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    Home » Furniture » Painted Furniture: 18 Cedar Chest Makeovers

    Painted Furniture: 18 Cedar Chest Makeovers

    Modified: Jun 2, 2023 by Kathy Owen
    This post may contain affiliate links

    Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Twitter <use href="#<svg width="1em" height="1em" viewBox="0 0 32 32" class="scriptlesssocialsharing__icon flipboard" fill="currentcolor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img"> <title>flipboard</title> <path d="M24.997 13.001h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v-17.995h17.995zM1.004 1.004v29.991h29.991v-29.991z"></path> </svg>" xlink:href="# flipboard "> Share on Flip it

    These cedar chest makeovers include two-tone paint finishes, whitewashed paint, re-covered fabric-topped chests, and heavily distressed or layered paint. To say I've painted a lot of cedar chests would be an understatement. Cedar chests are multi-functional. They can be used as coffee tables, blanket storage, foyer pieces, toy chests, behind-the-sofa storage, bedroom catch-all, etc. Painting or updating the chests to fit your decor is a must!

    1. Green Cedar Chest

    you can paint a Lane Cedar Chest

    The first chest is a layered paint project. I layered green paint over black and then distressed the green paint. Green is one of my favorite colors, and back a few years ago, it was just about the only paint color I used.

    2. Star chest

    13 wood cedar chest makeovers

    This is one of my favorites because it’s red. I antiqued the red paint and added iron stars to the front of the wood chest. I stole this technique from a friend when I lived in Florida. I don't know how many wood trunks and chests she painted red, antiqued, and added stars to.

    3. Cedar Chest Painted  Multiple Times

    How to paint cedar chests

    I bought this cedar chest over seven years ago and still have it. It was painted when I bought it, and I’ve painted it a bunch of times myself. It has been white, light green, and dark green. The chest is currently black, and we use it as a clothes catch-all in our bedroom. Do you guys have a place in your bedroom where you pile up clothing?

    4. Tall Lane Cedar Chest

    mid century modern cedar chest makeover

    I bought this cedar chest at the Nashville Flea Market. It was a unique piece, tall and narrow compared to other chests. It had a Mid Century modern look. We added a shelf and scroll work to the piece. Looking at the photo, I see I ruined the Mid-Century vibe with that curvy wood detail. Too bad.

    5. Pink Cedar Chest

    pink cedar chest makeover (2)

    I also added a scalloped wood detail to this chest. But that's okay because it was a plain chest to start with. It needed something. The wood detail was it. That happens when you buy about 10 of those at the flea market. The pink color is perfectly girly.

    6. Cherry Red Vaseline Distressed Chest

    cedar chests makeovers

    This cedar chest not only got two layers of paint it got stenciled too. I used a pretty Martha Stewart Stencil.

    7. Red Chest Painted For Behr Paint

    13 wood cedar chest makeovers

    I painted this project for Behr Paint, and the original post is on the Behr website in the Designer Series. That red is too pretty. The chest got a light distressing on the edges.

    8. Topless Cedar Chest

    13 wood cedar chest makeovers

    In this post, you will learn how to stencil like a pro. Stenciling with more than one color on a design gives it depth and a designer look. The wood cedar chest came from my favorite junk shop. And it didn't have a top. I used Home Decor Chalk Finish on the chest.

    9. Chest With Stained Top And New Knobs

    paint a cedar chest white and change the drawer pulls for a modern look

    This chest was a little bit country. I removed some of the curvy wood details and changed out the hardware. I painted the bottom white to accent the original stained finish of the top. Much better now.

    10. Turquoise Cedar Chest

    vaseline distressed and painted cedar chest

    This is another layered paint project using Vaseline. I used red as the base color and turquoise for the top coat this time. No stencil this time.

    11. Nice Neutral Color Chest

    Distressed paint hides furniture flaws, cedar chest makeovers

    The neutral color I chose for this cedar chest would fit in any color scheme. It’s kind of taupe and kind of gray. I forgot the name of this color!

    12. White And Distressed The Fun Way

    how to antique and age furniture with a sponge and baby bottle brush

    What a fun project. I did a lot of work on this antique cedar chest. It had really pretty wood trim and I didn’t want to paint it. I painted the rest of the chest white and used a kitchen sponge and baby bottle brush to age the paint. Really.

    13. Padded Cedar Chest Gets New Fabric

    How to recover a Lane Cedar Chest top with a new fabric seat

    No paint here. This is my cedar chest the hubby and kids bought for me many years ago. The top is padded and I changed out the fabric (for the second time). Did you know you can remove the cedar chest tops and change that fabric? You can. I will show you how in this post.

    14. Turquoise Cedar Chest with Metallic Gold Highlights

    turquoise painted cedar chest with metallic gold highlights

    I had to think about the metallic highlights on the turquoise cedar chest for a while. I wasn't sure how they would look, so I added the highlights later. I couldn't stop!

    15. Whitewashed Cedar Chest

    How to apply whitewash over painted wood furniture

    You guys know how I love to whitewash paint, and the cedar chest would have been drab with just a coat of paint.

    16. White Pedestal Cedar Chest

    Make a whitewash paint mixture for furniture using latex paint

    For this cedar chest, I also made a whitewash. The color I painted the chest was really light and the whitewash looks great over the color.

    17. Heavily Distressed White Cedar Chest

    Heavily distressed white painted cedar chest

    This cedar chest had so much missing veneer that it just called for distressing!

    18. Stenciled Cedar Chest

    How to paint a cedar chest and stencil a Handmade Charlotte Stencil Design in blue and turquoise.

    For the stenciled cedar chest, I used my favorite color combo, turquoise and orange. 

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    Join the league of thrift store lovers who have found the coolest things in the most unforgettable of thrift marketplaces. Rare paintings, vintage clothing, and Renaissance-era furniture have been found in thrift racks, and here are a few thrift store finds by real people that will make your jaw drop...

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    Kathy Owen
    Website

    Author: Kathy Owen (Petticoat Junktion)
    Kathy is the founder of PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, old hardware, rusty stuff, and thrifty finds into unique home décor. Kathy’s projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Read more about Kathy here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marlene Stephenson

      February 21, 2023 at 5:05 pm

      I loved the white ones and now if I ever get one I have plenty of ideas. I have looked and looked but nothing yet, thanks.

      Reply
    2. Effective Presenter

      February 21, 2023 at 7:24 am

      Kathy,

      Each chest is beautiful y'all have done a great job.

      We like the red chest at the foot of the bed, and we like the red chest with the added stars.

      We have had an old Lane cedar chest for decades it had been my mother's "hope chest" bought at a roadside antique, furniture, junk seller by my grandmother in Hudson, Massachusetts in the mid 1950s.

      I was a young guy my cool studio apartment in Brooklyn Heights, NY the cedar chest worked well provided great storage, etc. I had a new piece of veneer put on top and with furniture polish the chest looks beautiful.

      Years later the cedar chest is out in the garage. After seeing your work, we plan to paint the chest, costal, nautical cedar chest, give it a whole new look.

      We will send y'all a picture.

      Kevin
      Sea Girt, New Jersey 08642

      Reply
    3. Naomi S

      February 27, 2019 at 8:14 pm

      Kathy, the white chest with the carved molding that you took off and then re-attached is my favorite from the list. In that tutorial you mentioned that you had used the same technique with the sponge and bottle brush for a jewelry chest makeover. I have a couple of jewelry chests waiting for me to change their looks and I wanted to see the one you did but I can't find it. Could you please send me a link to it?

      The other cedar chest of your make-overs that I love is the green one that you stenciled on. I remember reading that tutorial when you did it and I tho't it turned out beautifully. You have a knack, dearie!

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        February 28, 2019 at 10:25 am

        Hey Naomi, I mentioned that I used the same FolkArt paint on a jewelry box but you could totally do the sponge, brush, technique on a jewelry box.

    4. Lori

      February 27, 2019 at 12:04 pm

      As usual, I love your painted furniture. The red one is my favorite. I love the stars and red is my favorite color.
      Thanks for all you share.
      Lori

      Reply

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