Why I Paint With Chalk Paint and You Should Too!

Weekend plans: Chalk Paint!

Okay, so I know I’m a bit behind the trend and chalk paint has been a thing for a while–but I had never used it up until now.  I thought a weekend alone was the perfect time to give it a try.

Mr. Geek started renovating our bathroom at home and told me to stay at camp for a few days.  Well, he did not have to tell me twice!  Gronk and I hit the road early Saturday morning.

I had ordered Rust-Oleum Matte Interior Chalked Paint in Serenity Blue through Amazon and was so excited to try it for the first time!

My eyes were on a bench for the entry area to add a cozy seat by the door and additional storage.

Here’s how I created our Beachy Bench!

The Bench: Before

This bench has been in the entryway of my mom and stepfather’s house since…well I don’t even know how long. I don’t know where she got it.  When I told her I wanted Mr. Geek to build a seat for the “entry” up at camp, she gave us her bench.

The Process

My goodness was this easy.  Ridiculously easy.  I’m prepared to paint everything and anything with this stuff.

Prep/Cleaning

The bench didn’t need much for prep.  It wasn’t previously painted or needed a lot of cleaning.  In fact, I had already cleaned it a few weeks before bringing it into the room.  I gave it one last wipe down.

Coat 1

JUMP RIGHT IN!

I wish I had more advice to offer about the brush I used, but I honestly just ordered this one because it came up with my suggested items.  That also made it easy.

Now this paint dries VERY QUICKLY.  Try to make your brush strokes as smooth as possible right from the beginning.

My little helper is pretty darn cute.

Coat 2

Although it dries quickly, I waited the recommended 30 minutes–which meant one TV episode on HGTV.

The paint can and other online resources say you only need one coat, but I’m glad I did two.  This allowed me to sand off a bit more and distress areas a bit harder.  It also smoothed out the brush strokes a bit more you could still see from the first coat.

Distress

Don’t get me wrong–this bench was already “loved”, but rubbing the sanding block over areas for a “worn” look is what made this beachy bench come to life.  Again, I’m glad I put the second coat on so I could remove more instead of going back and layering again.

Distressed/antiqued/beachy might become my new go-to style because it’s beautiful and so easy to create!

Topcoat

After wiping down the dust from sanding the edges, it was time to finish this beauty off!

Rust-oleum offers their Chalked Protective Topcoat in a spray can–which was the only thing available at the local Home Depot.  This was the lesson/learning moment in the project.  That’s okay!  It was seeming just a little too easy for this first go at it.

There is nothing wrong with the spray, but I wasn’t happy with it.  This is probably because I am terrible with spray paint.  I don’t have much control with it.  Next time, I will be purchasing the can of clear coat.

Oh well.  Live and learn!

The Bench: After

Besides the topcoat drama, I’m extremely happy with how our entryway bench came out. It is the perfect addition to our camp entry.

This is now my go-to paint to liven up our space at camp.  It is super affordable, easy to use, and gives the coastal/beachy vibe I’m looking for!

I already painted the end table and I’m already looking for other pieces to paint next!

Helpful Resources:

Little Vintage Nest — ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT VS RUST-OLEUM CHALKED PAINT

This post really helped me decide which paint to use!  I recommend reading it too before your next chalk paint project.