Chalk Paint Armoire DIY Project Tutorial

The armoire below was from my father, a great Italian man who loved the world and loved people. It's a nice piece. I inherited it when he passed. But since it was in the basement family room, it was way too dark. As I mentioned in my other post, I purchased a new sofa for the family room area, which started my journey with chalk paint. So, instead of spending thousands of dollars to purchase a new one, I decided to transform this masculine armoire into a more feminine one using my gray chalk paint with white wax. Follow along and see the chalk paint armoire DIY steps!

Jump to:

• Key Takeaways
• Before Armoire
• Q: What supplies and tools areused for the Chalk Paint Armoire DIY Project?
• Q: How much did it cost to complete this chalk-paint armoire DIY transformation?
• Q: How long did this project take?
• Q: What are the steps to transform this armoire?
• 1. Painted with chalk paint.
• 2. Starting with the doors
• 3. Paint the inside and out of the armoire.
• 4. Paint the bottom of the armoire.
• 5. Add the white White Wax by ArtMinds
• 6. Don't forget the hardware in your DIY project.
• After the armoire transformation

Before Armoire

Below is what the armoire looked like. It was very masculine-looking, and I wanted to change that and use it for my crafting and scrapbooking area.

This was my biggest chalk paint furniture (affiliate) project yet, so I was a little nervous. What if I mess it up? What if I don't like the way I apply the colors? There were many questions for me before starting this process. I knew the day for the new sofa delivery was coming, so I had to take action and start the project.

Q: What supplies and tools areused for the Chalk Paint Armoire DIY Project?

A: Below is the list of things I used to transform this DIY armoire project.

• Armoire - this one is two pieces
• Chalk paint Grey - Rust-oleum Country Grey (affiliate)
• White - Rust-oleum white spray paint (affiliate)
• Paintbrushes (affiliate)
• Sawhorses (affiliate)
• White Wax by ArtMinds - I got this from Michael's
• Wax or Rust-oleum Chalked Matte Clear (affiliate)
• Drop clothes (affiliate) to keep the area clean

Q: How much did it cost to complete this chalk-paint armoire DIY transformation?

A: This project cost about $75.00, which was the cost of the paint, top coat, and brushes.

Q: How long did this project take?

A: This project took four days to finish. Yes, only four days. This includes the inside, but I am going to keep that for next week's surprise. I decided to use them instead for something I have wanted for years. I'll explain what I did with the inside next week. I hope you come back and see the results from inside.

Q: What are the steps to transform this armoire?

1. Painted with chalk paint.

I added the chalk paint to the inside and outside of the cabinet. Because the cabinet doors open completely, I wanted to make sure all the dark wood wasn't showing inside. This unit was in two parts.  So, that helped.  I worked on the top part first. That took the longest amount of time.

2. Starting with the doors

I started with the doors, which were the most tedious. However, I originally wasn't going to remove the double-hinged part of the door, but it turned out to be difficult to paint the inside of that part without removing the double hinges.

I laid all four pieces out on wooden sawhorses (affiliate), then set the other end over my outdoor furniture (affiliate) and started painting. Little by little, I painted, let it dry, then waxed as I did with the coffee table (affiliate), and this is how it looked.  I also decided to put on the protective topcoat and let them dry completely before bringing them inside.  

3. Paint the inside and out of the armoire.

Then, I painted the inside and outside of the top unit.  This part of the process was completed inside my home.  I added a drop cloth to protect my tile floor and to allow me to paint the bottom edges and added a few pieces of wood to prop up the bottom of the upper cabinet so I could paint the edge. I added the protective topcoat. So, this part of the project was finished.  Woo hoo. This was the main part of the project.

4. Paint the bottom of the armoire.

Next, I painted the bottom of the armoire.  That was fun...NOT.  I thought the drawers would come out. But they didn't, so I had to paint around the drawer fronts, sides, and feet.  Anywhere I could see, I painted.  I let it dry, did the wax coat, let it dry, and then did the protective topcoat.  Now, I could put everything back together.

5. Add the white White Wax by ArtMinds

I then added the white wax to all the pieces and whitened them off with a rag to create the stripes. The grey paint now had depth.

6. Don't forget the hardware in your DIY project.

But wait, I realized I needed to spray paint the hinges because they would really stand out. I cleaned off all the pieces and used a white spray paint/primer.  I not only did them but also had to do the screw tips too because you would still see the screws when you opened the cabinet doors.

Tip: Get a cardboard box (affiliate) and poke the screws into the cardboard.  Take the spray paint and lightly spray the tips of the screws.  This will keep them standing up, and you won't spray the area that screws into the wood. 

After spray-painting the hardware, I added the knobs, reassembled the doors, and placed the top unit on the bottom unit.

After the armoire transformation

And, walla, here is my finished armoire.  I am so happy with it.  What do you think? I love it. It has been used for my scrapbooking area and now my crafting area.

Visit my other DIY Furniture makeovers below!

Check out and get inspired with my other upcycling furniture (affiliate) makeover projects. I hope they help you enjoy your furniture (affiliate) again.

Please note that these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn an affiliate fee if you decide to make a purchase.