September 30, 2025
The dinette set needs new chairs, you like the table but it doesn’t match. What do you do? Update it!
You can see the table doesn’t match the new chairs. To prepare the surface, all wood surfaces are sanded with 100 grit sandpaper followed by 150 grit. The goal is to take the shiny finish off so the new paint will stick.
Gather supplies
- Drop cloth
- Paint brush, paper plate
- Chalk paint for the base coat
- Gray acrylic paint to use for a wash coat over the white
- 100 grit and 150 grit sandpaper
- Chalk paint wax finish
Getting started
After sanding the finish off the old paint, wipe it down with a damp cloth or a tack cloth.
A tack cloth is a cheese cloth that has been soaked in linseed oil. It removes all the dust and other particles that may be left on your project.
Next, paint the table with the white chalk paint. Let it dry 2 hours, then you can apply a second coat.
Creating a farmhouse or coastal finish
I allowed the chalk paint to dry overnight before putting the finish paint on.
To create a closer match to the chairs, I bought some light gray paint to use as a wash over the white. I add a little water to the gray and mix it into the paint. Have a rag or paper towels handy to wipe the excess paint off.
Now apply the paint wash
First brush the gray paint on a small area of the table at a time. Then wipe the gray off to expose some of the white paint underneath. Remove as much or little paint as desired.
Continue to do the wash in sections until the table has been completely covered.
Lastly
Allow the paint to dry for 24-48 hours depending on the paint wax instructions. Then apply the wax finish to seal the paint.
The end result
The table and chairs now look like they belong together. If I can update and reuse furniture, all the better!
Happy painting and restoring!
Kelly