Step 4. Clean and Prepare Your Furniture

Get your piece ready for painting with these simple steps:

• Prepare your work area in a bright and well ventilated space. Put the furniture on top of a drop cloth
• Sand any rough areas. You do not need to sand the entire piece; just sand any noticeable spots
• Clean all pieces to remove oils and dirt. Vacuum all drawers. Wipe with a rag of warm soapy water, and then wipe with clean water. Allow to dry
• Remove old hardware, fill holes with spackling paste, and sand. This is only necessary if you are changing hardware and the new hardware does not line up with the holes of the old hardware
• Tape off any areas that won't be painted with painter's tape
• Remove drawers or shelves

Tip: Write down the order of the drawers on the bottom so you know where to put them back!

Step 5: Apply a first coat of BEHR® Chalk Decorative Paint

• Work slowly in one section using long strokes
• Start by painting along the edges, dabbing in the corners to ensure you cover every inch
• Paint in the direction of the wood grain
• Don't worry about getting a thick coat with the first coat. Just make sure everything is covered at least once
• Watch for paint drips in the corners and down vertical edges like behind legs. Ensure that you don't use too much paint in decorative grooves and that it doesn't pool

Here's the dresser after one coat of the Tin White BCP08. I find Behr paint generally to be on the thicker side and I loved the coverage I got with just one coat. The teal paint is barely noticeable beneath the white.

Step 6. Apply a Second Coat of BEHR® Chalk Decorative Paint

Allow for one hour drying time and then apply the second coat of paint. This coat is where you achieve deep, opaque and even coverage. Here's a drawer after two coats of Timeless Blue BCP38. You'll notice that after the second coat the brushstrokes become less visible and you achieve a nice matte finish.

Step 7. Apply BEHR® Wax Decorative Finish to seal the paint

The wax coat ensures that your paint will be durable and long-lasting. You can use a brush or soft rag to apply the wax to your piece. Dab the brush in the tin a few times and apply the wax in long strokes going with the grain. Apply along all the edges and dab in the crevices. You don't need to overload your brush with wax as you'll be wiping much of the wax off.


Use a rag to wipe off most of the wax. Use long strokes going in the direction of the grain. Allow some of the wax to remain in areas you want to highlight, such as along the edges or in the grooves. You can reapply more wax and wipe it off if you want a more textured look. It the wax is too heavy, keep wiping it away with the rag until you get the depth and finish that you want.


Here's a video showing how I applied the paint and wax on the drawer:

Step 8: Buff Your Piece (Optional) and Reattach Hardware

If you like the matte look, you can leave the piece as is after the wax coat. Let the piece dry and cure for 24 hours before handling and putting drawers back in and reattaching the hardware.

However, if you prefer a slightly glossier look, take a clean rag and rub the piece in small circles. Just polish it enough to give the furniture a bit of a shinier finish. Reattach the hardware and put back the shelves and drawers.



I applied the wax to both the drawer fronts and the dresser body and gave them a slight buffing. The wax toned down the blue paint and gave the drawers a more aged, whitewashed look.

How to Paint With BEHR® Chalk Decorative Aerosol Paint:

The painting of the metal mirror with the chalk decorative aerosol in Gingham BCP35 was super simple. As with the liquid paint, there's very little prep work required before you apply the aerosol.

• Prepare your work zone in a very well ventilated area. I spray painted outside in the garage
• Clean the piece with a warm soapy cloth and allow to dry
• Use painter's tape and newspaper to cover any areas that won't be painted
• Apply one light coat of the chalk decorative aerosol. Spray in short strokes, moving in one direction. Ensure you spray all surfaces but don't worry if the coat is lighter in some areas. Several light coats are better than fewer, thick coats which are prone to drips
• Wait about 10 minutes for the first coat to dry and spray a second coat
• Finish off with a coat of BEHR® Chalk Decorative Aerosol Paint in Clear

Are you ready to see how the finished pieces look? Here's our "new" beachy dresser and mirror!


The dresser also has a little surprise inside. I lined each of the drawers with a drawer liner in a caned pattern. It lends the perfect summery touch.


You can see here how the revamped dresser helps tie in all of the other blues in our basement, like the craft room door painted in Blue Moon Bay S480-5 by Behr. Even though we get little natural light down in this room, the coastal decor has made the basement feel much more lively and fresh.


I was very pleased with the performance of the BEHR® Chalk Decorative Paint, Aerosol Paint and Wax products and am wondering what other pieces I can revitalize next. The process wasn't complicated at all and it was a fairly quick and simple transformation. Don't be surprised if you see more painted furniture around here soon!