Hello, amazing friends, and welcome back! Y’all know one of my favorite finishes for furniture is a distressed look. Today, I’m sharing a painted lowboy that I redid using a super simple method to achieve a fantastic distressed finish by layering paint instead rather than sanding!
This is a piece from the spring of 2020 that many of y’all may have missed as our lives were upended by the virus, so it was a great candidate to share today!
This lowboy was given to me by one of my best friends:
Can I hear it for FREE?? My favorite!
She brought it by when she dropped off this cabinet she wanted me to paint for her. It’s Ethan Allen and in great shape aside from a couple of small blemishes on the top.
I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
Clean
The first order of business for any furniture makeover is a good cleaning! My go-to cleaner is White Lightning, which comes in a powder form.
I mix one TBSP with a half gallon of warm water and go to town with an applicator pad. (They come two in a pack and the terrycloth material make them perfect for cleaning.)
Gloves are recommended. Then, I swap out my water for clean water and give everything another wipe down to remove any residue.
Fill holes
The next step is to fill any holes or scratches. I wanted to swap out the hardware, so I filled in where the old hardware was using Dixie Mud in brown:
You don’t want rush this part.
I let this sit overnight so that it could dry all the way down in the holes. When I sanded the next day, the filler wasn’t quite flush with the rest of the drawer in a couple of places, so I added a small amount more and let it dry in the sun for about an hour.
When I sanded it smooth with 220 grit sandpaper, it was completely filled and smooth:
I like to clean prior to filling since the Mud is water-soluble when it is still fresh.
How to Layer Paint for a Distressed Finish
Once I vacuumed up all the dust with my shop vac and gave everything a final wipe-down with a clean soft cloth, I was ready for paint.
Paint
Luckily, this piece was a bit newer than the antique bleeders I usually work with, so I was able to get right to the fun part…paint!
I painted one coat of Dixie Belle’s Cotton, leaving some of the wood to show through in several places:
I still painted in nice, even strokes, moving from one edge to the other without stopping, but I was purposely leaving areas unpainted. You could leave a lot more wood showing for a really distressed look.
Once that was dry, I followed up with a 50/50 mix of Dixie Belle’s Manatee and Cotton:
I also made sure not to completely cover the white or the wood areas that were peeking through.
Sand
Then I used 220 grit sandpaper (wrapped around an old sanding sponge) to sand all the surfaces smooth.
Seal
I pulled out my shop vac once again to clean up all the sanding dust, and sealed with Dixie Belle’s Clear Coat in Satin, using the blue sponge applicator.
The result
And here is what this lowboy looks like now!
Instead of sanding back the paint, I just didn’t cover the previous layer completely!
Can I hear it for LESS work??
Lyla jumped up on this basket the second I put it there…like I did it just for her!
I love this relaxed look (both the cat and the finish ha ha) …it gives this piece a coastal vibe.
The knobs came from Hobby Lobby. I painted them with two coats of Cotton, leaving areas unpainted on these as well:
The drawers were lined in this pretty fabric:
You can see how I line drawers with fabric in this video:
If you have trouble viewing, find it on YouTube HERE.
Here’s a closer look at the layers…
This was SO quick and easy to do!
I hope you enjoyed seeing this layered paint process. It is a great way to get a distressed finish without a ton of sanding!
I’ll be back to my haul for Tuesday sharing what I did with this super cute chair!
UPDATE: Lucky you…see what I did with it HERE now!
Have a wonderful weekend!
XOXO,
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Mary Kaiser says
Wow, so pretty and easy! Your cat is certainly chill! Such a cute picture of her! I love the knobs you used, and the fabric inside the drawers. I like the size of this piece, small to fit in well, but it has great storage. This piece would have made a nice piece to set up a coffee bar on, and then store all your supplies in!
Christy says
Thank you, Mary…it is SO easy, and this piece is such a versatile size. I love it as a coffee bar! And yes, Lyla is super chill lol! XOXO
Cecilia says
Turned out so cute! I like that technique….yay for easier!
😊Cecilia
Christy says
Thank you, Cecilia! Yes…easy the best! XOXO
LORRI says
Hi Kristy..I really like the knobs on this piece. It makes this piece of furniture stand out. The finish you did gives it a real cool vibe. Someone is going to be a lucky person. Lyla is so comfy relaxing there..such a cute picture.. lol
Christy says
Thank you, Lorri! This one was so easy and fun to do! And that Lyla…just made herself comfy ha ha! XOXO
Fran says
I did one of these about three years ago. I keep looking for others as they are pretty and provide some storage. I love the way you did this one!
Christy says
Thank you, Fran! Yours turned out so good…thanks for sharing it with me! I rarely come across these in my hunts, but they are very versatile! XOXO
Cynthia says
Great job, I like how easy this is and yet makes a nice change.
Your kitty is adorable.
Cynthia
Christy says
Thanks, Cynthia! I think Lyla is adorable too, but I’m biased ha ha! XOXO
Michele M. says
WOW!! It looks awesome, Christy! What a fun make-over. And free? Best price ever! Whoo hoo!!!! It will sell so fast, I know it will! I love the Queen Anne curves and your choice of hardware – and the size is just so perfect.
Christy says
Thank you, Michele! Free is the best!! I don’t come across these pieces very often, so I was thrilled to take it off my friend’s hands! XOXO
Caye Cooper says
One quick project, DONE! Music to my ears. Love the drawer fabric too. Precious Lyla makes the supreme effort of sort of open her eyes; but she’s adorable either asleep or awake.
Christy says
Right?? I LOVE an easy project for a change since I am always drawn to the needy ones lol! And Lyla is my sweet girl…right at home there! Thanks, Caye! XOXO
Nylene13 says
I really like how the glass knobs look so big on this piece.
Really stand out, and give an unusual look.
Good job.
Christy says
Thank you, Nylene! XOXO
Celia says
I really like this look and especially no sanding, but I am curious about painting that piece(which looks very shiny and slick)without Slick Stick? Happy not to use that too! is this why the distress look works so well?my kitties like to be where I am too!
Christy says
Thank you, Celia! You certainly could do a quick sanding or use Slick Stick to put your mind at ease, but chalk paint has great adhesion properties, and I usually paint right over these pieces without any issues. My sweet girl is always close by too! XOXO
D says
The low boy looked in great shape so why did you reck it by painting it?????
Christy says
Hi D! I have a bit of friendly advice for you that can make this world a little nicer. Before you send a hurtful comment to someone online, think to yourself, “Would I say this to someone if we were face to face?”