in mind, but couldn't find the perfect fit. I came across this listing for the secretary hutch and decided to try to make it work. It had the top hutch I wanted for blankets and the bottom drawers for toys. 

It was distressed a bit much for my taste, and the color definitely didn't jive with my decor. So, I knew I needed to redo it and give it a makeover. 

I decided to use DecoArt AmericanaDecor Chalky Finish in Lace to finish the piece. This color "Lace" was the perfect "white" with just a hint of linen color to give it some warmth. I love using this chalk paint! No sanding is required, bonus! And it has great coverage and adheres to even the slickest of surfaces, like this desk. To finish the piece, all it took was two coats of the chalk paint, plus the addition of the Creme Wax in white. Super easy and quick to use!

My first step was to paint the entire thing with the Chalky Finish. I thought this would take awhile, but the process was pretty quick because of the full coverage. I was able to get both coats done in one night. I did take off the doors and removed the shelves so I didn't have to work around the hardware. I cleaned up the key holes if paint managed to get on them...which happened a lot :) This chalk paint gives a beautiful matte finish. 

Chalky Finish is also super easy to distress! I used a light grit sandpaper to add a little dimension to the piece. I went over most of the lines and corners to scuff it up just a little bit. 

I then went back over the entire piece with DecoArt Americana Decor Creme Wax in White to give it protection and durability. It will definitely be needed since this cabinet will also work as toy storage. After the single coat was dried, I went over it softly with a low grit sandpaper to buff it up a bit and smooth it out. 

It's amazing what two little products can do to transform a piece! I love painted white furniture and how bright and fresh it looks. 

I fell in love with the old details on this secretary desk and hutch like the key holes and the hinges that have managed to stay original and not painted over the years! I can tell that this thing has been painted at least 3 times now. 

Decorating this has been so much fun. I found a spot to place some recent antique finds along with some of my old decor and blankets. 

Here's the inside. I decided to keep this how it was finished before I got to it. I actually like the contrast of this with the white. Maybe one of these days I'll take the time to go over this and create a big pop of color. 

This was such a fun piece to redo! Furniture makeovers are the best! It's amazing how just a couple of hours can transform a piece and a space. I'm on the hunt for a new sideboard/buffet and can't wait to redo one. One thing I can't promise though, if I find that perfect blanket cabinet for this corner, I'm going to have to get it :) Until then, I am loving this piece! 

You can find more about this amazing paint here, and get some for yourself using my discount code for 20% off! Thriftyandchic20. 

Check out the reels section on my Instagram to see  video on the process!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

DIY Corner Cabinet For Dining Room Tutorial

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I've been slowly decorating my mom's house over the past two years. When I say slowly, it's been happening very slowly, sadly. I wish I had more time to focus there! I made her built-ins two years ago, and a few pieces of furniture. Our next big project was adding floor to ceiling board and batten throughout her house. With that on hold, mainly because of time hasn't been allotted for it on my end, I decided to make her a cute corner cabinet she has been wanting. This cabinet added the perfect character into her white and boring builder grade home. 

I used the tutorial from Ana White and like most of her plans, I made it my own. You can find the fuller detailed version with all the plans on her site here. I'll be sharing with you how I adjusted mine to fit my needs for the space. First was making it taller, 8 feet tall. Most corner cabinets seem to pretty short and I wanted this to fill up the space more. This meant adding an extra shelf to the original plans.

For the back end, I used a 1x8 since I wanted to make it more narrow. I have 6 shelves total, 4 exposed and two behind the doors. Each shelf is 29" wide at it's widest part.

The distance between the shelves is approximately 16.5" with the exposed shelves, and 14" with the bottom two. The "tabletop" shelf is at 29.5" high. This is the shelf that sits right above the door.

I secured each shelf to the 1x8 back (8 feet tall) with my pocket jig and screws. I used 1x3s for the front trim and secured it to the shelving.

I then cut my beadboard the width of both sides, approximately 15.75". To cut it I used my fave ultra saw by Dremel. I secured the beadboard to the shelves.

I built the doors using 1x4s. Using my pocket hole jig, I secured the pieces together. The doors are 14" wide and 26" high.

I then added some scrap bead board onto the back of each one. I secured it with some brad nails. 

To finish off the top, I added some decorating molding cut at a 45 degree angle on both sides. 

I painted the entire piece Swiss Coffee by Behr in Satin. After painting, I then filled in the cracks with some light weight spackling compound. 

I added the doors to the bottom with hinges on the outside to give a more farmhouse look. 

Here's a closer look at the molding I chose to use for the top.

I love how tall this ended up being. Almost too tall to handle :) Talking about handles, I also added two distressed white ones to the doors below. I found these at Hobby Lobby. They have a great assortment of knobs and pulls to pick from.

When placing this in the corner, I made sure to secure it to the studs in the wall from the top. It's so tall, I was definitely worried about it toppling over :) ...and you don't want that!

Having the extra shelves to play and decorate are such a bonus. 

The area behind the door is the perfect place to store cookbooks and the things that aren't as pretty that you want to keep out of site.

I love how this piece helped to add so much character into this dining room. This space was pretty boring before. I decorated it quickly when she first moved in, and then left it at that. As with most areas in homes, getting it just right takes time and planning. And truthfully, you really don't know what you want until you have lived there for a little bit.  

The best part of this is having another fun place to decorate! 

To decorate these shelves, I went with a mixture of new and old. We found most of these pieces from Hobby Lobby and added in the antique scale and book. With the neutral colors, I wanted to add in pops of green with the faux hanging plants.

We have one more update happening in this room next week. It's a small change, but one that will bring more character too. I'm excited to get my foot healed up and start adding the board and batten in here also! 

Here's a before picture of this space. It's coming along slowly!

As I mentioned up above, if you would like the full detailed tutorial on how to make this, Ana White does such a better job at it than I ever would :) Please go check it out! 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

DIY Easy 10 Minute, $10 Wood Ladder Tutorial

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This past Christmas, a couple of my presents to family and friends were cute little blanket ladders. I love my blanket ladders I have in my house! They offer character and more importantly, a nice place to store blankets out of the way. I like to use them to flank tables or lean them against bare walls. These have become a staple in my decor. I change out the blankets and wreaths on them per season. For Christmas, I hang a swag of garland down one side. They are so versatile! 

I made a larger ladder a few years ago that I absolutely love, but wanted something smaller and a little different for these presents. I decided this time I would go with round rungs...and not have to use a single screw or nail. Serious!

Here's how to make it.

Supplies:

1 2x2 cut in half (approx. two 48" pieces)

5-6 7/8" round dowels cut at 13" each

7/8" spade bit with drill

Wood glue

Stain/paint

Step 1:

Cut all the wood to the length you want. I made my ladder approx. 14.5" wide, that means drilling about 1/2" into the 2x2 hides 1" of the rungs. So exposed rungs are 12" wide, but cut at 13". I have a smaller ladder that has exposed rungs of 10". It's pretty small and I wouldn't go much smaller than that, but it's totally up to you! Also, this ladder is 4 feet tall. I just used one 2x2, but you can definitely make it taller buy using another 2x2. You can get 2x2s pretty cheap, for under $2 each. If you want a higher quality one that won't bow as much, they are about $8 each for an 8 footer. I was able to get 3 rungs out of each dowel, so I bought two of those for about $7 total. That makes this ladder easily made under $10!

Step 2:

Decide where you want the rungs. I started at 4" from the top, and then 8" on every one from there. Make sure you make the marks on the same spot on both 2x2 pieces. 

Mark the position, and then use a ruler to draw a straight line. 

Next, find the middle of each line. 

Step 3: 

Place the tip of the spade bit onto each of those marks, and drill down approximately 1/2". 

You should have holes that line up with each other on both pieces of wood. 

Step 4: 

Place a dab of wood glue into each hole. 

Step 5: 

Hit the dowels into the holes on one piece. 

Step 6: 

Flip the piece over, place and hit the dowels into the other 2x2. 

Step 7: 

Stain or paint! I used Dark Walnut by Minwax. I'll probably end up distressing and painting mine in the coming days :)

And done! I seriously made this ladder in 10 minutes! It was such a easy ladder to build. I love that it is made with no screws or nails. All you need is a saw and drill!  

I made a couple of these for presents, but loved them so much I had to make one for myself :)

My favorite blankets to use on these ladders are actually Turkish towels! They are lightweight, have cute designs with tassels...and usually pretty decently priced. You can find some here.

I moved this ladder around my house quite a few times trying to find it's home. 

I think my favorite place is in my bedroom! I never thought this wall needed anything more, but I actually ended up loving it here. 

And clearly, I am no minimalist! ha! 

My favorite thing about this hobby of making things is being able to give them as gifts. Ladders were a super easy thing to make! I made a corner hutch for my mom's birthday late last year that I'll be sharing with you all soon. ... as soon as my foot heals up and I'm able to walk around a little :) 

Here's the tutorial to my other DIY blanket ladder. It's one of my top posts, so it must be a good one! :)

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”