PROJECT: Refinished Toy Chest

This week I took a beat up toy chest that has been in my house since I can remember, and refinished it with light minty green paint and a worn in look. Here is the finished product! Look below for pictures showing the entire process.


Below is what I started with. When I was very young I remember this chest storing gloves and hats by the door in the living room. Later it held my toys, and during middle school I decided to adorn it with an assortment of (apparently very hard to remove) stickers. Once this sticker collage no longer matched my room's decor, the chest was moved into the garage to store materials in my pottery studio.


After rescuing it from its corner of spiderwebs, I prepped the piece by removing the hardware and sanding it with a heavy grit sandpaper.

Next came primer. I used an interior oil based primer by KILZ, as advised to me by an experienced furniture painter working in the Home Depot paint department.

Below are two more shots of the finished product. I applied two coats of Behr interior paint in the color, April Mist. After drying for a few days I then distressed the edges of the piece with a fine sanding block.




I am very pleased with the results. In general I love the look of painted furniture that is lightly distressed and I think this minty green chest would make a great addition in a living room, entryway, kid's room or playroom. I have heard many different strategies regarding repainting furniture. These vary slightly on details such as what kind of primer one uses, does one use spray paint or brush on, and does one prefer a clear protective coating to be applied on top of the paint, etc.. I plan on trying different strategies for future furniture restorations and hope you will check back to see more projects like this one! Do you have any stories or tips about repainting your own old furniture? Please leave a comment and share!

*Bonnybee