Distressed Crib Tutorial
Follow these step-by-step instructions by Rachel from Maison de Pax to do your own antique makeover!
Hi Country Chic Paint followers! It's Rachel again from Maison de Pax, and I can't wait to show you how Country Chic Paint transformed this crib from sad to stunning... Let's get started!
I found this crib on Craigslist just after my husband, my 1 year old son (at the time), and I moved back from overseas. Though I really liked the shape, the finish was pretty beat up already. And let's just say that after my two sons used it, the top rails were missing most of their original finish! And though it was a nice brown, it was a little flat for my taste. Here is the before (trust me, it was much worse than it looks in this picture!).
Since then, I was inspired by Restoration Hardware to makeover this crib I was given, and it is ready and waiting for my little girl who is due in May! That left this crib available for my niece who is due in June... but I wasn't about to give her the crib in its current state. I wanted something soft and gentle, but not too feminine. Country Chic Paint in Pebble Beach was perfect.
I started with a good cleaning. Thankfully, Country Chic's chalk-based paint doesn't need extensive sanding because sanding all those spindles would have been a LOT of work!
Next came two coats of Country Chic Paint in Pebble Beach (I'm obsessed with this color, by the way, it's the perfectly balanced gray - not too cool and not too warm), painted with a simple 2" synthetic brush.
After a few days to dry, I took a combination of 60, 120, and 220 sandpaper to various parts of the crib, focusing mostly on the edges and other areas where normal wear and tear would naturally distress paint.
I wiped the whole crib down again (be sure to clean off all that sanding dust!) and then gave it a full coat of clear wax.
By the time I finished waxing the whole thing, I was ready to go back and wipe and buff the crib. I wanted a rather matte finish, so a good wipe down was enough this time.
I then followed with some antiquing wax. This part is much more an art than a science, but I have discovered that I prefer brushing on the natural wax (with a big, round, natural-bristle brush). The antiquing wax, though, I prefer to apply with an old rag. It keeps me from getting brown brush strokes and allows me a little more freedom in smudging and reapplying, as needed. I concentrated the antiquing wax in the areas that would naturally grow darker over time - nooks, crannies, joints, etc.
One of the great things about refinishing a crib with Country Chic Paint is that the all-natural ingredients give me much more peace of mind than some of the other products on the market. And Pebble Beach couldn't be any more beautiful with the bedding already chosen for my niece. I just hope she loves it as much as I do!
Hi Country Chic Paint followers! It's Rachel again from Maison de Pax, and I can't wait to show you how Country Chic Paint transformed this crib from sad to stunning... Let's get started!
I found this crib on Craigslist just after my husband, my 1 year old son (at the time), and I moved back from overseas. Though I really liked the shape, the finish was pretty beat up already. And let's just say that after my two sons used it, the top rails were missing most of their original finish! And though it was a nice brown, it was a little flat for my taste. Here is the before (trust me, it was much worse than it looks in this picture!).
Since then, I was inspired by Restoration Hardware to makeover this crib I was given, and it is ready and waiting for my little girl who is due in May! That left this crib available for my niece who is due in June... but I wasn't about to give her the crib in its current state. I wanted something soft and gentle, but not too feminine. Country Chic Paint in Pebble Beach was perfect.
I started with a good cleaning. Thankfully, Country Chic's chalk-based paint doesn't need extensive sanding because sanding all those spindles would have been a LOT of work!
Next came two coats of Country Chic Paint in Pebble Beach (I'm obsessed with this color, by the way, it's the perfectly balanced gray - not too cool and not too warm), painted with a simple 2" synthetic brush.
After a few days to dry, I took a combination of 60, 120, and 220 sandpaper to various parts of the crib, focusing mostly on the edges and other areas where normal wear and tear would naturally distress paint.
I wiped the whole crib down again (be sure to clean off all that sanding dust!) and then gave it a full coat of clear wax.
By the time I finished waxing the whole thing, I was ready to go back and wipe and buff the crib. I wanted a rather matte finish, so a good wipe down was enough this time.
I then followed with some antiquing wax. This part is much more an art than a science, but I have discovered that I prefer brushing on the natural wax (with a big, round, natural-bristle brush). The antiquing wax, though, I prefer to apply with an old rag. It keeps me from getting brown brush strokes and allows me a little more freedom in smudging and reapplying, as needed. I concentrated the antiquing wax in the areas that would naturally grow darker over time - nooks, crannies, joints, etc.
One of the great things about refinishing a crib with Country Chic Paint is that the all-natural ingredients give me much more peace of mind than some of the other products on the market. And Pebble Beach couldn't be any more beautiful with the bedding already chosen for my niece. I just hope she loves it as much as I do!
