Today, we’re painting a chest of drawers with chalk paint! If you’re on the hunt for chalk paint furniture ideas, think about adding a bold new top, fresh hardware, or even decorative trim. Combine your ideas and techniques to create something fresh and completely unique for your space.

We’ll show you how we did these few updates and creative touches, and how these can make a big difference. Let’s dive in!

This makeover wasn’t just about changing the color of this chest. The chalk paint made a big difference, but we went further to bring this piece back to life and make it unique. And you can do this, too!

You can swap out the old hardware for something new. This is an easy and affordable switch that instantly adds personality. Or even simply cleaning the ones you have can refresh their look and give the whole piece new life.

You can also add decorative trim or accents to give your chest of drawers more detail and charm. Want a more elevated look? Try adding legs to the bottom! They come in all kinds of styles and heights, so you can pick what works best for you.

Think about updating the top as well. You can leave it natural or stain it for a rustic two tone look. Or, you can paint it with another color for a fun pop of contrast. We’ll show you how these ideas can come to life, so keep reading!

Supplies Used to Paint a Chest of Drawers with Chalk Paint

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Screwdriver
Hammer
Circular Saw
Clamp
Nails
Nail Gun
Wood Filler
Heavy Duty Metal Bases
New Legs
Krud Kutter
220 Grit Sandpaper
Shop Vac
Tack Cloth
Clear Shellac
Country Chic Paint in Vanilla Frosting
Wagner Sprayer
Minwax Oil Based Wood Stain in Dark Walnut
Minwax Oil Based Polyurethane
Varathane Waterbased Polyurethane in Satin
New Cup Pulls

Removing Front Apron and Top

We started by taking off all the old hardware. And there’s this ugly front base I did not like, so I removed that too. I flipped it over, and I unscrewed the screws and then used a hammer to get the nails off and push off the apron.

For the sides of the chest that act like the legs, I needed to cut them exactly straight to where the front of the piece stopped. I lined up and clamped a piece of wood to help my circular saw cut straight in exactly the same place that I needed it.

removing apron and legs to create a flat base

I also removed the hollow laminate top to switch it to a new one. I removed the top drawers and found the screws that held the top onto the rest of the piece. You may need a flexible drill bit extender to reach them.

Adding New Trim

Since it’s now looking very basic, we added on this little trim just around the bottom to cover up the ugliness of the straight edge. I cut these little pieces of trim down to the right size, gave them 45 degree miter cuts on the front corners, and then straight edges on the back.

And then, I secured them in with little nails with our nail gun, and then filled those nail holes with wood filler. Check out your options for the best wood fillers for furniture here.

Adding New Legs

So it’s now a chest of drawers with no legs or no base at all. I flipped it over and attached these little heavy duty metal bases, lining them up in the right places and spacing them evenly for attaching the new legs.

Next, we screwed the legs onto the bases, and just like that, the piece got added height and style! Get more tips about this process from our posts on how to add legs to a cabinet and how to add legs to a buffet.

At this point, I also sanded down the wood filler from the nail holes in the new trim.

Prepping Chest of Drawers

Then, we proceeded to the prep work. We cleaned the piece off really well with Krud Kutter and a damp rag to remove grease, grime, and oils. We sanded everywhere with 220 grit sandpaper very lightly afterward to help with the adhesion of the new paint.

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I removed the dust with a shop vacuum and used a tack cloth to pick up any remaining dust. Here’s more on how to clean wood after sanding.

Then, I sprayed the chest with two coats of clear shellac to help with adhesion as well as help prevent bleedthrough issues from the wood. I let the shellac dry until the next day. This way, the stains will really lock in and won’t appear through the new finish. Learn more about how to stop stains from coming through paint with priming here.

Painting Chest of Drawers

I sprayed three coats of this warm, creamy white color – Country Chic Paint in Vanilla Frosting. If you haven’t tried this brand, check out my Country Chic Paint review here.

I used our Wagner Double Duty – this sprayer is discontinued, so check out the Wagner 590 or 595 for alternatives. Learn how to use a paint sprayer with our detailed guide, and get Wagner paint sprayer tips here.

Next, we lightly distressed the new finish in spots where normal wear and tear would naturally happen with 220 grit sandpaper. Learn the best distressing furniture techniques here, aside from sanding. Then, we cleaned off all of the dust with our shop vacuum and a tack cloth.

close-up of paint surface after distressing

Adding New Top

So, we bought walnut wood for our new top. But before adding it to the rest of the piece, I stained it first with Minwax oil based wood stain in Dark Walnut – here’s how to stain wood furniture to guide you with this step.

I topcoated the stained top with oil based Minwax Polyurethane. Learn all about how to use this oil based polyurethane spray in this post. Then we attached it with the same screws and holes. You can also check out how to make a plank top dresser here for another idea!

Sale

Vonforn Paint Sprayer

Country Chic Paint in Peacoat Blue

Varathane Water Based Polyurethane

Topcoating Chalk Paint

I also topcoated the rest of the piece using Varathane waterbased polyurethane in Satin to protect the paint and make it easier to clean. I thinned it out by about 5 to 10% just to let it spray on with a smoother and nicer finish.

I applied 3 coats – here’s how to spray polyurethane and how to seal chalk paint in detail. After 24 hours of letting it dry, we screwed in these new cup pulls from Hobby Lobby. This hardware just covered up the old hardware holes, so I didn’t have to do any filling or drilling.

And this was how cute it turned out! We actually ended up doing the same look for a client – check it out in this DIY farmhouse dresser makeover.

close-up image of dresser after the makeover

Country Farmhouse Dresser after the makeover

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Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.

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