For those following me on Facebook, you’ll know that a few weeks back I picked up a solid wood, antique dresser from Facebook Marketplace. While I originally intended to put this dresser in my bedroom, I ultimately decided to go in a different direction. Instead, I used this dresser to perfect my chalk paint blending technique. Here’s a full tutorial for how to blend chalk paint!

how to blend chalk paint antique dresser painted gray blue

Blending Technique

You’ll notice that my blending is very subtle. That was intentional on my part because I wanted to create a very elegant and clean look. How much or how little you blend is entirely up to you! More on this below…

Supplies

Antique Dress BEFORE

Brown antique dresser before chalk paint makeoever

Antique Dresser Makeover: How to Blend Chalk Paint

  1. Prep Your Piece – Clean, Sand, Prime

    – I used Mineral Spirits to thoroughly clean any residue off of the dresser.
    – I then used Wood Putty to fill all of the chips, dents, and holes – and there were a lot! Once filled, I used 150 grit sandpaper to sand down the excess filler. I used 220 grit on my final pass.
    – Depending on your piece, you might need to prime. I chose not to.Antique Dresser makeover with wood putty and sanded

  2. Paint Base Color

    I painted two coats of Dixie Belle Manatee Gray for the main color on the dresser in the areas that DON’T need to be blended.

    As you’re painting, keep a misting bottle handle to spray the paint if it starts to dry and drag on the brush. This is especially helpful when doing a large surface area, like the top, and you need to paint all the way across without stopping on the final pass.

  3. Leave Open Space for Second Color to be Blended

    In the area you want to blend {in my case, the drawer fronts}, paint a one coat of your base color, leaving an open area for the color you want to blend.
    – If you want the second color to be the prominent color, leave a large space.
    – If you want it to be subtle, like I did, leave a smaller area.


    Antique dresser with manatee gray chalk paint and blended areas

  4. Add Your Second Color

    This gets a bit ugly but trust in the process!

    Before it dries completely, but not when is glistening wet, add your second color. I used Annie Sloan Chicago Grey for my second color. Overlap the two colors slightly.

    If both colors are glistening wet, you might find that they mix more than they blend. If the first color is dry, you can’t blend no matter how much mist you apply. Personally, I found that if the first paint is slightly wet and the second wet, blending is the easiest.
    Antique dresser with manatee gray and chicago grey in the center of drawers

  5. Blend the Two Colors

    Use a misting bottle to lightly spray the area. Use a clean brush to begin blending your two colors together.

    If you blend outward, you’ll move the Chicago Grey outward creating a larger, light area. If you move your brush inward, you’ll move the Manatee Gray in creating a smaller light area. Continue moving the paint back and forth until the edges are blended. This is NOT the final look.Gray blue chalk paint blended on drawers of antique dresser

  6. Repeat Steps 2-5 for a Second Coat

    This time around, you’ll see that the blending starts to look a bit smoother and now that you’ve had some practice on Round 1, you’ll have a better idea what way to move your brush. If you have too much of one color, you can always add more of the other. There is no science to this – it’s an art!

    Repeat Steps 2-5 as many times as necessary until you’re happy with the look.

  7. Paint the White Details

    Tape off any areas you don’t want to paint white. I used Annie Sloan Antique White and a small artist brush to highlight certain details of the dresser.Antique dresser painted gray blue and taped off to paint white highlights

  8. Wax

    I used Annie Sloan Clear Wax to seal the entire piece. Once dry, I added the hardware back onto the drawers.

Antique Dresser AFTER

Antique dresser with gray blue chalk paint blended on drawer fronts

As you can see, the blending I did is very subtle. I wanted it to look like the color had worn a way a bit over time as the handles were grabbed.

Closeup of antique dresser with gray blue chalk paint with books and trophies on top

This is the original Hepplewhite drawer pulls. I love the style and the patina so I put them back on. The center drawers were missing some of their mock key pulls, though, so I ordered replacement vintage ones from FairyHome.

Vintage Hepplewhite drawer pulls on a gray blue chalk painted dresser with white trim

There’s no point to this picture other thank I love a good vignette!

Antique trophy and book vignette on top of a chalk painted dresser

This technique is definitely harder than some of the others I’ve shared but I really like that it adds some depth to the piece without relying on colored wax.

how to blend chalk paint antique dresser painted gray blue

Questions? Please let me know!

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3 Comments

  1. Rebecca Payne says:

    Simply Gorgeous!

  2. Brenda Mayes says:

    Beautiful. I am going to try chalk paint soon. Thanks for sharing. I love that color too.

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