Painted French Provincial Dressers And Chests: Ideas To Inspire
In this blog post we are talking about French Provincial style furniture And in this post I’ve rounded up makeovers featuring painted dressers and chests of this style. This is a beautiful style that is very elegant. The charm of French Provincial furniture lies in its ability to seamlessly blend vintage elegance with modern comfort. And, when these pieces are given a fresh coat of paint, they maintain their beauty but once again come alive. Hopefully these makeovers will inspire you to take on your own projects for your home space.
And if you are totally new to painting furniture you may want to check out Chalk Mineral Paint Basics for helpful tips on getting started.
What Is French Provincial Style?
French Provincial style is like the beautiful, fairy-tale furniture. I could see it being used by Princesses even. It originally came from a region in France called Provence, and that’s why it’s called ‘Provincial’. This furniture has curvy, rounded lines and pretty details and carvings.
When painted, the furniture looks even more elegant. I think it looks really pretty painted in bold rich colors and especially when accented with gold. But in this roundup from so many talented furniture artists, you’ll see many colors and styles used. This will encourage you to consider all your options and see what inspires you!
How To Prep French Provincial Furniture For Painting
First consider checking out this post to learn all the details about prepping for paint:
Before we show off these gorgeous makeovers of French Provincial Painted Dressers and Chests, let’s do a quick review of prep. What I mean by this is how to prep furniture for painting. And French Provincial furniture is not unlike other furniture. If the furniture is solid wood, it can be sanded or scuff sanded. I talk more about How To Get A Smoother Finish With Chalk Paint.
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Primer For French Provincial Painted Furniture
But, much of the French Provincial furniture I have painted is a slick veneer type overlay. It is heavy and sturdy but the outer layer is somewhat slick. So, I have not tried to sand these pieces. Instead, I chose to use a bonding primer.
You may be wondering what is a bonding primer? Well, a bonding primer is a primer that acts as a layer between your furniture and the paint you choose to allow the paint to adhere to slick surfaces. Examples of these slick surfaces include laminates, veneers, plastics, glass and others.
I talk about primers, including bonding primers in these post:
There are several good bonding primers, but I chose Wise Owl Stain Eliminating Primer for this project. It is an excellent primer in general but also a bonding primer. It comes in clear, gray, white and dark gray. Two coats offered very good coverage for my French Provincial Painted Furniture pieces.
To see a few other French Provincial Refinishing Projects check out: French Provincial Painted Desks And Vanities, French Provincial Desk Makeover, and Painting A French Provincial Desk.
How To Paint French Provincial Dressers And Chests
There really is no magic to painting these French Provincial style pieces. Pretty much follow the same path as with other furniture items. After you prime the piece (if needed) paint can be applied.
I have painted these French Provincial style pieces with Amy Howard One Step Paint and with Wise Owl One Hour Enamel Paint. Both paints worked very nicely. It’s honestly more about choosing a good quality paint with good coverage.
Another important factor in painting any furniture, French Provincial or otherwise, is having the right supplies. So check out:
For most pieces I do a minimum of two coats, sometimes three. Also, I failed to mention above but to save time with the primer and painting process, consider using an all-in-one paint product. I talk a bit more about these types of paint here:
One advantage of these products is not being required to prime and topcoat. However, you can choose to add additional topcoats if you choose. Especially if you are applying transfers or gold leaf you will need some type of topcoat or wax to seal.
Transfers And Stencils For French Provincial Dressers And Chests
These gorgeous curvy features and rounded corners of many French Provincial pieces creates the perfect backdrop for beautiful designs. Consider adding design elements like stencils, transfers, gold leaf, painted hardware, and more.
There are so many options for adding a special touch to your painted French Provincial Dressers and Chests. However, if these types or details are not your style, you can certainly go with a more simple look which is always fresh.
Here are a few helpful posts:
Next, let’s look at some gorgeous makeovers from various furniture artists. Hopefully these will inspire you with some ideas for your French Provincial pieces.
Painted French Provincial Dressers And Chests
Now I want to share some gorgeous makeover from various furntiure artists. These makeover feature French Provincial dressers and chests that have been beautifully updated with paint. These styles vary so much from one to the other, but all so lovely.
This makeover features a tall lingerie chest. It is beautifully painted with Amy Howard One Step Paint. Also added design elements using a Redesign Transfer and a Dixie Belle Transfer along with Posh Chalk Pigment for gold accents. It is all rosy purple and gold and I love it!
French Provincial Dresser Makeover Part Three | Final Reveal
This dresser painted by Cindy at Edith & Evelyn Home turned out beautifuly. It was painted in a dusty blue chalk paint and she used a homemade brown glaze to add depth.
This dresser was redone by redone by Christy at Confessions Of A Serial DIYer. She used Silk Paint in Anchor which is one of my favorite colors of Silk Paint. If you scroll to the bottom of her blog post you'll see the final results and it is gorgeous.
Also by Christy, this tall chest is basically a sister to the one prior. It is also done in Silk Paint In Anchor and using a gold transfer as well. I love the outcome as you can't go wrong with black and gold!
Next, this blue beauty by Natalie at A Ray Of Sunlight. It is just perfectly painted with a mixture of Country Chic paints. The hardware refreshed with gold. Truly a lovely French Provincial makeover.
Denise at Salvaged Inspirations shows off this beautiful dresser painted with Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint. Next, she whitewashed the dresser top and painted body with a chalk paint watered down. It is just a lovely finish. Such a relaxing color.
At Our Hopeful Home Blog, Kathleen painted a beautiful finish on this dresser with Rust-oleum Chalked Aged Gray Paint. I think it's a beautiful job and so elegant.
A beautifully painted French Provincial dresser by Faye at Farm Life Best Life using Country Chic Paint in a lovely gray color. It is so elegant and lovely. I love how her makeover turned out.
In her blog post at Girl In The Garage, Jen shows off a beautifully painted French Provincial Chest. It is painted with Fusion Mineral Paint in gray with white trim. Oh my, it is such a beauty!
Before and After: DIY Curbside French Provincial Dresser Makeover
At The Vanderveen House blog, they show off a baby blue painted French Provincial chest done so simply and sweetly with General Finishes Milk Paint. I love the simplicity of this makeover, as it really enhances the beauty of this piece.
These dresser by Cuckoo 4 Design is painted in Annie Sloan Graphite, a deep gray color. This simple paint job and the updated gold painted pulls really show off the curvy lines of her paint job makeover.
Okay, I must admit that this is one of my favorite makeovers in the post. This one by Thirty Eighth Street is done in a teal blue paint by Country Chic Paints. And the combination of the teal blue paint and gold hardware is just stunning.
Melanie at Lost and Found Decor painted this French Provincial furniture with a lovely gray paint by Jolie Paints with a black finishing wax. What a sweet and beautiful outcome.
Another lovely makeover from Christy is up next. This one is French Provincial chest and she opted for a lilac color of Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint - Secret Path with some blending of Dixie Belle Cotton. Another simply stunning refinishing job.
Over at Under A Texas Sky, this artist shows off a beautiful makeover of a French Provincial chest using Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint and also using Moonshine Metallics paint for the glamorous accenting.
Melanie at Lost And Found Decor once again refinished a French Provincial chest. And she painted it with Fusion Mineral Paint in a pretty light sea green. She also used some dark wax to add depth. You'll find more details on her blog.
Another one of my favorite dresser makeovers of this roundup post is this one. Done by Laura at Brushed Design Co, this dresser was elegantly but simply painted with Fusion Mineral Paint in raw silk with a Minwax Stained top. The end result is simply beautiful and fresh.
At designsbywillowfarms.com they redid a gorgeous long French Provincial Dresser with blends of General Finishes Milk Paint to make a sweet soft pink.
This lovely makeover by Kathy at Delightsome Life shows off her artistry. It features Fusion Mineral Painted Body and a hand-painted design on the drawer fronts.
Summary – Painted French Provincial Dressers And Chests
So now that you’ve seen so many wonderful ideas I hope you’ll be inspired to paint a French Provincial find as well. They are beautiful furniture pieces to add some character to your home. And, as you can see there are so many painting styles and colors from which to choose.
So, wishing you luck with your next painting project. Let me know if you have any questions!
