I think it’s obvious that I love to paint furniture. From milk paint to acrylic paint, it seems that I’ve tried them all. One type of paint I’ve been itching to try that I haven’t yet is chalk spray paint. I’ve heard mixed reviews about this stuff, so when I was trying to figure out what medium to use to paint an old faux wood bookshelf, I decided I would give a little chalk spray paint a go! I’m going to share my review and my experience of a faux wood bookcase refurbish with chalk spray paint.
Let me show you a few before photos of this sad bookcase.
I’m not a fan of painting real wood, but when it comes to painting faux wood, anything is game!
Since I’ve heard mixed reviews about chalk spray paint, I decided to paint a bookcase that I wasn’t super attached to.
This way if the end product wasn’t to my liking, it would be no big deal to refinish.
Below is an affiliate link with the can of spray paint that I used. I fell in love with the color because it’s a grayish navy color. I felt like it would blend perfectly with the rest of my decor.
Here’s what I did next;
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- The first thing you need to do whenever you’re considering refinishing any piece of furniture is to clean the surface. I wiped all surfaces down with a rag and then after it dried, I made sure there was no dust.
- I lightly sanded it with a fine grit sandpaper
- Make sure you shake the can of spray paint to ensure that you get an even mixture
- Start spray painting!
- See how even the mixture sprays! So far I’ve been really impressed with it!
- I sprayed two full coats of chalk spray paint
- Make sure both coats dry completely
- Finish it with a chalk wax or a clear coat. My personal choice is Minwax Polycrylic water based in Satin top coat. My affiliate link with the product is shown below:
You can use a furniture wax, but I have found that the furniture wax does not hold up as well to continued use with lots of little hands (my kids) touching it.
- I used a brush to paint the bookcase with two coats of the top coat.
And that’s it!
For those of you that prefer a video, check out my YouTube video all about Chalk Spray Paint below:
I did have a few points I wanted to mention about using spray chalk paint versus the real chalk paint.
- Regular chalk paint does not have an odor and is safe to use inside. The spray chalk paint, however, needs to be used in a well ventilated outdoor area. Like any spray paint, it has a very strong odor and is quite toxic.
- Most of the spray chalk paint I’ve seen runs at least $5 per can. If you are planning on painting a lot of furniture, it would be more cost effective to buy regular chalk paint and not the spray can form of chalk paint.
- I do love not having to worry about using or cleaning paint brushes!
- Spraying the finish on was much quicker than painting it on!
- I think the spray chalk paint did create a little smoother finish than if I had painted chalk paint on to the bookcase.
- The spray paint did not seem as thick as the regular chalk paint. I do worry that this means that the paint will chip more easily. Time will tell.
Bottom line; The spray chalk paint was a quicker, maybe even a little smoother, method in comparison to using a regular old paint brush and can. The spray chalk paint is, however, more costly.
If you liked this post I would love for you to pin the picture below to Pinterest!
Thanks for stopping by y’all and I hope my experience with using chalk spray paint has enlightened you and sparked an interest to repurpose or up cycle something of your own!
To see more furniture projects like this head on over {here}.
Are you interested in knowing more about Chalk Paint vs. Milk Paint? I’ve got it covered for you in my post HERE.
Lindsey**
If you enjoyed this post you might be interested in seeing my full list of painting and refinishing posts WITH video tutorials. Click on the picture below.
Thanks for checking this out! I’ve wanting to try it but was waiting for someone else first – LOL. Looks great!
Thank you! Yes, it’s been on the market for a few years now and I’ve just mustered up the energy to try it!
Interesting makeover. I’d never heard of spray chalk paint and I thought I had every type of chalk paint there was! Thanks for the info.
So far I like it! I’m still not sure how well it will hold up, but I’m hopeful it will be good.
I haven’t even heard of spray chalk paint yet! I’m definitely going to have to give it a shot. Your bookcase turned out lovely.
very nice! #bigpinklink
This looks lovely- I love grey furnishings and your up-cycle has given this a really classic look! Thanks for sharing. #familyfunlinky
Thank you Jenny!
Ok this is really cute!!! I have been too scared to do anything like this but what a nice way to make old furniture new again. You have inspired me. I am going to give it a try with an old book shelf. Baskets just add a certain sense of home. #bigpinklink
Great! I hope you are pleased with the result, it was an easy furniture project! Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.
Ooo chalk spray! Interesting stuff. love the grey effect. Would love to do a bit of up cycling one day! Thank you for linking up to the #familyfunlinky
You have skills! I love the bookcase. I would love to try it sometime #bigpinklink
Thanks for the review, that’s really helpful as I’m about to refurbish an old desk and am after all the help I can get! Your bookcase looks fab! #familyfunlinky
That looks so lovely and I just adore that dark blue color. I would never have thought to use chalk spray paint but I am kicking myself that I never thought to re-paint some of the junky faux wood shelves and things we have around the house. I have so many units that have scratch marks from baskets or were colors I never even liked in the first place but bought because they were on sale. Pinning!
It looks so much better now, you did a wonderful job. Thank you for sharing the transformation process at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!
What a huge difference.
Very good to know about this!
This turned our great!
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
That turned out great! I have one that I would like to freshen up at home. Might have to give this a try!
#Alittlebitofeverything
Looks great! Love it!
Thanks for sharing.
Very interesting – I have to admit I wasn’t aware that chalk paint was available in spray – who would have thought! I pinned your photo! (my pinterest profile is http://www.pinterest.com/seasonsincolour )
#brillblogposts
This is one pretty upcycle. Love the colors, and how your styled the baskets, and other items.
Your bookshelf makeover looks great. I love the new color!
Gray has become such a big hit for a color. Great DIY. Found you on Bloggers Pit Stop Link Party.
It turned out very nice! I tried some from Lowe’s once. My only complaint was that it didn’t go very far at all. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
I’ve not heard of chalk paint in a spray before, but I’d happily pay a bit more to not have to clean brushes! It looks great too, I hope the finish lasts well for you. Thanks for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove
That turned out awesome- I am officially inspired as I have a really ugly bookcase ready for chalk spray- so much easier than I thought!
I think the spray chalk paint works very well in certain circumstances. The bookcase looks fantastic.
Thank you!
Turned out gorgeous! Thanks for sharing at Friday Frenzy Link Party! Pinned!!
Wow! Didn’t that turn out well? Very impressed. I would have thought that the chalk paint would have just blocked the nozzle but it seems to have worked so well. Thanks for joining us at the #bigpinklink this week.
Absolutely love the new look…what a difference!
WHAT?!?! I had no idea chalk paint came in a spray paint!! That’s super cool.
Thanks for linking up to the Friday Frenzy-we appreciate you!
When redoing furniture for a classroom, a colleague suggested spray paint. Such a timesaver. Look forward to trying the spray chalk paint. Thanks for the tips!
Wow, what a great difference! Love the results. Thanks for sharing at Party in Your PJs!
A Great idea and it looks brilliant. I wish I had an eye for these things. Thank you for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove
Have never used this product myself, but it’s a great alternative for someone who needs a quick job without a lot of investment in supplies! Great review Lindsey, thanks for sharing it at #fridaysfurniturefix!
Thank you Brenda!
Fantastic makeover! Although I paint with regular chalk paint, Annie Sloan, I have never use a spray paint. The result if gorgeous. I think I must give it a try! Thank you for sharing at Sweet Inspiration Link Party
I love the spray paint, but I have to say that I still prefer the regular annie sloan chalk paint.