Chalkboard Paint on a Century Old Chifferobe


About a year ago a friend of mine found me two of these gorgeous antique Chifferobes.  I recreated one of them last year but this one I have been hanging onto waiting for inspiration.

A Chifferobe is a piece of furniture with a wardrobe on one side and a set of drawers on the other.  Chifferobes were incredibly important pieces to have in the bedrooms of houses 70 – 100 years ago.  There was usually little to no closet space back then so these functional pieces provided much-needed storage for each member of the family.  antique-chifferobe-before-being-recreatedThe first Chifferobe that I painted last year had a very feminine and antiquey feel to it when I was done.  (you can see it here)  For the second cabinet, I wanted to give it a very different, more modern feel.

For the bulk of the cabinet I used Fusion Mineral Paint in Champness to paint it.  To add a touch of the modern feel that I was looking for, I used chalkboard paint to paint the door panels and all of the drawer fronts.
reclaimed knobs on old wood drawersI swapped out the old metal knobs for wooden ones so that they could be painted with the chalkboard paint and blend in.  drawers painted with chalkboard paintOnce all of the drawer and door fronts had been painted with the chalkboard paint and I let it sit for several days (a must for chalkboard paint!) I had to season it.

Tip: If you do not season chalkboard paint and then write on it, you will leave marks in the black paint. seasoning-new-chalkboardBy running the side of a piece of chalk all over the chalkboard paint before you use it you will avoid any permanent, visible marks in the paint.  drawers painted in chalkboard paint being seasoned before writing on themAfter rubbing all of the new paint with the chalk, I simply wiped it off with a soft cloth and then it was ready to use.  seasoning chalkboard paint with chalk before writing on itdrawers painted with chalkboard paint after they have been seasonedI not only love the black of the chalkboard paint with the blue but I love that you can change this piece up to work in any space you would like it in.

This century old piece now has a more modern feel to it while it’s age was enhanced with a soft colour and distressing. chalkboard drawings on an antique chifferobe painted with Fusion Mineral Paint in ChampnessThe two Chifferobes were essentially the same piece of furniture but done in completely different ways.
Which one do you prefer?
antinque chifferobe painted with Fusion Mineral Paint in Champness and chalkboard paint

24 Comments on " Chalkboard Paint on a Century Old Chifferobe "

  1. Lisa

    Hi Lisa. I just wanted to let you know that I featured your fabulous Chifferobe makeover at Vintage Charm today. Thanks so much for sharing it. πŸ™‚

    1. Lisa

      Thank you so much Tuula! You’ve made my day πŸ™‚ Hugs, Lisa

  2. Lisa

    Inspired choices, Lisa–love the look you achieved. Pinned and Facebooked πŸ™‚ Thanks for linking up with Vintage Charm!

    1. Lisa

      Thank you so much Diana… that is so sweet! Hugs, Lisa

  3. Lisa

    what a creative idea! Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. Watch for your feature tomorrow. xo

    1. Lisa

      Thank you so much Katherine! What a lovely honour!! I will be sure to drop by and check it out. Hugs, Lisa

    1. Lisa

      Thank you so much Angie and for pinning as well! Hugs, Lisa

  4. Lisa

    Love this transformation. Pinning and sharing.

    1. Lisa

      Thanks Donna πŸ™‚

  5. Lisa

    These two pieces are really cool, Lisa! They’re totally different but I like both of them. You always do such a good job picking out the perfect colors and combinations. Great job, CoCo

    1. Lisa

      πŸ™‚ Thanks Coco! I can’t decide which one I like better either… they are very different but in a great way. Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs, Lisa

  6. Lisa

    What an amazing transformation! Thanks for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. Your post has been pinned.
    Cheers,
    Jennifer

    http://awellstyledlife.com

    1. Lisa

      Thanks so much Jennifer (and for the pin!) Have a wonderful weekend πŸ™‚

    1. Lisa

      Thanks so much Marie and for pinning πŸ™‚

  7. Lisa

    Lisa this is so pretty! I had no idea what a Chifferobe was! This is too cool! I swear I learn something new every time I visit here! Thank you for sharing! I hope you are having a great week so far!
    Smiles!
    Terry

    1. Lisa

      Aww thanks so much Terry! That is so sweet πŸ™‚ Have a lovely weekend! Hugs, Lisa

  8. Lisa

    What a beautiful makeover. I haven’t seen a chifferobe in years.

    thanks for sharing at SYC.

    1. Lisa

      Thanks Carol πŸ™‚ I have the privilege of getting two in the past year! They certainly are beautiful. πŸ™‚

  9. Lisa

    They are both beautiful, but I love the chalkboard version. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a chifferobe in any of my vintage treasure hunting. Lucky you!

    1. Lisa

      They are pretty hard to find and I just lucked out that a friend of mine found two for me! You have to love friends that are always on the lookout for you πŸ™‚

  10. Lisa

    How very clever! I think though it’s modern, you have been faithful to it’s vintage origins. Very tastefully done, beautiful makeover.

    1. Lisa

      Thanks so much Cheryl! I never want a piece to loose it’s antique or vintage feel so I was glad this one turned out so well with the Chalkboard paint πŸ™‚

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