Revamping Old Chests of Drawers with Chalk Paint

Why an old chest of drawers suits an attic room

Attic rooms are full of awkward angles. Sloping ceilings meet the floor where you least expect it, chimney breasts steal a corner, and low beams are forever waiting to catch the top of your head. Furniture that works up here tends to be low, wide and unfussy — which is exactly what a traditional chest of drawers offers. It tucks neatly under a sloped ceiling, fits along a gable end, and holds far more than a wardrobe of the same footprint.

Older chests are also built to last. Solid pine, mahogany and oak pieces from the last century have dovetail joints and drawers that run on wooden runners rather than flimsy metal slides. Many end up in the loft, in a spare room, or in a charity shop looking tired simply because the finish has dulled and the handles have dated. Chalk paint is the quickest, kindest way to bring one back without stripping it to bare timber.

Preparing the chest without the drama

Chalk paint is forgiving, but a little preparation still pays. Set aside a morning and work through these steps:

• Remove every drawer and take off the handles, screws and escutcheons. Bag the fixings and label them if you plan to reuse them.
• Clean the carcass with warm water and a little sugar soap. Old furniture carries decades of polish, cooking grease and dust, and paint will not grip to any of it.
• Fill chips, splits and gouges with a two-part wood filler. Once dry, sand flush with 120-grit, then 180-grit.
• Lightly key any glossy, varnished or melamine surfaces with 180-grit paper. You do not need to strip the wood back — just break the shine.
• Run a hoover nozzle over the whole piece, including inside the drawer runners.

If you are painting in an attic, watch the temperature. Chalk paint is happiest between about 15°C and 25°C, so on a hot summer day paint early in the morning or once the sun has left the window. Open a window for airflow — the odour is low, but fresh air helps the finish harden.

Applying chalk paint for a finish that lasts

Stir the tin thoroughly rather than shaking it, and decant a little into a separate pot so you are not dipping a dirty brush into the whole batch. A good quality synthetic brush for edges and a small foam roller for the flat sides and top will give you the neatest result. Roll on, then lay off lightly with a brush to knock back the orange-peel texture foam can leave behind.

Two thin coats always beat one thick one. The first coat will look patchy and that is completely normal — resist the urge to load it on. Leave it to dry for one to two hours, then apply the second. If you want a smoother finish, sand very lightly with 320-grit between coats and wipe away the dust.

Once the paint is fully dry, usually after 24 to 48 hours, protect it. Clear wax gives a soft, velvety sheen that suits a bedroom; a water-based varnish is more practical for a hall or bathroom chest that gets knocked about. A little dark wax worked into the corners and mouldings adds gentle age without looking contrived. Avoid silicone-based polishes afterwards — they sit on top of wax and turn it cloudy.

New handles: the smallest change with the biggest effect

Handles can lift a chest from tired to tailored in ten minutes. Before you buy, measure the distance between the centres of the existing screw holes — 96mm and 128mm are the common sizes. If a new handle does not line up, fill the old holes with a sliver of dowel glued in place, sand flush and drill fresh ones.

Consider the room before you choose. Slim bar handles or cup pulls take up less clearance than chunky ceramic knobs, which matters in a cramped attic corner or beside a sloping wall. Antique brass and aged nickel suit period pieces; painted wooden knobs work beautifully on a cottage-style chest. Keep the originals in a labelled bag in case you sell the piece later. Expect to spend anywhere from a few pounds to £15 or more per handle, so price the full set before committing.

Fresh linings and tidy drawer interiors

Nothing undoes a good paint job faster than a grubby paper lining. Pull the old stuff out, sand the drawer bases smooth and wipe them clean. For everyday bedrooms, self-adhesive vinyl or oilcloth wipes clean and resists the damp that can creep into attic spaces. Wallpaper offcuts look charming in a spare room but can lift at the edges in humid conditions, so seal them with a little diluted PVA.

Add practical touches while the drawers are empty: felt or cork liners to stop rattling, removable dividers for socks and smalls, or a cedar block to keep the interior smelling fresh. Group items by type rather than by season so you are not hunting through four drawers for a single jumper.

Placing and caring for your finished chest

In an attic bedroom, a low chest works well beneath a dormer window, along the wall opposite the stairs, or tucked into a gable end where nothing taller will fit. Leave a 5cm gap behind a radiator so the timber does not dry out and crack, and fit felt pads under the feet to protect floorboards.

Anchor any tall or narrow piece to the wall with a simple restraint strap — particularly if children use the room or the floorboards are uneven. Keep a small jar of leftover paint for touch-ups; chalk paint blends invisibly when dabbed on with a fingertip. Wipe the surface with a damp cloth rather than a soaking one, and re-wax high-traffic spots every year or so. Looked after properly, a revamped chest will serve an attic room for another twenty years.