Hi everyone! It’s Tracey from Tracey’s Fancy! Send me all the dark and outdated furniture and let me paint it shabby white! Those are certainly words I never thought I’d say! I have had an aversion to painting “dark to white” for a very long time….but this project converted me!

My client asked if I would be willing to revamp her mother’s Ethan Allen china hutch.  Her mother had recently passed and she really didn’t want to part with this piece. However, it just didn’t work well with her personal home décor.

White furniture finishes are special. There are many things to consider when painting dark wood with white Chalk Mineral Paint.

How to Prep to Paint White Furniture

  1. Do you need to prime? This can be determined by performing a test spot.  Brush on a small amount of paint on several areas of your piece and let dry.  Apply the topcoat that you plan to use over the painted area to see if bleed throughs occur.
  2. What type of primer should you use? My choices of Primer include Dixie Belles Boss….in clear, gray, and white. 

Materials List:

How To:

Step 1:

First, clean well with White Lightning and rinse well. I cleaned it twice.

Step 2:

Perform a spot test to determine the need for primer.

Step 3:

I primed with a single coat of BOSS in White and let it dry overnight.

To read the rest of this shabby white tutorial, head on over to Tracey’s Fancy here!

About the Author

Traceys Fancy

Tracey Bellion is well known for her innovative, brilliant, and over-the-top furniture designs that encompass a Whimsical Wonderland. She loves to paint with playful colors and infuse multiple mixed patterns and textures not usually seen together. Tracey’s signature black and white checkerboard pattern is not only one of her favorite patterns to use to add visual interest, it also serves as a neutral in her furniture designs.

View All Articles