Don’t tell my husband but I am hopelessly in love… with this dining set! I now look at my own table and chairs (also a make over set) and I’m just so disappointed… because I have this to compare it to!
ISN’T IT FREAKISHLY PRETTY?!?
It turned out so well I can’t sell it. I must sell it. *pout* Do I have to? Yes.
Internal arguments are the worst! Logical Me is so mean.
Alright, so normally I’m a stickler for before pictures, but, in the event of bringing these chairs and table home it rained. Hard. I pretty much was running from the truck (borrowed) to the garage and putting just flinging things in as fast as I could. They laid in a pile for about 2 weeks while my respiratory tract decided to try to kill me… and continues to try.
When I started working on things I assumed I had taken a before photo, but really, in retrospect there’s no way I could have. Silly me.
I did find this ugly thrift store photo online of a set that is nearly identical :)
You get the idea. Plain maple stain, ugly fabric on the cushions, worn finish.
See that little gem on the edge of the seat? Yes, this is my grand experiment in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! Now, the question everyone has.
Is it worth all the hype?
My answer is yes. Yes. YEs. YES!
It’s freakishly fantastic! Now it is very different from latex paint in that it dries really quickly. There is a slight learning curve to get your finish even but once you get that mastered you will love this stuff! The finish is completely matte and feels like velvet. Unlike my knock-off chalk paint recipe which had to be sanded to get rid of the roughness in the texture. I’m not saying I won’t use the recipe ever again but it will take a good reason (of which I cannot think of one at the moment) to get me to use knock-off chalk paint.
Another thing I loved is that a little goes a long way. I painted the entire table base/legs and all 6 chairs and used about 1/3 of a quart. I was so worried that it would take more than one quart to finish the project and that it would rack up quickly in price but it didn’t. The woman who I bought the paint from said that if I wet my brush while applying the second coat you can make the paint go even further and that was completely true!
When I started using my knock-off recipe I was wise enough to invest in the Annie Sloan soft wax since I had read in a million places that you really can’t fake the wax with anything comparable on the market. I purchased the clear and dark wax. For this set I only used the clear wax since I really liked how clean and crisp the plain white was. I debated for a long while to distress the chairs or not, and decided against it because I understand the distressed look isn’t for everyone. I try to be as universally pleasing whenever I work on a piece that will be for sale.
I knew I would need new fabric for the seats because the existing fabric (the third layer of recovering as I discovered) was really thin, worn, stretched out, and probably was very cheap to start with. I went to Hobby Lobby and looked through their upholstery fabrics. I found several that had that french vibe but they were too subdued and I knew my plain white set needed some pattern. I found an awesome french (how appropriate) pattern cotton duck cloth. It’s heavier weighted than your standard cotton cloth and more durable.
I purchased 4 yards (what was I thinking?) and used 2 of them. Maybe I was expecting my chair bottoms to be bigger, or the cloth to be smaller? I have no idea. All I know is I bought way too much. I recovered each of the chairs and it took about 30 minutes to do all six. Click here for the tutorial.
Whenever I can find a tag I always like to document the company name. Especially when it is a well known brand like Bassett! This table set I bought at an estate sale where I was informed the set belonged to her mother since the 50s and her mother was the original owner and had always taken very good care of her belongings. I would agree. For the age, this set was in excellent condition. Which I love because it makes my job that much easier!
The table top is stained in a rich espresso which when brought in doors is a deep deep, almost-black, brown color. It’s very pretty to look at. I used MINWAX PolyShades to refinish the wood and I absolutely love it. What a wonderful product.
I think my favorite thing about “french provincial” is all the currrrrrves. There’s so much detail and pretty accents and bends, curves, carvings. Your eyes just want to look and never stop.
This set is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in ‘Old White’. It’s a very warm neutral white that goes perfectly with pretty much anything. Look at all those pretty legs against our amazing floors.
On another note I need to have my Digital Rebel XTi camera cleaned. Poor buddy has been with me through thick and thin on every project and it’s just clogged up with crap. It has paint on it, saw dust in every corner and crevice. It’s been such a good camera to me and I have not been a good owner. Maybe I’ll treat it to a service soon…
The fabric is just so pretty in this shot. I think it’s a great compliment to the simplicity of the set.
I can’t speak or read french but I’m sure it’s all lovely words relating to paris and france.
So pretty :)
And what antique set doesn’t have a man chair? I mean, captain’s chair ;)
It looks so good in my house and fits in my office just perfectly!
I will miss you my beautiful friends!
And let’s not forget the inspiration photo.
Did I do Miss Mustard Seed’s version any justice?
I hope so!
Have a Merry Monday everyone!
OOh this is lovely,can’t you just sell the other and keep this one?
As much as I would love to, our current set consists of 4 chairs we bought new from a high end furniture store and as much as I love them, I don’t love them but my other half lovesthem and so they must stay. I am debating about using the espresso stain on the top to deepen it up though :)
omg I have the same exact din. rm. set and despise the natural look of it. i already painted and redid the cushions on the chairs. I was waiting for spring to start my project on the china cabinet and table. so excited when I saw these instructions. thanks for sharing. i will share the pics when i complete the job. (only will share if it looks good) lol.
I don’t intend to smudge another creator or get a competition started, but seriously?!? This one knocks Mustard Seed’s out of the park.
I know a teeny bit of French (my parents are French and French Canadian and didn’t teach me as a child. WHAT!) but I couldn’t read any of the words on the fabric. I was trying to help a sister out. :)
Sorry to hear you can’t keep this one. It looks spectacular.
Haha thanks Jenna! My family heritage is French Canadian too (my maiden name is french) but I don’t think anyone in my immediate family could ever speak french. Thus, my ignorance! It’s a very pretty fabric all the same and I’m just going on a hunch it isn’t covered in curse words ;)
As far as I’ve picked up, French curse words tend to be ‘sacrilegious’ in nature (who knows why or maybe that’s just in my area). Otherwise, their swears are just English swear words injected into a French sentence. So unless you have words that look like words from the Bible minus a letter or two, you should be all set! ;)
I agree with Jenna. I much prefer your version to the one you used as inspiration. For me, it’s just a matter of preference in the way of the contrast between the very dark of your table top to the white of the base and chairs.
Gorgeous! You did a fantastic job Rachel!
Amazing! I just love everything about this. I agree with Jenna , yours takes the cake. So glad to hear I’m not the only one late to the chalk paint party. Beautiful, it won’t last long!
:) Rach, I love it. I wish you were closer!!!
as always another fantastic job – love it – love it – love it!!! – also love the floors – I’m looking for a flooring just like that – is it hardwood or laminate? and do you know the maker and finish??
would love to know
Cheryl from Ontario
Okay Cheryl. I should contact the company and tell them to pay me for my words since I have nothing but good ones BUT just for you I’ll let you in on my secret. The floors are vinyl. It’s a product called Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring. When we were looking to get hardwood floors we noticed the number one thing people have with pets and wood is scratches. The number one problem people have with pets and laminate was slippery-ness. Our sweet little Miss Juliet has hip displasia and while she doesn’t run full throttle like a normal dog she does get a good amount of steam when she’s excited and I’m sure could make scratches. Given her hip problems we didn’t want laminate because we feared it would be painful if she was slipping everywhere. I did some research and found this product by Mannington Floors, the product line is called Adura – Luxury Vinyl Plank. The benefits are, it’s quiet (glued to the slab/subfloor), it’s warm (think rubber, no plastic), it’s HIGHLY scratch resistant (we have had it for 2 years and only have 1 scratch where the hubs dropped his ipad and it hit the floor on a corner), and best of all, it’s HIGHLY water resistant. No more rushing around cleaning up drips and messes because you don’t want the floor to buckle. I once over watered my house plants in my office and it left a huge 2ft puddle around the pot which of course I didn’t notice until after it was dried. Absolutely no damage done to the floor whatsoever. I love them and they’re beautiful and high quality without the stress of maintenance! That’s my secret :)
wow – I would have never known from the picture…thanks for sharing your secret!!! – going to look into that…my hubby wants hardwood – I would settle for either that or laminate, but I want it to look hand scraped and to have some texture to it – yours is very nice
Wow! I absolutely love it. It’s 100x better than the inspiration photo. If I lived near you I would be begging you to sell this set to me.
All of your projects make me wish I had a place with a garage and a yard so I could do more refinishing.
OMG…this turned out stunning!! You commented on my cane back chairs, but I think yours are amazing…too bad we can’t trade, lol!! Love how the espresso color looks on the table…this may have been just the “push” I needed to stain my table top the same!
I bought three yards of my fabric and only used two as well! Great minds must think alike, because my is similar to yours as well…you got the better deal at HL…why didn’t I think of going there, lol?!
IMO, there is nothing better than ASCP and I love your tip about wetting the brush. Did you dip it every time before dipping in paint? I find that it is on the thick side, so I am sure this helps to get really smooth strokes!
I dipped the brush probably every other to every 3 times I would fill with paint, and just the tip of the brush. I didn’t want too much water so it was really just keeping the paint a little loose because as you said it can get a little thick on the second coat. I just love this stuff. I still want your chairs ;)
Yeah Rachel!!! I love this keep it keep it keep it!
What a beautiful video! It bnrgis back loads of memories of the day and also captures moments that would have been missed otherwise. I love that you can watch this in years to come and remember every little detail that made the day so perfect xxx
This turned out amazing! I have a few questions for you. What size paint brush did you use and what exactly were all of your steps (paint,sand,second coat,wax, etc.) I like to know exactly how to do a project from start to finish otherwise things seem to go wrong for me lol.
Thanks so much Rachel!
Hey Meredith! I’d hate for you to attempt something and it go wrong! It happens to me too but I completely understand wanting every step laid out. The paint brush I used for the Chalk Paint was a 2 1/2″ Purdy (All Paints) angled brush. Angled brushes are good for getting into corners and tight spots so I almos always use an angled brush. I didn’t prime or sand before application because ASCP does not require those steps (bonus!). After the first coat I only had a few places where the finish just wasn’t quite smooth enough and I did sand just a tiny bit in about 5 places. Wiped clean then applied my second coat about 30 min later (I probably didn’t have to wait that long). Again once it was dry there were a few rough places (mostly on the backs of the chairs where there was a lot of detail) so I lightly sanded them smooth. I applied the wax using a “jumbo” artist brush (it’s round, got it at Hobby Lobby for $5 + 40% off coupon) then buffed it smooth after waiting an hour. That’s it! If you want to know how I refinished the top look at my friday post here: http://www.thriftyinspirations.net/2012/08/03/refinishing-101-an-antique-tabletop/
If you need anything else or want to email me photos of your project I’d be happy to help!
XOXO,
Rachel
Oh, it is just perfect! Beautiful job! Thank you for sharing. Visiting from Mod Vintage. Would love it if you would share this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/08/make-it-pretty-monday-week-9.html Hope to see you at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
All linked up Kathryn! Thanks for inviting me :) You’ve gained a new follower!
Wow! Rachel I have a dining room set I bought in the 70′s that is made by Century furniture. Needless to say when I saw MMS post I was going to go with her colors. NOW, I absolutely love the old white with just the clear wax, so I am going to start painting today. And the top of your table is fabulous. Just love it. You are one talented lady. Blessings Paula Lusk
Beautiful..
The set came out beautifully! I’ve done 2 sets that were similar to this one and I loved them, you can see the post on my blog if interested ;) I love the contrast of the white and dark brown/black! Those chairs are to die for! – Susan
By the way I’m your newest follower :)
Hi Rachel! The set turned out beautifully. Is this chalk paint something that can be used on a pine dining room set? Would I need to sand first?
You have done a wonderful job! I do wish you could keep it, but you will probably find another one of these days. This looks much like the one my husband’s grandmother had. I have kicked myself to the moon for not buying it when she sold all her stuff to go into nursing care.
Rachel, I can definitely see why you don’t want to part with these stunning pieces! I would LOVE to do something very similar to our dining set, but I’m not sure the hubs would go for it. You did an amazing job on the dining set! Have a wonderful day!
To quote Cole Porter, it’s De-Lovely! You’re now making me regret even more the one I missed out on on Craigs List…sigh. (Visiting from Mod Vintage Life and can’t wait to start following you!)
It’s GORGEOUS Rachel! I’m so in love too :) You should ship to Canada ;)
This is so pretty! You did a great job!
O! M! G!
I LOVE THIS SET!!!
But of course you know that I love all things “Frenchy.” Had hubs and I not recently purchased a new dining table (which he loves), I would be making a trip up your way, with a U-haul in tow, in order to buy this lovely set.
I wonder if I could convince the hubs that we really need TWO dining rooms in our little cottage? ;-)
Haha your hubs sounds like my hubs! I am loving all things frenchy right now too and I’ll be sad to see this go. I have a buyer coming by at 3:00 today, hopefully she will take it as I don’t know how much more I can handle sitting next to this all day!
How beautiful! I am now convinced that I am going to try AS chalk paint. Just didn’t like the cost, but it came out beautifully!
That table is FABULOUS!! I only wish I could find something like that…I don’t think I’d be able to sell it, that’s for sure! :)
I don’t know how you could part with this beauty. Today is the first I’ve heard of Anne Sloan Chalk paint and I have to say, I’m pretty impressed.
If you get a chance I woud love for you to come link up you post at my Pin Party.
http://sarahdawndesigns.blogspot.com/2012/08/pintastic-monday-link-party-3.html
This set turned out AMAZING!!!! I agree, the curves are to DIE FOR! I am a little partial since my last pregnancy project was to paint a french provincial dresser, mirror and two night stands for my daughter’s nursery. ASCP was the perfect choice, the fabric was the perfect choice, the stain was the perfect choice, UGH it’s all amazing and I sooo WANT!
that set is just beautiful! i love the high contrast between the fresh white and the dark top!
Absolutely incredible makeover!!! Looks like a $5,000 set now! :)
What a beautiful set. The stained table top looks just stunning! Too bad you’re not keeping it, as it looks perfect in your home (from the photo.) I just bought my first can of ASCP in Pure White and just finished painting the trim on a chair. I sanded it before waxing so it ended up with a distressed look. I like your suggestion though of wetting the brush for the second coat of paint and then not sanding for a smoother finish. (My farmhouse kitchen table is next on the redo list and I’m going to shoot for a smooth finish.)
Seriously, you did such a professional looking job on the dining set, Rachel! (I hope you made lots of moolah on the sale.)
Oh God – this is just stunning – I couldn’t let it go – no really – I. COULD, NOT.!!!
It would just be physically impossible, lol
Absolutely beautiful. You did an incredible job! Blessings ~ Judy
You did a wonderful job, Your table looks beautiful:)
Francine
I love the contrast between the dark and light colors, beautiful!
Amazingly beautiful, love it.
Rachel this whole set is absolutely stunning!!! Thank you so much for sharing at my party! I just want to stare at it all day!
I love your parties Karen! Your blog is one of my favorites and I always look forward to seeing what you’re up to! You’re such a fun and fabulous chick!
Oh, my word! I just saw this table on Craigslist and was just about to ring you up when I stopped and looked more closely and realized that I have the EXACT same table, just not beautified like this one! My SIL gave me this table when I got married for free and though I was grateful for it I have never really liked it because it was just blah. I have been looking on and off for years to replace it and have even considered repainting it. Now, I just may have to! Thanks for the inspiration and helping me see what changes I could make!
Hi Rachel.
what you did with your set is amazing beyond words. I was astonished at the perfection of the result: no brush strokes, no blotchy areas, full coverage, even finish… what am I doing wrong with my hutch?
Bought two pots of ASCP in Old White and Paris Grey. did a little sanding just to be on the safe side and started with my first coat of O.W. It turned out to be a disaster: brush strokes all over and blotchy areas… then with the second coat same problem and with the third coat things are starting to look at least decent, although coverage in some areas is still not that brilliant. . Meantime there’s no Old White paint left. Sgrunt! I’m now ready to start with Paris Gray and I very much fear this is going to be even worse. Any tips you could share to save my once-was-pretty hutch?
thank you
rita
Oh Rita! What a terrible experience you are having! I had no problems getting full coverage in 2 coats on my table so the first thing that I can think of is that your paint brush might be the culprit. What type and size brush are you using?
thank you for replying Rachel.
I’m using 30 mm, 40mm and 50mm paint brushes that are specifically intented for waterbased paints. unfortunately I cannot find Purdy paint brushes anywhere in italy, otherwise i would definitely go for those, so I had to make do with what I could find at our local craftstore.
anyway you can think of to fix my problem?
rita
What a beauty of a transformation :) It’s gorgeous. What a wonderful job you did!!
I love the contrast between the white and dark stain. It is my favorite way to refinish furniture lately.
OH!! I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, this! Rachel, I just purchased a french provincial set ( table w/6 chairs, leaf, hutch and buffet) for $140.00 from the Goodwill Industries Store in PA. I didn’t have a clue as to what to do with it until I saw this!
Now, I need to get me a camera, to start taking some before and after pics of my purchases and projects. THANK YOU, Rachel:)
GORGEOUS. What a change. Great makeover.
Im now following you. Please come visit me at PICKINandPAINTIN.blogspot.com and maybe you’ll follow back??? THANKS.
Your dining room set is just gorgeous! You more than did the inspiration photo justice!
I just picked up a set like this from Craigslist this week end for $40. The only difference is that my chairs have cane backs. This is exactly how I pictures it finished. I was so right it is beautiful. My set is going to take a lot of work due to the fact that someone took black spray paint to it, but it will be soo worth it. This set is fantastic. I love all the curves
Yup, this looks GORGEOUS? Really nice work! :-D
Absolutely gorgeous!! I will be featuring this tonight at my Sizzle into Summer party that opens at 8pm EST. Please stop by and pick up an I’ve Been Featured button. Thanks.
Thank you Judy! I’ve already got my next project linked up!
Gorgeous makeover, Rachel! I love the color and the stained top looks so rich. Great find on the fabric; it suits the chairs and the look wonderfully!
Wow! It is soooo beautiful! You did an awesome job! I would love to refinish my set. The table top of mine is a thin layer of formica or some such stuff. I purchased it in 1979. What would I do about that? Got to get me some of that paint! Love the contrast and the fabric!
Yes Katherine, your best option (I believe) to refinish a formica table top would be paint. Make sure you sand it really good before hand to take that gloss finish off so your paint has something to adhere to. Also be sure to give the table a few weeks to fully cure before you use it. Otherwise your paint my end up scratching and becoming a mess before it’s totally cured (30 days is a full cure). Put it in the garage or leave it in an unused room to resist the urge to sit at it. My best advice!
I am the lucky new owner of Rachel’s beautiful table transformation. I got it last night and I absolutely love it! My dining room in now being completely transformed around it. Lots of decisions to make. I also would like to thank Rachel for purchasing my previous set since I had no where to store it. I know it will become a masterpiece too. Thank you and your husband for delivering it for me too. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. Can’t wait to see what you do next!
Thank you so much for your patience Donna! It was a bit of a wait but I’m happy it’s in it’s new home. I know you’re going to love it forever! I can’t wait to get started on the set I got from you! So many options to choose from!
you did great it is wonderful :) – I wish I had table like that :)
( got here from linking party on Thrifty Decor Chic :) )
This is gorgeous! Makes me want to refinish my kitchen table. Huh, I may just have to!I will be following you from now on!
I just pinned this! Love this. I may have to try this one!
I don’t know my dear, this set is looking pretty sassy in YOUR dining room. I just hate when I have to sell something I love. I love the contrast of a dark stain with a white ~ Awesome job Rachel!!
Things are getting really weird! I just bought the exact same dining set. I plan on staining the top dark and painting the bottom and chairs light as well. I’m not using chalk paint this time. I’m just too slow with a paint brush on chairs. I’ll be staining the top soon. I’m nervous about that part. Hopefully, it will turn out good. I love all of your projects!
Can I ask a personal question. How much did you sell this set for?
I saw your table on Better After, Love it! Funny because Im just learning about Chalk Paint and ordered the AS Soft Wax last night and was looking at websites for ideas. I have to say I love the table but the stain you did on top? Gorgeous! My favorite part! So glad to have found your blog too! Look forward to reading and thanks for all your tips and instructions!
Hi Rachel – nice to ” meet ” you – we were both featured together over at Better After today –
Your table turned out just gorgeous!
I used old white on the base of my table and chairs too lol –
Hugs,
Suzan
OMG! I just giggled myself silly/happy when I saw your redo via Better After! Why? Because I also used the same fabric on my dining chairs and also painted them white. Although I did use primer and latex paint and the color way of my fabric is actually a bit lighter.
I LOVE your dining set! Of course I would…the chairs look like distant cousins to my own :-)
Here’s a link if you’d like to see my set.
http://cndesigns.wordpress.com/2012/08/13/yet-another-dining-area-re-do-part-2/
Because we have a raised level dining area, we have a glass top table. It just looks better from underneath…like when we’re sitting on the loveseat in the living room just below the dining area :-)
Oh… I’m such a sucker for white painted furniture! Again, I just love your redo! Wonderful job.
Beautiful! I have a similar set I wasn’t sure how to re-do. Now I know exactly what I want! Thanks for great inspiration.
Yours is BETTER than Mustard Seed’s. Just so happens that I have a brand new can of Annie Sloan Old White bought to use on my dining table. I thought I’d paint the top Paris Grey, but not sure it would hold up as well as stain. Something to think about.
Pinned!
Wow!!! I’ve had an old French provincial dining table just like this in my basement for years, and have tried to give it away without success. Seems the universe was just waiting for me to stumble upon your blog so I could refinish my table, too! You’ve really inspired me. Thank you. I love, love, love what you did with this table, and I’m going to try to replicate it on my own. I’m so grateful for your step-by-step instructions, and for your tips on which products to use. :)
Just beautiful. Question, is the chalk paint sturdy and long lasting. Meaning, is it better than an enamel? Easy to wash and keep clean? smooth finish? Sorry, I’ve heard alot about it but never used it. Your finished work is quite Impressive!!!
How much are you asking for the set?
omg I have the same exact din. rm. set and despise the natural look of it. i already painted and redid the cushions on the chairs. I was waiting for spring to start my project on the china cabinet and table. so excited when I saw these instructions. thanks for sharing. i will share the pics when i complete the job. (only will share if it looks good) lol.
Hi! I have an old French provincial set that I am repainting in a similar way, but with high gloss white and I am concerned that my stain will not be as dark as your. How many times did you re-apply to get this dark? It looks amazing and I hope mine will too!!
Thanks!
Celeste
Yours is so much prettier and classier!
The dining setting is just gorgeous. I fully understand your love for it haa. I recently bought a cheapie to revamp and replace my existing dining setting. I painted it in the garage. My husband and sons carried it in set it in pride of place …… It was too big for the dining space. No matter how I tried tweaking it, it just filled the room. I’m not ashamed to say I shed a little tear as it was carried back to the garage. Happy to say its new owner is now in love with it.