Painting Mahogany Furniture with Chalk Paint
We had thrifted this mahogany buffet from Facebook Marketplace for only $50, and although it was a great find, we knew it needed some love. We decided to tackle the project of painting mahogany furniture with chalk paint, and we’re sharing our process and results with you!
If you’re looking for some painting furniture ideas using chalk paint or have a good mahogany piece that needs a refresh, keep reading to see how we transformed this buffet into a beautiful and unique piece for our home!
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See more AFTER photos below these printable instructions!
Painting Mahogany Furniture with Chalk Paint
Here’s how to update an old buffet into a beautiful and unique piece for our home by painting mahogany furniture with chalk paint.
Materials
Tools
Instructions
- Remove hardware first so there's no hardware in the way while painting. This will also make way for new hardware if you plan to replace them.
- Clean the mahogany furniture with Krud Kutter and a damp rag to remove any dirt or grime for a clean surface. Let the piece dry before moving on to the next step.
- Lightly scuff sand the furniture with a Surfprep Sander and 220 grit sanding screens to help the paint adhere better and give a smooth finish. Remember to clean off the dust after sanding!
- If you plan to change hardware, fill in old holes with KwikWood, overfilling slightly, then sand it smooth once dry. Then measure and drill new holes for the new hardware.
- To avoid bleedthrough, prime the mahogany furniture with 2-3 coats of clear shellac. This will help prevent any stains from showing through your paint and help with adhesion as well.
- Mix your own chalk paint by mixing latex paint, calcium carbonate powder, and water. Be sure to filter the paint before using it in a sprayer for a smoother application.
- Spray 3-4 coats of chalk paint onto the furniture, allowing each coat to dry before adding the next. Applying more coats is especially important when painting a light color over dark wood.
- If you want a rustic look, lightly distress the chalk paint with 220 grit sandpaper. Focus on areas where wear would naturally occur and clean off any dust before sealing.
- Protect your painted furniture by spraying on a topcoat such as Varathane waterbased polyurethane. This will add durability and give a beautiful finish to your piece.
- Finally, attach new hardware through the new holes you drilled earlier for a complete transformation of your mahogany furniture!
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More Before and After Makeovers
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Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.
This buffet had 2 doors and 2 drawers, and we planned to use it as a TV stand. We wanted to give this piece a new look that would match our home’s aesthetic, and we knew chalk paint would be perfect for the job.
However, when it comes to painting mahogany furniture, there are some extra steps you need to take compared to other types of wood. Mahogany has a natural red undertone that can bleed through lighter paint colors.
We’re painting this mahogany buffet white, so we needed to take extra care. Keep reading for the whole process, and you’ll see everything you need to know about how to paint mahogany furniture with chalk paint.
Supplies Used for Painting Mahogany Furniture with Chalk Paint
- Electric Screwdriver
- Krud Kutter
- Damp Rag
- SurfPrep Sander (Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order)
- 220 Grit Sanding Screens (Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order)
- Vacuum
- Tack Cloth
- Kwikwood
- Drill
- Clear Shellac Primer
- Behr Ultra Pure White Latex Paint in Flat
- Calcium Carbonate Powder
- Filter
- Vonforn Paint Sprayer
- 220 Grit Sandpaper
- Waterbased Varathane Polyurethane
Preparing Mahogany Furniture for Chalk Paint
The first thing we did was take the hardware off our buffet using our handy electric screwdriver. It’s always easier to paint furniture without any hardware in the way, so do this before you start cleaning and sanding.
We cleaned the buffet with Krud Kutter and a damp rag to wipe away any dirt or grime that this thrifted piece might have picked up over the years. Krud Kutter is our go-to cleaner for prepping furniture before painting, and it’s safe for all types of wood.
Next, we used our SurfPrep Sander with 220 grit sanding screens to lightly scuff sand the entire piece. Sanding will help the paint adhere better and give it a smooth finish. Remember to clean off all the dust with a vacuum and tack cloth after you’ve sanded!
We did want to replace the hardware with knobs on the lower doors and cup pulls on the drawers, so we filled in the old hardware holes with Kwikwood, overfilling them slightly and then sanding them smooth once dry. Then, we measured and drilled new holes for the new hardware we’ll install later. Learn more about how to change hardware on a dresser here!
Priming Mahogany Furniture to Avoid Bleedthrough
As we mentioned above, mahogany is a type of wood we need to be extra cautious with when it comes to painting. It’s known for being prone to causing a lot of bleedthrough, and we can’t risk that, especially since we’re painting this piece white!
So, to prevent any stains from showing through our white paint, we primed this buffet really good with 2-3 coats of clear shellac. This step is really important and can make or break your paint job, so don’t skip it! Check out other primer options with our list of the best primers for chalk paint.
Chalk Painting Mahogany Furniture
For painting our mahogany buffet, we made our own chalk paint by mixing Behr Ultra Pure White Latex paint with calcium carbonate powder and water. If you haven’t done this before, follow our homemade chalk paint recipe here!
We’re using our paint sprayer, so we poured the paint through a filter to make sure there were no lumps or clumps. Chalk paint is a thick paint, and while our Vonforn Paint Sprayer is one of the best paint sprayer for chalk paint options, filtering can help for a smoother application and finish. Here’s how to use Vonforn paint sprayer for a more detailed guide on using this paint sprayer.
We sprayed 3-4 coats of paint onto the buffet, letting the paint dry between coats. We wanted this paint to have really good coverage since we were painting a light color over dark mahogany wood. So we did a couple extra coats of paint compared to what we do on most projects.
Distressing Chalk Paint
Chalk paint is very easy to distress, so if you’re looking for a more vintage or shabby chic look, this step is perfect! When the white paint dried on our mahogany buffet, we lightly sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper to get a lightly distressed look.
We focused on the edges and corners where natural wear would occur over time, then we cleaned up all the dust we made from sanding with a vacuum and tack cloth and got ready to spray the topcoat.
Here’s how to distress chalk paint for more tips. If you’re unsure about this look, check out these distressed painted furniture ideas for inspiration.
Sealing Chalk Painted Furniture
So, after all the hard work of painting and distressing our mahogany buffet, we definitely wanted to make sure it was protected. Sealing not only adds a layer of protection to your furniture but also gives it a beautiful finish.
We mixed up and sprayed our favorite topcoat, Varathane waterbased polyurethane. After filtering it, we sprayed 3 coats onto the buffet, letting each dry before applying the next. It’s important to add a topcoat over chalk paint since it’s very porous and can chip or scratch easily without a topcoat.
Here’s our list of the best topcoat for chalk paint to learn more about our top picks for topcoats for chalk painted furniture. And for more tips here’s our blog post about can you use a paint sprayer for polyurethane.
And for the final touch to our buffet turned TV stand, we attached the new hardware knobs and cup pulls through the new holes that we previously drilled. Aside from paint, changing the hardware can also really help with the transformation of a piece!
Painting mahogany furniture with chalk paint may need extra care, but the result is definitely worth it! With the proper prep work and supplies, you can transform a dark mahogany piece into a beautiful, light colored piece of furniture like this that fits your style and will last for years to come.
More Painted Furniture Makeovers
- Painting A Buffet
- Painting A Bedroom Set
- Rolling Buffet Cart Makeover
- Painting A Nightstand
- Chalk Painted Coffee Table
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