DIY Shabby Chic Furniture in 3 Easy Steps

Learn how to refinish any piece of furniture from stained to DIY shabby chic furniture with these 3 easy steps!

How to Shabby Chic Furniture in 3 Easy Steps

This oak pedestal stand originally belonged to my great-grandmother and likely dates to the early 1900s.  It has been sitting in the far corner of my library waiting patiently for a makeover. 

Well, her time to shine has finally come.

The following process is applicable to any piece of finished wood furniture that you would like to redo into a painted shabby chic finish.

How to Shabby Chic Furniture in 3 Easy Steps

Supplies

1. Deglosser
2. Scrub pad
3. A clean, old sock
4. Gloves (I often use dedicated gardening gloves)
5. Paint (I used Sugar Cookie by BM satin finish)
6. Paint brush (My favorite is the Wooster Shortcut)
7. 220 grit sand paper 
8. Tack cloth

How to Shabby Chic Furniture in 3 Easy Steps

STEP #1 – Degloss

Using the scrub, rub the deglosser over the piece of furniture.  This removes the polyurethane that is used to finish the wood piece and create that shine.  This step is crucial for paint adherence.  Wipe off residue with a clean, old sock.

How to Shabby Chic Furniture in 3 Easy Steps

Step #2 – Paint

Inspect to ensure there isn’t leftover residue from the deglosser and apply one thin layer of paint.  A piece this dark will likely need 3 coats.

** TIP **  Thin wins.  Applying thin layers helps to avoid streaking and bubbling.

After your first coat allow to dry to touch before applying a second coat.

** TIP** Wrap a paint brush in cling, and it can be reused within 2 days. 

Apply thin second coat of paint.

** TIP ** Only dip approximately 1/3 of paint brush in the paint to give you better control of the paint application.  Also easier to clean off! 

After the second coat allow to dry to touch and reassess.  If you see variations in the shade of white, then it needs a third coat as I did here.  Allow to dry overnight.

 

How to Shabby Chic Furniture in 3 Easy Steps

STEP #3 – Distress

The last step is to take your sand paper and lightly sand all the edges of the piece of furniture to let the dark stain show through.  This gives it the distressed appearance as edges are typically the first area that gets bumped and nicked on furniture.  Feel free to be creative with your distressing!

Vacuum the dust off and then wipe with a tack cloth to get off the finer film of dust.

Voila!  From stained to shabby chic in 3 steps!  This is a VERY easy process, and I have finished dozens of pieces using this exact technique.  Find a local thrift store.  Grab a piece of furniture and give it a try.  You can do it!

My sweet little helper wanted to model the end product 🙂

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