Chalk Painted Headboard – Cottage Style
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Do you ever think that a project is going to be way easier than it actually turned out to be? Well my friends that was the case with this chalk painted headboard. I lost count of how many times I almost quit trying and just threw my hands up in frustration. Nothing seemed to be working in my favor. Well…I’m not a quitter!
It rained for five straight days in a row. Painting a headboard requires a large space to work in and I don’t have that kind of room in the house. One day I thought there was finally a break in the weather. I dragged the headboard, drop cloths, paint and all of my supplies outside. Just as I dipped by brush into the paint can I felt drops of rain hit my skin. Hurriedly, I scooped everything up and brought it all back into the house. My neighbors must think I’m a crazy person, because on this particular day I repeated this scene twice!
Honey Bee felt so sorry for me that he created a space for me in our garage that was just big enough to paint this headboard! YAY!
If you follow 2 Bees on Instagram then you got to see a sneak peek of what I am up to – a guest bedroom makeover. Last Saturday Honey Bee and I cleared everything out of the room and he painted all of the walls with new colors…stay tuned for updates!
This full-sized headboard has been part of the bedroom for 10 years now. The bed is queen sized so I created a French cleat to hang the headboard on the wall since it is too small to attach to the bed frame.
Now that we live in the house full-time the room is ready for a change and that means the headboard needs an update too.
I want more of a casual and comfortable feel with a bit of cottage style. Chalk paint is a perfect paint for the finish I wanted. Think of Huck Finn painting Aunt Becky’s fence posts – except I didn’t have any friends to trick into painting for me 🙂 Pure White was my paint color choice.
My Technique for a Cottage Style Finish:
- Slightly wet angled paint brush. This is my favorite brush to use.
- Haphazard paint strokes in a cross-hatch fashion.
- Leave paint thicker in some areas, lighter in others. Let paint dry completely.
- Using 220 grit sandpaper, lightly sand wood where there would be normal wear and tear over time.
- Remove all dust.
- Add a coat of clear paste wax like This one.
- Buff very well with a lint free cloth.
I want the headboard to look vintage – as if it has many layers of paint and weathered over time.
These aren’t the bed linens that I will be using in the room. Actually, I haven’t found them yet. I’m getting a bit panicked as I’ve been searching for awhile and I haven’t found what I’m looking for.
I have a vision in my head of how I want this room to come together – I just need to be patient.
In the meantime I am playing with other elements of the room that I will share with you bit-by-bit.
Currently I’m working on an oversized decorative bed pillow. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
By the way…the book page wreath is another fun and easy project. Just click this link for the TUTORIAL.
I thought the headboard was pretty before but wow the white really brings out all of the detail. It’s so pretty. The Hale Navy back drop is perfection too. Can’t wait to see where this room is headed! I know it’s going to be fabulous. Hugs, CoCo PS: I’m pretty sure these pillows told me they were ready to retire in FL 🙂
What a transformation, and against the navy wall paint it looks just amazing! Looking forward to seeing the all the pretty details in this cozy room.
Bambi
Just gorgeous! I can’t believe its the same headboard! You are so creative! Thank you for sharing your ideas with us!
Wow! Very cool.
Looking very nice. I have a similar style bedroom set, my grandmother’s. Planning
on painting it white, etc. Just not finding the time. Maybe seeing yours will inspire me
to get going soon. Just so much yard work each now each day!
Shirley