Washstand with Red Chalk Paint

Aren’t antique washstands the cutest pieces ever?  Even cuter when they are painted with red chalk paint.

They are really versatile too.  You can use them in bedrooms, bathrooms, entry ways, anyplace you need a little storage.

My mother has a washstand in her home, that I grew up with, so that may be why these pieces are so nostalgic to me.

This one was given to me, and it required a bunch of cleaning and repairs.  The back had to be fully replaced.  I forgot to take a proper before picture, so I pulled this one from my tutorial video.

Here are the supplies I used.

Resource List:

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• Washstand (gifted)
• White Lightning
• Dried Sage
• Collard Greens
• Barn Red chalk paint
• No Pain Gel Stain in Walnut
• Midnight Sky
• Hardware (Hobby Lobby)

All my favorite paint and products are linked on the Shop My Faves tab here. 

If you want tons of information on Dixie Belle paint and products, you can check out this Comprehensive Guide post, and you can download it free here by clicking the picture:

Base Coat of Collard Greens & Dried Sage

I cleaned this piece really well, and my husband made the needed repairs to the back. He cut a fresh piece of thin plywood and nailed it on.

You can see me painting the base coat Live on Dixie Belle’s Paint Facebook page here.  It was a pouncing blending technique, using both Collard Greens and Dried Sage.  I also used some Coffee Bean, but I think the end result is the same without it. 

I didn’t love the finished product from the video, so I decided to put red chalk paint over it.  You could call this one of Bob Ross’ happy little accidents because I never would have intentionally used Collard Greens this way, but I LOVE the way it looks.

Barn Red Chalk Paint

This finish is a little different than most because the shading and color variation you see didn’t come from a color placed over the red, but the color allowed to show through from underneath the red chalk paint coat. 

The red wasn’t exactly dry-brushed on, but I didn’t give it full coverage and I didn’t use any water.  Doesn’t the end result look authentically worn and aged? 

I am definitely going to remember this color combination and technique!

Walnut Stained Top

It only took about 15-20 minutes to sand down this top to the natural oak.  I dusted it thoroughly, and then stained with No Pain Gel Stain. 

Using the applicator pad, I rubbed on the stain in the direction of the grain.  I kept it light with one coat. 

The walnut color is really nice because it’s brown without any hint of orange or yellow.

I haven’t sealed this top yet, but I would recommend sealing your wood tops with Clear Coat in the sheen of your choice.  I plan to use Flat.

Finishing Touches

When I picked up these handles and knob from Hobby Lobby, they were white.  I gave them a quick coat of Midnight Sky, and now they fit this piece beautifully. 

Since the handles had a painted finish, it acted like primer so the dark paint had something to grab onto.

If you enjoyed this tutorial or want to save this piece as inspiration, Pin It by clicking the Pin button you see when you hover over this picture:

If you liked this project, you may enjoy these as well:

Red Coffee Bar

Red Farmhouse Dresser

Chippy White Dresser with Crackle Medium