Easy bookcase makeover using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Bookcase Makeover - Part One|

I have wanted to replace the old Ikea bookcase in our lounge forever. I hated the boxy overfilled look and wanted to exchange it for something prettier and lighter. We have books stored all over our house, so we didn’t necessarily need the new bookcase to be just for books. I also needed a space to display some decorative items like our lovely sea prints and some of my painted stones etc.

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How the bookcase looked before

This bookcase was destined for the fire and got a beautiful makeover with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint instead. In this tutorial, you can learn how easy it is to transform old unwanted furniture into beautiful pieces for your home. There are plenty of photos & before and after shots too. #bookcase #anniesloan #chalkpaint

As usual, Ebay came up trumps and I picked up this old bookcase for next to nothing. The ad said that if someone didn’t come and collect it soon it was going to be chopped up for firewood! Well, I couldn't let that happen, I hate to see perfectly good furniture go to waste when it can be given a new lease of life with a bit of effort and a lick of paint. The funny thing was that the lady I bought it from said she was getting rid of it because she didn't want dark furniture in her home anymore! I wonder what she would say if she could see it now.

This was one of the easiest projects I’ve done so far and took only three days to complete. As it was super easy to do, I thought it would be ideal to make a tutorial of the process. I recommend working on a small item of furniture at first, just to see how you go.

Here's what you'll need

Isolating water based primer in white – prevents any bleed through of old wood stain

Chalk paint in the make and colour of your choice (I used Annie Sloan ‘Old White') You can see the full range of colours here.

Latex paintbrush

Drop cloths - if painting inside: TIP: Put some newspaper or cardboard underneath the feet so that you can paint them without your brush coming into contact with the drop cloth and getting bits of lint or fluff on your brush.

Sandpaper - I used grade 80 because that was all I had at the time but you can use anything as long as it's not super fine as you need to be able to take off some paint with it if you want a distressed look like mine

Clear wax - again, I used the Annie Sloan wax which I already had but any clear wax will do

Round brush for applying the Wax – You can also use a lint-free cloth if you don’t want to get a brush for this

Lint-free cloths/rags – For taking up excess wax and for buffing up

Screwdriver – for removing hardware if any

Liming wax in white - optional

Once you’ve gathered everything together you’ll be ready for Step 1 – Preparation for painting

Step 1 - Preparing for painting

We need to thoroughly clean the piece first to make sure there aren’t any greasy spots which will prevent the paint from sticking. Sometimes the drawers will have been used to store candles for instance and leftover wax can sometimes stick to the wood.

Vacuum

First I get my vacuum cleaner out and get into all the nooks and crannies to get rid of any debris.

Wash

Next, I use plain old dish-washing soap and water to wipe everything down. The cloth just needs to be damp so wring it out really well. Too much water can cause the wood to warp and you don't need that!

Wiping down the outside of the bookcase with a damp cloth. — Wiping the outside

Using a damp cloth to wash out the inside of the drawers before the bookcase can be painted. — Cleaning the drawers

Although the bookcase didn't look very dirty, this photo of the colour of the water after washing tells a different story - it's black! — Even though it didn't look dirty, the water tells a different story!

Leave to dry

Let the piece stand for a while to ensure it’s completely dry before you start the next step which will be:

Part 2 - applying the water-based primer