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How to Layer Paint Colors on a Thrifted Chest

February 21, 2020 · by: Jen Leave a Comment


A version of this article first appeared on Girl in the Garage.

If you layer paint colors you can give a plain piece of furniture so much more character, and this technique is even easy for beginners because there’s no right or wrong way to do it.

This yard sale chest isn’t even real wood, but it almost doesn’t even matter since it turned out so pretty!

DIY chest makeover with easy layered paint technique tutorial. Girl in the Garage

First I lightly sanded away all the dark painted areas until there was only cream/light brown left.

DIY chest makeover with easy layered paint technique tutorial. Girl in the GarageDiscover all my favorite brands and tools for doing DIY projects here.  Learn all about how to prep furniture for painting here.

How to layer paint colors

After sanding, I painted a layer of white (Pure White Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan) covering most of the entire chest, then gray (Fusion Mineral Paint in Pebble) mostly covering the white, then more white to cover some of the gray.

I painted black (rather sloppily) over all the raised areas and most of the edges.

DIY chest makeover with easy layered paint technique tutorial. Girl in the Garage

Then I cleaned up the black by painting white next to the raised edges, and then dry brushed white paint over all the black repeatedly until it was just faintly visible.

I wanted to accentuate all the interesting details but not have too much of a contrast.

DIY chest makeover with easy layered paint technique tutorial. Girl in the Garage

The final step in the layered paint process is to sand, sand, sand till your heart’s content.

Gently sand to let each of the paint layers be visible – a little more around the raised parts and the edges for a naturally distressed look.  (I use 220 grit sandpaper for this part.)DIY chest makeover with easy layered paint technique tutorial. Girl in the Garage

Finally, I added a rub-on image transfer – read here on how to do an easy image transfer like this – and then protected it with Tough Coat topcoat.

And here’s how the chest makeover turned out…

DIY chest makeover with easy layered paint technique tutorial. Girl in the Garage

When you layer paint colors you can turn a plain, outdated piece into one with lots of character and depth.

DIY chest makeover with easy layered paint technique tutorial. Girl in the Garage DIY chest makeover with easy layered paint technique tutorial. Girl in the Garage

The original crackled, textured finish ended up working well with the paint layers.

DIY chest makeover with easy layered paint technique tutorial. Girl in the Garage

The inside is covered in plum velour-like fabric, which is in good condition and only needed wiped down.

You can Pin this photo to easily find this tutorial later:

Update an ugly thrifted chest when you learn how to layer paint colors for an easy, stunning finish. DIY Furniture Makeovers by Girl in the Garage

Leave me a comment letting me know if you’ve tried this layered paint technique before. Then Share this post so that others can be inspired too. 🙂

Category: Chest Leave a Comment Tagged With: Girl in the Garage

❮ ❮ French Image Transfer Buffet

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Hi there! I'm Jen and I love creative furniture makeovers. You can also find me at my other site Girl in the Garage, where I share furniture projects, home decor, and DIY accessories. Take your time, explore this site, and be sure to submit a makeover if you'd like to be featured here. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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