My sister generously donated this vanity to Flipped Her Lid. I love when people think of me when they are getting rid of furniture! 🥰 This piece was probably from the ’90s and has a very slick, glossy, laminate over a pressed wood base. Not the highest quality furniture and only about 30 years vintage but still in really good condition! I forgot to take a pic until I had scuff-sanded it so the image doesn’t show it, but it was super glossy!

This is Emmylou after her transformation:

Products used:

• Zinsser Bonds adhesion primer
• Pittsburgh Paints – latex/flat finish in Earthy Ocher
• Valspar Ultra – latex/flat finish in Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black
• Varathane water-based stain in Dark Walnut
• Waverly chalk finish in Plaster
• Rustoleum Chalked sealer in Matte clear
• DecoArt chalky finish in Vintage
• drawer pull from Hobby Lobby

I removed the old drawer pull and filled in the holes with wood filler. I lightly sanded the entire vanity by hand with 220 grit and then used an adhesion primer. I allowed that to dry overnight before the next step.

For the top, I started with two coats of Earthy Ocher. I chose latex paint for a couple reasons, but mostly because I can get latex paint in any color I want. I try to find tan colors that mimic the look of wood and those colors are hard to find in Chalk paint and quite a bit more expensive!

When that had dried, I used Tricorn Black to create the woodgrain/knot hole look. I use an inexpensive chip brush, dipped in black, and then dabbed on a rag to take off some of the paint. I lightly drag the brush across the top in one direction. With a smaller chip brush, again with barely any paint on the brush, I twist the brush in a small circular motion to create a knothole. Then I drag the larger chip brush through it to blend it in.

After the black has completely dried, I wait at least 8 hours, I apply the stain. I used a water-based stain applied with a brush and wiped back with a damp sponge or rag. It leaves just enough stain on the surface to add some depth and age to the tan paint.

After the stain dried overnight I used chalk paint to create a whitewashed look. I just dip my brush in water and then into the chalk paint and paint the entire top surface of the vanity. I use a damp sponge to wipe back, leaving just a wash of white. You can do two coats if you want a heavier whitewash, I liked the look of this one with just one coat.

For the bottom portion of the vanity, I used two coats of chalk finish paint in a color called Vintage. It’s kind of a dusty grey-blue color. Very vintage-ish! When that was dry, I used the chalk paint in Black on a sponge brush along the edges of the legs and drawers for a lightly distressed look. I drilled a new hole in the drawer for the new drawer pull. I painted the inside and outside of the drawer with Ocher and stenciled the sides of the drawers in Plaster. I lined the drawers with paper stuck down with double-sided tape for easy removal.

I finished the entire piece with clear matte sealer.

Emmylou would make a great writing desk, entry table, or vanity. Let me know what you think of Emmylou’s transformation!