It’s been quite some time since I finished this makeover. I felt as if I needed to make peace with this little TV unit before I could share it. All I wanted was a quick and simple makeover of my entertainment unit with a chalk paint wash. Sound easy, right? Well … this was one of those times when nothing seemed to go right … but boy did I learn a lot!
Here is the before photo. I’m not a huge fan of TV or entertainment units and it took me a while to find one I liked. I wanted a unit that sat low, would hide the DVD player (and DVDs), and wasn’t too “heavy-looking”. This piece had a good coat of polyethylene which I needed to remove as I wanted to finish the unit with a light chalk paint wash.
My first mistake was to put myself under time pressure. I tried to strip this piece in between running my daughter to school, then heading off to watch her swim, and finally the after-school pick up … I need to be around to monitor the stripping process.
I found this medium-sized “Orchard Oak” TV Unit in a light grain oak timber at Early Settler.
Using a paint stripper on my chopping boards had worked well previously … so why not here? After applying the paint stripper to the unit and allowing it to cure, I then started scraping off the varnish.
My second mistake was then to use steelwool and water to wash the piece down. Afterwards I ran off to pick up my daughter from school. Which allowed plenty of time for the water to react to the steelwool particles left sitting on the top.
I nearly cried when I got home and saw this …. WHAT HAPPENED?!
And here is another perspective of the horror – I probably couldn’t get this effect again if I tried! I thought … this is it, I’ll have to paint the unit black! Not at all the light bright look I wanted.
What to do?! After a bit of research it seemed oxalic acid, which is often used as a wood bleach, would remove the black stains caused by water penetration. However I tried sanding to remove the marks first. Oxalic acid is pretty heavy duty, and I only wanted to use it as a last resort. But those marks were here to stay and I really didn’t want to paint the piece black.
I found a great step-by-step tutorial here, which I followed to the letter.
The top was much worse that the rest of the unit. You can also see Ollie’s tail as he checks out my debacle!
If you’re thinking of using this method please remember to nuturise the bleach with vinegar. Make sure this method will work on the type of wood your piece is made from, as well as the type of stain. This really was a last resort for me but it worked wonders!
(You’ll have to excuse the rather poor photos … I was so sure I would never share this makeover with anyone!)
I allowed the unit to dry for several days and finished with a light sand using fine sandpaper (about 210 grade). I then started on the chalk paint wash, using Annie Sloan Old White and a damp rag. I applied the chalk paint with a paint brush and then wiped off the excess with a damp cloth.
You would have thought that after all of this there would be nothing left of the original finish. Not so! Some of the polyethylene had remained, which meant the paint wiped straight off. I thought perhaps I could get away with this but it left little strange shapped bald patches.
My next mistake was not removing all traces of the polyethylene before applying the paint wash. The varnished simply acted as a barrier between the wood and the paint.
I left the paint to dry and then sanded the bald patches with medium 120 grit sandpaper. Using sandpaper to remove the polyeuthene was probably what I should have done in the first place … live and learn.
On the upside, I loved what was happening when I left the paint to dry for a minute or two and then wiped it off. Thicker in some places … ohhh, not at all what I had in mind but I love it! So I ran with it, swapping between a damp and dry rag, and experimenting with how long to leave the paint to dry before wiping off.
Once I was happy with the look, I left the unit to dry for a day or so. I followed with a clear wax, buffing to a nice shine after a couple of days. I ended up putting the original knobs back on. I’m not completely happy with them, but by this stage I really needed to walk away and leave this poor little unit alone.
I had learnt the hard way … when using paint stripper on a big piece, it’s best to do a small section at a time – and yes, don’t leave it, and go off somewhere else! I’m letting my subconscious work on what type of knobs would look best while I have a nice cup of tea and watch my favourite show … phew!
Do you have any tips for applying a chalk paint wash?
For more tips and tricks on using chalk paint, please check out my Pinterest board
Also sharing:
Dream. Create. Inspire., Your Turn to Shine, Creativity Unleased, Grace At Home, The Inspiration Gallery, Catch As Catch Can, Home Sweet Home, Shabbilicious Friday, Foodie Friday anad Everything Else, Feathered Nest Friday, The Painted Drawer, The Pin Junkie, Furniture Feature Friday, Show and Tell Friday, Frugal Friday, Link Party Palooza, The Creative Collection, DIY Inspired, Best DIY Projects And Recipe Party, Saturday Sparks, Bouquet of Talent, Found and Foraged, Silver Pennies Sunday, Sundays At Home, That DIY Party, Amaze Me Monday, Something To Talk About, Metamorphosis Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Something To Talk About, Tutorials & Tips Link Party, Made By You Monday, Show & Share, Tweak It Tuesday, The Scoop, Wow US Wednesday, August Before and After, One Project At A Time,
I love the honesty of this post. Not all projects go without hitches here and there. I’d love to use chalk paint for furniture but don’t know if I’ll be able to get the right finish. Seems like quite a process. Your tv unit came out wonderful! No one would know the hiccups along the way. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you 😀 The hiccups are all part of the learning curve! I made lots of silly mistakes with this makeover … chalk paint is generally quite easy to use and you can achieve lots of different finishes. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
Wow, you really stuck it out til the end on this one! Even the best laid plans get out of control sometimes. Nicely done and I appreciate knowing I’m not the only one who has project mishaps!! Thanks for sharing!!
LikeLike
Oh no … you’re not alone in experiencing hiccups 😀 I felt like I had no choice but to soldier forward LOL Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
I really like this! Great job! I would love for you to share this on Idea Box! Come on over and party with us! http://csc.mycreativehome.org/2015/07/idea-box-link-party-18.html
LikeLike
Thank you for the invite … I’ll pop over and link up 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The chalk paint looks great on this piece .. now to decide if I like it better than your your wicker chair?! hmmm…
LikeLike
Thank you 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
I really like how this turned out. This is typically not my style, but it looks great! I like it better than the original!
LikeLike
Popping on over here from pin junkie… this is a great makeover project! Nice work.
LikeLike
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
sooooooo beautiful! I’ve had some staining fall-on-my-faces, too. Furniture can be moody at times. Great save. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you 🙂 Yes … it was a lucky save! It’s all part of the learning curve. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
I seem to have an unnatural fear of painting furniture, and of painting it with chalk paint in particular. I really need to give this a try because I have A LOT of pieces to paint.
LikeLike
I was unsure about chalk paint when I first used it … start on something small 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
I have never experimented with chalk paint before but I am glad to have read your mistakes before I do. Your piece came out lovely and now I know that even if I flub it up I can still fix it.
LikeLike
I’m finding that most of my “mistakes” can be fixed and chalk paint has so many possibilities. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
All’s well that ends well! What a lot of work but it looks great. Enjoy your well deserved sit down with a cuppa!
LikeLike
Thank you … this piece certainly tried my patience 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
It turned really beautiful, your TV unit looks amazing. I like using chalk paint in my projects too.
LikeLike
Thank you … I recently discovered chalk paint and haven’t looked back! Thanks for stopping by 😀
LikeLike
What a huge difference – it looks beautiful! You really took a tough situation and made it work. I would have been just as horrified when I saw those black spots. Nice job working through it – you have a beautiful piece now!
LikeLike
Thank you 😀Yes … I truly nearly cried when I saw the black marks. Live and learn!
LikeLike
That’s tough! I know some people who use spray flat white paint as an alternative since you can skip the prep stripping, then just sand and add more if needed. I am getting ready to do some so we’ll see!
LikeLike
Thanks for the tip, I might try that next time. Good luck with your project. Thanks for stopping by 😀
LikeLike
So happy you stayed with this! The after is beautiful. I love the chalk paint wash.
catching you!
LikeLike
Thank you 😀 there was no way I was giving up! Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
That turned out so very cute!! Love it! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
Sherry
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by 😀
LikeLike
Despite the debacle, it turned out great!
LikeLike
Thank you 😀
LikeLike
Oh, my goodness, so happy things all turned out alright. I love the finished product (even though you experienced many bumps along the road). In general, chalk paint is relatively easy to use as most people sand the finished product or distress it, so perfection is not always desired. And that’s a good thing! Thank you for sharing your learning process.
LikeLike
Thank you 😀 Chalk paint is very “forgiving” (thank goodness). I’m enjoying experimenting with different looks. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
Pingback: Summer DIY Projects - Skip To My Lou Skip To My Lou
It’s funny how life throws you a curve ball sometimes. Your redo turned into a black spot fixing tutorial. I think it came out very pretty. Thanks for posting. Hello from Foodie Friday.
LikeLike
Thank you for stopping by 😀 I ended up learning heaps from my mistakes!
LikeLike
Fantastic makeover! Featuring on The Painted Drawer link party this week! Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
Thank you for the feature 😄
LikeLike
Pingback: Makeover of a Side Table « HONEY & ROSES