One of my absolute favorite paints and paint colors is General Finishes Lamp Black. This paint goes on so smooth and creates a beautiful finish. The color is the perfect classic black. I knew it would be great for the farmhouse blanket chest makeover I’m sharing today. I’ve used it on quite a few pieces (here, here and here), and it never disappoints.
When I saw this pine blanket chest at the Goodwill, I was drawn to the details like the scalloped trim and turned feet. These pine pieces look great with a distressed black finish with bits of the underlying wood peeking through here and there.
Before
After
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Farmhouse Blanket Chest Makeover Steps
I started with a good KrudKutter cleaning inside and out. While the outside of this piece had lots of dings, dents and imperfections, the interior was pristine. I was going for a distressed finish, so I didn’t worry about the minor imperfections. One of the corners on the bottom trim looked as though it had been chewed by a puppy (you can see it in the “before” photo above), so I did repair that using Kwikwood. This product is great for rebuilding small pieces of missing trim on wood furniture. It is a 2 part epoxy that comes in a tube. It has the consistency of Play Doh, and you just cut off a small bit and knead the material until the two parts are combined. This activates the material and you have about 20 to 30 minutes to work with it before it hardens. You can form and shape the material to rebuild your wood piece. Once it hardens, you sand it to further refine and smooth the shape.
Oh, and see those black rubber furniture slides on the feet in the before photo? They were attached so firmly that I had to use plyers to pull them off. Then I had to sand off all the residual rubber stuck to the feet. What the heck? I guess someone really didn’t want their floors scratched.
Next I gave the entire exterior a light sanding and wiped it down. I painted two coats of General Finishes Lamp Black, and then used my sanding sponge to lightly distress the edges. I sealed it with two coats of General Finishes High Performance Topcoat in flat.
For a bit of detail, I added a couple of antique brass bin pulls to the ends.
I love the contrast of the black paint and natural wood interior.
This farmhouse blanket chest is such a versatile piece. It’s perfect for extra storage, and makes a great coffee table, too.
Thanks for stopping by today!
Susan
Lovely antiquey finish you’ve achieved there, Susan…. looks as though it was always black and that it has lived and been loved in a home that isn’t perfect but ‘lived in’ instead. And yes, those stick-on feet (or rather, noooooo !!!!!!!)
Love the look and how easy it’s been achieved………will take careful note when doing my next project as I’m always painting some piece of found furniture! Great job!!
Thanks, Julie! Sometimes simple is best. Good luck with your next project! Susan
WOW…. Gorgeous piece!!! Thank you for sharing!!
Really a gorgeous chest ! Looks great with the black and stain ! Congratulations on your project
Thanks so much, Deb!
This is so cute. I would not have thought of to use black, but it does make the finished product look so much better than it did in wood.
Thank you, Theresa! I do like using black on my pieces, especially in combination with the warm wood tones.
Just beautiful! It has an original old feel to it now. Like it was meant to be that color all along.
Thank you, Shirley! That is the nicest compliment. I love when I refinish a piece, and it looks like it was meant to be. Thanks for stopping by! Susan
Where did you get the ticking slip overs for your sofa?
Hi Katie – The slipcovers are from Pottery Barn. The sectional is the PB Basic, and the slipcovers are a neutral ticking.
Hi Susan! I love this and love the scalloped trim, especially! 😍 I agree that lamp black is the best! Maybe I missed the update in an earlier post, but the striped slipcover on your sectional is just perfect. Love!
Always look forward to your posts! Another great update – I’m getting ready to do a vintage Lane cedar chest and this reminds me that simplicity may be the way to go! Thank you.
Your work is always spot on! I love your style! Would you mind telling what brand sectional you have? I’m in the market and don’t like a lot of them. I love yours.
Perfectly done! Thanks for sharing.
Nicely done! I plan to add feet to my blanket chest and painting it thanks to your neat project. Thumbs up!
Thanks so much, Ann! Adding feet is such a great way to update a piece. Good luck with you project!