Old Dresser Turned into New TV Stand with Chalk Paint and Wax!

Last week, I had the amazing idea to repurpose our old bedroom furniture, which is just sitting around in our office, looking old.  I decided to try out chalk paint for the first time ever.  I was admittedly a little nervous, as I have never used it before, but I liked the idea of no priming or sanding!  A lot!

This is what the dresser looked like after I removed the trip-fold mirror from the top, two of the drawers, and the drawer knobs:

So, after doing some research (and being a little hesitant to spend the amount of money that Annie Sloan products cost), I decided on this Renaissance Chalk Furniture Paint Deluxe Starter Kit from Amazon.  For $84.99, I got a quart of Ivory Tower paint, clear wax, dark wax, a brush for each of these items, a lint-free cloth, and gloves!  Since I needed all of these items, it seemed like a wise purchase.  Unfortunately, I didn't read carefully and had to wait longer than the normal two days for the kit to arrive, as it doesn't ship for 2-3 days.  (Once I get an idea, I'm nothing if not impatient!)

As I waited, I readied the furniture for painting by washing it down with Murphy's Oil Soap.  I purchased two pieces of MDF from Home Depot and had it cut to size for the shelves that I was creating.  I covered the carpet with brown paper to protect it, and removed the drawers and laid them out on the floor.  Finally, the paint came and I started that very day!

The paint was definitely thick.  I thought about thinning it with water, as I read some people like to do, but decided to keep it the way it came.  This is what it looked like after two coats:

 I wasn't sure if I liked the fact that I could see the brush strokes, but just had to adjust my vision for the piece, and to embrace the imperfection.

Since the piece would get more than a little bit of wear, I decided to coat the top in one layer of Minwax clear Polycrylic for some extra protection.  Then, after it dried, I covered the top and the rest in a thin layer of clear wax, a small piece at a time.  Following ideas from other blogs, I scooped out a bit at a time onto a paper plate, where I could dip the brush and evenly distribute the wax as I rubbed the brush on the plate.  After buffing the clear wax, I painted on dark wax in the areas I figured would show some wear, wiping it off immediately.   As I read, if it went on too heavy in places, I put a little dab of clear wax on the cloth and wiped it off, like it was an eraser.  This is what the piece looked like after I finished the wax:

Last, I installed the knobs, which I also ordered from Amazon at $10.99 for 12 knobs.  Once I received them, I realized the screws were slightly too long and had to purchase shorter screws from Home Depot.  Then, in some places, even these were too long, so I ordered these washers from Amazon for $7.35 for 100 to ensure a snug fit.  I love the way the knobs sparkle in the sun!

 Here's a close-up of the dark wax accenting the design at the top of the dresser:

Finally, after letting the dresser dry for a couple of days, we moved it to its new home and set up all of the gadgets in and on it.  I am pretty happy with how it turned out!  What do you think???