Chalk Painted Vintage Metal Cubby
Happppppy Monday!! Anyone in the mood to see a little chalk paint makeover today? I sure hope so because this weekend I got my chalk paint out and did a fun makeover on a vintage metal cubby. I’ve actually had this cubby for a while now, you can see it in this post here from a few years ago. It’s a cute little thing, but it was a dark green color on the outside and the inside of the cubbies were a weird shade of orange. Plus it was in pretty rough shape with lots of random white splotches and a bit of rust. Needless to say I wasn’t in love with it anymore, so it had been sitting in storage for at least a year now. But I decided it was time to give this baby a new look so that’s what I did this weekend. It turned out super cute and I’m excited to share it with you guys today! Let’s get started with a before shot of the cubby:
See, I told ya. Not pretty. It definitely wasn’t the best looking cubby around and as you can see it was in rough shape. So it was high time for a little makeover. Ok, here’s how it looks now:
So cute, right?! I was debating between a few different colors, but this olive grove from the Magnolia Home chalk paint line won out. I just love this color so much! It’s the perfect shade of earthy green. And funny story–As I was getting ready to paint this little guy I actually spilled the ENTIRE can of paint all over our back patio. Yep, true story. It was awful. But thankfully I was able to wash it all off the brick before it dried, which was pretty much a miracle. And I even managed to salvage about half the can of paint. It was quite the fiasco to say the least, but I still managed to get this cubby painted!
Unless I’m forgetting something, I think this is the first time I’ve ever chalk painted metal. I wasn’t sure how the paint would adhere to the metal, but it worked like a charm. I decided not to do a coat of wax, mostly because this isn’t a piece that will get a lot of wear and tear. And it won’t come in contact with water. But if I ever change my mind some day I’ll go over it with a coat of this clear wax.
My mom actually found this cubby for me at an antique store in a tiny town in southeast Colorado a few years ago. Apparently the lady that sold it to her said it was used as a mailbox for years and years at a local motel that had been torn down. I’m not sure how accurate that is, because it kinda feels more like a nut and bolt cubby to me, but it’s still a cool piece either way. And I think it looks pretty darn cute in this little spot in the dining room with its new look!
Well thanks so much for dropping by the blog today! I’d love to hear what you think of my painted cubby and be sure to let me know if you have any questions.
Here’s a few other posts you might enjoy:
GO HERE TO GET MY 10 BEST CHALK PAINTING TIPS & TRICKS!
Honest Review of My Chalk Painted Bathroom Vanities
Chalk Paint Dining Table Makeover
The Comments
Chris
I love it and agree that the color is perfect! Quite the transformation from what it was! You have breathed fresh, new life into it! Great job!!
Alicia
Sarah I love the way your cubby turned out!! And I’m glad you picked the olive green…I’m trying to pick a green to add to a few pieces and have had a hard time finding one that has that vintagey vibe!
Have a wonderful day❤️
joan
Such a cute piece! Did you have to sand the rust on it first?
I love all your projects.
Dianne G
I love how it turned out. The green is a nice pop of colour!
Sharon
Cute!! And I love the green too! Thanks for sharing! I love reading your blog!😉
Rhonda
Love it! And I’m glad you kept it green, it’s a great pop of color! Thank you for sharing!
Sally Brown
Love it! Looking back I love how your home haschanged over the year. You do a great job and I very much love watching you change it about.
Julie Briones
Love it, Sarah! So pretty, and the perfect color, too!
Becky Crystal
Absolutely love it!!!
Brenda Johnson
It turned out great, I love the green color and you styled it so nicely, of course! You are so blessed to have a mom that brings you such fun treasures like that!
Dena Breitmeyer
Oh WOWZA! I love how it turned out! Its such a unique piece…those are the BEST!!!! I am itching to try more of the Magnolia line colors out!!! I just have to find something in my house that doesn’t already have chalk paint on it!!! LOL!! Heck, it’s almost summer and I’ll be hitting up all the local flea markets and barn sales soon anyway…I’m sure I’ll find something that NEEDS paint!!! Happy Monday!
Debbie
I agree it is the perfect color and perfect place for it…like it was meant to be! So cute and pretty💚
Tammie Price
It turned out great, Sarah! I adore your little cubby. I have been on the green kick too! I just painted a little stool that I’ve had tucked away in the garage for about a year! Lol
Sandee
I really love how it turned out. That piece is adorable, your Mom has a good eye. I want to try Magnolia chalk paint on a couple of pieces soon. That color green is great!
Sherri
Super Cute Sarah! Hey, you may already know this, but just in case you don’t…I believe it was Rustoleum that has the canned chalk paint, isnt it?..Any way if it’s that brand, they also have a mat spray for using over the chalk paint…I used it over something I painted last summer and loved the finish it left…So just another option that was really a quick way to seal it without taking away the chalk look 😊
Terri Ann
I love how this turned out! So pretty, and I love the touch of color! I recently found you on Instagram, and I’m loving your posts and stories, as well as your beautiful blog!! 🙂
Sarah
> Terri AnnAw thank so much Terri, I am so glad you found me! xo
kelly
Sara,
What color is on the walls and the trim? I love the look of the room and the cubby too!
Sarah
> kellyThe walls are Alabaster by Sherwin Williams and the trim is ultra pure white by Behr.
Exciting News!! - Little Vintage Nest
[…] paint. There’s even an amazing line of chalk style paint too. I’ve used it on several projects now and I love it–I wrote a whole post about it here if you want to check it out. Basically […]
Denise
Sarah, are all the little greenery pots you use all over your house, real plants or artificial? If they are where do you buy them from?
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces
I just love the color you choose. ♡♡
Becky A Johnson
Cute ?sarah! Turned out really cute! Love when you come across a piece that you’ve had for a while , not during it and all of a sudden the brain kicks in and look what you have! Cute as can be!!! Thanks Sarah 🌷🌷🌷
Erika
Is that a built in shelf to the side? If not where did you purchase it!?