9 Chalk Paints to Upcycle Your Furniture Like a Pro (2024)

Our Top Picks

Rust-Oleum has been making paint for over 100 years, and if you ask us, the brand offers the best chalk paint on the market. This latex-based lacquer boasts a velvety-smooth, ultra-matte finish. For a distressed look, you can lightly sand the dried paint around the sides and corners or go over it with the brand's semi-transparent Aged Glaze. You can also add an extra layer of protection with the clear matte Chalked Protective Topcoat. Once dry, your surfaces can be washed clean with soap and water.

It's super easy to use and adheres to many surfaces and materials, including wood, metal, plastic, canvas, ceramic, and stone. You won't need primer and shouldn't have to do any sanding in most cases. Though one coat will often provide enough coverage, you can apply up to five coats to get the look you want. This chalk paint is dry to the touch within 30 minutes, but if you're doing multiple coats, give it at least two hours in between.

This paint should only be used indoors, but this is pretty standard with the chalk variety. The only real drawback is that the color selection is pretty limited. If it comes in the hue you're looking for, you really can't go wrong.

_{Finish Type: Velvety-smooth | Color Selection: 15 | Size: 30 ounces | Drying Time: 30 minutes}

This might be the best chalk paint for furniture—in fact, it's formulated for this exact purpose. Shabby Chic Chalk Based Furniture Paint is a water-based, low-odor lacquer that provides an "imperfect," rustic-inspired finish. While it brushes on smoothly, the result will be a distressed appearance.

Whether you're restoring old furniture or want to make new pieces look old, this paint is up for the task. It can be used on chairs, dressers, vanities, end tables, credenzas, cribs—you name it. In most instances, you won't need to do any prep, as it can be applied over existing paint. But depending on the condition of the furniture you're working on, you might need to sand it down or at least clean it first.

Just a heads up, this chalk paint offers semi-sheer coverage—but this is by design, to generate a weathered aesthetic. Still, you may need to apply multiple coats to achieve a specific look. Since it's waterproof and long-lasting, you can even use it for outdoor projects.

_{Finish Type: Distressed | Color Selection: 33 | Size: 8.5 or 33.8 ounces | Drying Time: 30 minutes}

Thinking about painting your walls? Not all chalk paints are recommended for walls, but Annie Sloan's signature formula is specifically suitable for this particular purpose. (Sloan launched the first-ever chalk paint in 1990, by the way.)

This paint flaunts a silky-smooth texture and a soft matte finish. It adheres impressively well to various finishes, including drywall, stucco, plaster, wood paneling, and brick. It comes in nearly 50 colors, so you'll definitely find something that suits your vision. If you're unsure, order a sample pot or a color card first.

While this paint has the longest drying time on this list at two hours, it makes sense because it has the largest coverage area. Walls will naturally take longer to try than the frame of a chair or your kitchen cabinets.

There's no need for priming, but you'll need to apply two coats in most instances. The coats can be thick or thin, depending on the finished look you have in mind. But whether you're aiming for a modern, uniform finish, a distressed look, or a textured effect, the brand suggests sealing with its Chalk Paint Wax. For outdoor projects and walls or furniture that may be exposed to direct sunlight through windows, finishing with the Clear Matte Chalk Paint Lacquer will offer waterproofness and UV protection to prevent fading.

_{Finish Type: Velvety-smooth | Color Selection: 46 | Size: 4 or 33.8 ounces | Drying Time: 2 hours}

Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint is an excellent choice for cabinets, whether you're transforming your kitchen cabinetry, built-ins in a studio, or a freestanding storage unit. It's available in a whopping 75 colors (the largest selection on this list), so there's no doubt you'll find the ideal hue. This water-based lacquer offers a flat, muted finish. Though the finished effect is subtle, it provides incredible coverage, concealing the existing color and blending any inconsistencies.

For most projects, one coat is enough—though it depends on the shade and the intended finished appearance—and you may not even have to sand or prime before getting started. But since cabinets have a high-touch surface, you'll probably want to go over your work with a chalk paint finishing wax to prevent visible fingerprints. The brand's water-repellent Gator Hide topcoat can also extend the paint's lifespan and make it easier to clean.

Painting your cabinets is a relatively easy and low-stakes way to change up the look of your space, and interior designer Caron Woolsey thinks you should have fun with it. "Blend art and functionality by considering cabinets as canvases for artistic expression," she says.

_{Finish Type: Flat/muted | Color Selection: 75 | Size: 8, 16, or 32 ounces | Drying Time: 1 hour}

Behr's take on chalk paint can be used on many materials—including concrete, stone, and metal—but it works particularly well on wood. The brand's white and deep bases can be tinted to over 500 colors, so the sky's the limit for what you can achieve, but you'll have to buy other colors to mix together to do so. Luckily, there are 46 base colors to choose from.

The high-quality, buttery-soft formula makes it easy to get a professional-looking finish, no matter your skill level or experience with DIY projects. "One of the advantages of chalk paint is its ability to adhere to a variety of surfaces without the need for extensive priming or sanding," says Woolsey.

That said, Behr recommends light sanding before getting started to ensure a smooth surface and using a decorative wax afterward to seal in the finish. Also, if you're working with wood that contains tannins, like cedar or redwood, you'll want to apply a water-based primer first to seal them in. This chalk paint will be dry to the touch in about an hour. But you'll want to wait at least two hours between coats, and it can take a full week to cure.

_{Finish Type: Velvety-smooth | Color Selection: 500+ | Size: 32 ounces | Drying Time: 1 hour}

FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint is meant for crafting and DIY projects. You can use it on various materials—wood, metal, ceramic, paper, and glass, to name a few—but it's particularly good on canvas and other types of fabric. The water-based formula has a creamy consistency that makes it easy to blend and achieve shade variation. This set comes with nine 2-ounce containers of paint in a complementing medley of colors. You can use them on their own, mix them together, or layer them to create fun artistic effects.

This chalk paint is perfect for upholstered chairs, seat cushions, decorative pillow covers, canvas bags, tapestries, room dividers, curtains, or lamp shades. You can even use it on grasscloth wallpaper. It can be applied as-is—no primer required. Just grab a paintbrush and get to work.

Some reviewers have noted that the bottles may not be fully sealed when they arrive. If this is an issue, it should be easy to make a return or have the brand ship out a new set.

_{Finish Type: Smooth | Color Selection: 18 | Size: 2 ounces (set of 9) | Drying Time: 2 hours}

If you're working with plastic, we suggest Pinty Plus. This spray-on chalk paint has an ultra-matte finish that creates a purposefully distressed look on many surfaces, including non-porous materials, like plastic, glass, and metal. And starting with a smooth surface such as plastic makes it even easier to use—no primer necessary. "

We also appreciate that this chalk paint is suitable for both indoor and outdoor projects. In addition to plastic patio furniture, you can use it on melamine and resin. It's dry to the touch in 20 minutes, and you can go over it with another coat an hour later. What's more, the waterproof formula is exceptionally easy to clean with soap and water.

Pinty Plus Chalk Spray Paint is really simple to use, as it sprays out a uniform coating. In the end, we just wish it came in more colors. It comes in just 10, which is the lowest on our list.

_{Finish Type: Distressed | Color Selection: 10 | Size: 12 ounces | Drying Time: 20 minutes}

If you're looking for a chalk paint to do it all quickly and easily, Chalky Chicks is for you. This versatile chalk paint will adhere to most surfaces and materials without priming or sanding. and promises full coverage in one or two coats. Plus, you can use it both indoors and outside.

We're talking drywall, wood, laminate, brick, stone, resin, concrete, glass, cardboard, and fabric. Whether you're crafting, restoring furniture, updating your kitchen, or sprucing up a bedroom, it'll deliver a beautiful weathered appearance and a silky-smooth finish that can be further distressed with sanding. If you want a distressed look every time, consider our best for plastic choice, the Pinty Plus spray paint, instead.

We also love that the water-based formula is available in 55 hues, ranging from everyday neutrals to seasonless shades and punchy, statement-making colors.

We also like that this paint dries quickly—it should be dry to the touch in a half-hour. One thing to note is that it has a somewhat watery consistency. To prevent dripping and ensure smooth, uniform coverage when covering walls or other large surfaces, you might consider using a paint sprayer.

_{Finish Type: Silky-smooth | Color Selection: 55 | Size: 4, 16, or 32 ounces | Drying Time: 30 minutes}

Krylon Chalky Finish Spray Paint is a go-to for crafting, art, furniture restoration, and DIY projects. It adheres remarkably well to numerous materials, including wood, wicker, vinyl, laminate, metal, and plastic.

You shouldn't need any primer, and in many instances, one coat is enough. Not only that, but the formula can be used indoors and outside. It resists fading and can help prevent rust when applied to metal.

This spray paint delivers a smooth, uniform, ultra-matte finish. It dries in 25 minutes, and you can lightly sand it to create a more distressed, antique appearance. We should mention that since it contains urethane, it's not free of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and isn't considered a low-odor paint.

_{Finish Type: Smooth | Color Selection: 15 | Size: 12 ounces | Drying Time: 25 minutes}

Final Verdict

Overall, the best chalk paint is Rust-Oleum Chalked Ultra Matte Paint. It can be applied to a wide range of surfaces, requires little to no prep, and dries very quickly into a velvety-smooth finish. But if you're working on a craft or art project and want smaller quantities of multiple colors, FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Ultra Matte Acrylic Paint might be your best bet.

FAQ

• What is chalk paint?

  "Chalk paint" is a registered trademark of Annie Sloan, who first brought the product category to the mass market. But all chalk paints share some common characteristics. They can be used on a wide range of surfaces, with often little prep and no stripping or sanding. This type of paint tends to be thick and heavily pigmented for good coverage and low dripping, and it always has a matte finish.

  Chalk paint is versatile because it can be thinned, layered, and manipulated to achieve different looks and sheens. In contrast to some latex paints, it sands easily to achieve a weathered, time-worn appearance.

• Is it better to brush or roll chalk paint?

  For those going for a rustic look, applying chalk paint with a natural, flexible, long-bristle brush is highly recommended. The brushstrokes will be visible, which adds character to the matte finish. Some people favor using a foam roller, even though this technique may call for additional paint.

• Do you need two coats of chalk paint?

  One of the advantages of chalk paint is that you often don't need to prime or sand before using it to get a good finish, as it happily adheres to most surfaces. You can usually get away with a single coat of chalk paint, but this is a matter of personal taste. It also depends on the color and if there's existing paint underneath.

  Creating a weathered appearance on a dresser, for instance, may only require a light coat of paint. Of course, using a thicker coat will provide better coverage. According to professional furniture flipper and DIY vlogger Autumn Heseman, a higher-quality chalk paint should require fewer coats overall, since it's thicker and not gloppy.

• What's the difference between chalk paint and chalkboard paint?

  Chalk paint and chalkboard paint are two different things. "Chalkboard paint creates a surface that can be written on with chalk and erased, whereas chalk paint is a decorative paint used for furniture and crafts," says Woolsey. "If you're looking to create a writable surface, make sure to choose chalkboard paint specifically."

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