DIY With One Step Paint

We have had this antique chest in our entry ever since it was passed down from my Great Aunt. We recovered the cushion not long after we got it, but I’ve always thought that I’d like to paint the chest.

I’ve seen so much about chalk paint and antiquing with wax, but because it’s a family piece I didn’t want to jump in without a little reassurance that it would work! I discovered Amy Howard at Home products through a local retailer, and after watching some of her videos on YouTube and following her on Instagram I decided to go with her One Step Paint.

The reason I used the One Step over the Toscana Milk Paint was that it didn’t have to be sealed after painting. After watching some other tutorials I think the milk paint allows more versatility, but I felt confident with the chalk paint for my first project.

I followed her instructions, and admit that halfway through I felt like I had made a huge mistake. She says to do thin coats…that’s key. I did one coat that was too thick and the brush strokes were more noticeable. I ended up sanding (even though you don’t need to…I was just trying to fix my user error). By the third thin coat it was looking much better. Hardware and all. The paint dried to what felt like a very durable finish!

The final step was to add the wax. Again, the One Step Paint doesn’t require any sealer; I just wanted an antique look.

I used light wax first. This went all over the piece, which helped give it depth. After about 15-30 minutes I went in with the dark wax on details that I wanted to accentuate. The result was a layered look. After the wax dried/hardened I buffed with a rag, and it created a subtle sheen. 

My tip with the wax: if you get too much dark wax in an area, go back in with your light wax or a clear wax to “erase” …just be careful and don’t get too much build up. I also found that working in small sections was best.

Here are some before and after’s (Christmas decorations and all)!

Overall the paint and waxes were very easy to work with (once I got past my own learning curve). Amy does several online tutorials – I recommend studying up a little before you start your project. 

I have also painted our kitchen table, and am planning to paint a little metal side table soon!