Modern Headboard Makeover with Chalky Finish Paint

I feel a little out of my element today – Home Decor and furniture transformations are SO Holly’s thing! But after a million phone calls and texts for her help and advice, I finished a project that I am really excited to share! Check out this clean & modern headboard makeover using Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paints:

Here’s a little back story on this headboard. My awesome husband and I have been married 7 1/2 years. We’ve NEVER had a very cute or decorated master bedroom. A headboard has been on my list of wants for many many years, I just couldn’t stomach buying a new one and hadn’t found anything I like on Craigslist and the like. Then I found this beauty one day on our local Facebook “yard sale” page and knew it would be perfect for a makeover!

Originally $75, I talked the lady down to 50 and we went and picked it up, got caught in a huge surprise downpour and came home soaked but excited! Then….it sat in all it’s ugliness for 2 months. So I’m excited to share with you all how we finally transformed this thrifted headboard into something that fits the clean and modern look I want for our bedroom!

I wanted a stain/paint combination look, so we had to sand down the three inner panels before applying stain. Holy cow, it took FOR. EV. ER. I’m so thankful the hubs was on board to help! Then we used Minwax Wood Finish stain in Classic Grey (found at Home Depot) It took a few coats to get it the desired shade, but I am happy with the final look! Luckily we could leave that bottom panel since it would be covered by the bed.

After all that sanding on the inside panels, I was SO excited to not even have to THINK about sanding before painting all the white trim. Seriously, I would have given up and junked the whole project! I literally did nothing to prep the surface except wipe off the dust from sanding. I used the Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Everlasting and the Clear Creme Wax as the final step to protect the paint.

Here are some photos of the first and second coats of paint so you can get an idea of the coverage. For such a dark wood, I was thrilled with how nicely the Chalky Finish Paint was covering after only 2 coats! The paint dries quickly and I love that I could wash my brush easily with soap and warm water in between.

In the end I did 3-4 coats (last one just being touch-ups) to get the full coverage I was looking for. You can do a light sanding in between coats, also – which I did for those couple drops and globby messes I had missed! The paint is really forgiving! Here’s where you could also get that great distressed look by sanding corners and edges if that’s what you want.

It was dark by the time I got to the last step, so we busted out the shop light and applied the Clear Creme Wax. It was easy to brush on and then buff to the desired sheen after drying. (Tip: do not paint at night in the summer with a big bright light in the summertime. Bugs. Bugs. Bugs!)

After a minor setback with the painters tape removing a little bit of my gorgeous stain, I finished up the headboard and put it back in our room. I love the new, clean look! The gray matches my IKEA gray-stained dresser and other pieces so well!

Here’s one more look at the transformation! I’m thrilled with how it turned out (even with some bumps along the way) and I can’t wait to use the Chalky Finish Paint on another piece of furniture that’s been dying for a makeover!

Ready to try it out for yoursefl? Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint is available in Home Depot, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, A.C. Moore and other stores. Visit the DecoArt Chalky Finish website for more chalk paint ideas and inspiration.  

Here’s a great table makeover my Sis did using the same paint!

Table Makeover

Have a great weekend!