This week’s Before & After comes from Amber, a Midwest farm girl who moved to Fairfax five years ago. She caught the DIY bug from her mother and grandmother who owned a painting, wallpapering, and wood refinishing business. To this day, the smells of paint and wood stain take her back to her college years when she would work for their company during her summer breaks.

Tell us about your project:

I took the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint 101 course in January and loved it! This desk is my very first chalk paint project – and found it on Craigslist for $20!

I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen, then applied her clear wax and a tiny bit of dark wax on the detailed carvings.

The top of the desk is a mahogany veneer that I lightly sanded and then used Howard’s Restore-A-Finish, followed by Howard’s Feed-N-Wax. I also used a bit of the Feed-N-Wax on the insides of the drawers to give the old, dry wood a “drink”.

I’m happy with the end result and am on to my next project!

We are loving what Amber did with her Craigslist score! Are you feeling inspired to start your own DIY project yet? You can order all your materials here or stop in to one of our store locations. For more information about how you  can use Chalk Paint to restore your own pieces, register for one of our classes or check out our Tip of the Week.