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This makeover turns a brown Henredon piece into a fresh green accent with Maison Blanche St. Anne’s chalk paint. The original project calls the furniture an “entry table” in its headline and a “desk” in the article; it does not establish that the piece is a buffet. Follow the same method for a buffet if that is the furniture you own, but confirm its construction and hardware before you begin.
The process is straightforward: remove the drawers and hardware, apply chalk paint with a foam roller and small brush, allow each coat to dry for a few hours or overnight, correct drips and thin areas, then protect the finish with clear water-based satin varnish. The original brass knobs and gold-painted leg details remain visible in the finished look.
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What this Maison Blanche St. Anne project actually shows
Rhoda of Southern Hospitality bought the piece at a yard sale for $25. She described it as a Henredon piece that was brown wood originally and had been painted black several years earlier. Her makeover used Maison Blanche St. Anne’s, a fresh green chalk-paint color.
“I found this one at a yard sale for $25 and it’s a Henredon piece.”
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— Rhoda of Southern Hospitality, quoted in Remodelaholic’s June 28, 2016 project
That price is one person’s yard-sale purchase, not a typical value for Henredon furniture or a prediction of what a similar piece should cost. The source also does not verify the current availability of the exact St. Anne’s shade. If you cannot locate it, choose a compatible fresh green chalk paint, but do not assume another color will reproduce the photographed result exactly.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The source article is “Beautiful Green Entry Table + Tips for Chalk Paint”, published June 28, 2016.
Materials and tools
Rhoda’s list is intentionally short. Gather the following before you start:
| Item | How it was used |
|---|---|
| Maison Blanche St. Anne’s chalk paint, or your chosen chalk paint color | Paint for the furniture; St. Anne’s is described as a fresh green. |
| Clear water-based satin varnish | Protective topcoat that adds a little sheen and a solid finish. |
| Small foam roller | Application on flat sections. |
| Small paintbrush | Application in crevices and detailed areas. |
You will also need a protected work area and a place to set the removed drawers and hardware. The article does not specify a primer, stripper, sanding schedule, or special cleaning product, so those steps should not be presented as part of this documented makeover.
Before painting: identify the piece and prepare the work area
Resolve the “buffet” question
A buffet normally has storage intended for dining or serving, while an entry table or desk may have a different layout and depth. The documented piece is not confirmed as a buffet. Check whether your furniture has drawers, doors, a writing surface, delicate trim, or a back designed to sit against a wall. Those features affect how you support it while painting and where you can safely place removed parts.
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Protect the surrounding surface
Rhoda protected the work area before applying paint. Use a drop cloth or another covering that can catch roller splatter and drips, and leave enough room to move the roller and brush around the legs. Keep the drawers and hardware in a labeled spot so the original brass knobs can return to their locations after the clear coat dries.
Remove drawers and hardware
Take out the drawers and remove the knobs or pulls before painting. This exposes the frame around each opening and prevents paint from bridging the hardware or building up on screw heads. The documented project retained the original brass knobs, so removal is a way to protect and reuse them rather than replace them.
How to apply the chalk paint
1. Roll the flat sections
Load the small foam roller with chalk paint and work across the broad, flat surfaces. A foam roller keeps the application tool small enough for a furniture project and was the tool used on the project’s flat sections. Work in manageable areas so you can see where coverage is thin and where paint begins to collect.
2. Brush the crevices and edges
Use the small paintbrush where the roller cannot reach: around trim, inside corners, along drawer openings, and in the furniture’s recessed details. The goal is continuous coverage without forcing a roller into a groove where it may leave a ridge or miss the bottom of the recess.
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3. Watch for drips while the coat is wet
Inspect legs, lower rails, corners, and the underside of overhanging edges as you work. Rhoda specifically advised watching for drips. Smooth a fresh run before it dries, then move on; a quick check from several angles is more useful than judging the surface from directly above.
4. Let the first coat dry
Expect to use a couple of coats. Rhoda allowed the first coat to dry for a few hours or overnight before applying the second. Choose the longer interval if the surface still feels wet or looks unsettled. Applying another coat too soon can disturb the first layer, while a fully dry, chalk-like surface is ready for the next pass.
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- IDEAL FOR FURNITURE REFRESHES: Chalked is perfect for updating nightstands, coffee tables, bookshelves, cabinets, and more. It adheres to wood, metal, ceramic, canvas, and more—turning everyday pieces into stylish, custom accents with ease
- QUICK CLEANUP, NO FUSS: When your project is done, cleanup is quick and easy with just soap and water. No special products or harsh chemicals needed—just a smooth finish and a clean workspace, ready for your next idea
- FAST-DRYING, ONE-COAT COVERAGE: Most surfaces need only one coat, and it dries to the touch in just 30 minutes. That means less waiting and more doing—perfect for weekend projects, last-minute updates, or spontaneous creative sessions
- SMOOTH-TO-TOUCH MATTE FINISH: Chalked delivers a soft, ultra-matte finish that feels as good as it looks. Whether your style is modern, minimalist, boho, or classic, this smooth, velvety texture adds a refined, trendy-yet-timeless touch to any project
5. Apply the second coat and inspect coverage
Repeat the roller-and-brush sequence. After the second coat, look for thin areas, missed recesses, and edges that received less paint than the broad faces. Touch up those spots rather than assuming the second pass made every area uniform. The original makeover deliberately left the gold-painted details on the legs visible over the earlier black finish, so do not automatically cover every contrasting accent.
Preserving gold details and the original hardware
The finished project kept gold-painted details on the legs visible. This creates contrast against the green body and avoids turning a decorative element into a flat block of color. Masking is not described in the source; instead, use the small brush carefully around details you want to retain and keep the roller on the larger painted fields.
Set the original brass knobs aside during painting and varnishing. Once the protective coat has dried, reinstall them in their original positions. Reusing the hardware keeps the makeover tied to the furniture’s existing character and is part of the documented final appearance.
Sealing chalk paint with a water-based satin varnish
Why Rhoda chose varnish
After the paint dried to a chalk-like, dry-feeling finish, Rhoda applied clear water-based satin varnish with the same small roller and brush. She preferred varnish because it provides a solid finish with a little sheen. Apply it across the flat sections with the roller and work it into crevices with the brush, following the same coverage pattern used for the paint.
Varnish versus wax: what the source does and does not establish
The article notes that many DIYers use wax, but Rhoda chose varnish. It does not report a controlled comparison, durability test, or measured difference between the two products.
| Finish option | Documented information | What you can conclude |
|---|---|---|
| Clear water-based satin varnish | Used over the dried chalk paint with a foam roller and small brush; Rhoda wanted a solid finish and a little sheen. | It is the finish documented for this makeover. |
| Wax | Mentioned as a common choice among DIYers; no product, application test, or performance result is provided. | It is an alternative mentioned by the author, not a tested equivalent. |
Whichever finish you select, keep the distinction clear: the green color and painted details come from the paint layer, while the varnish is the protective topcoat described in this project. Do not apply the varnish until the paint has reached the dry, chalk-like feel Rhoda described.
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- EASY TO USE, EVEN FOR BEGINNERS: Whether you’re new to DIY or a pro, Rust-Oleum Chalked makes painting easy and enjoyable. Minimal prep required means you can jump right into your project confidently and focus on creativity—not complicated steps
- IDEAL FOR FURNITURE REFRESHES: Chalked is perfect for updating nightstands, coffee tables, bookshelves, cabinets, and more. It adheres to wood, metal, ceramic, canvas, and more—turning everyday pieces into stylish, custom accents with ease
- QUICK CLEANUP, NO FUSS: When your project is done, cleanup is quick and easy with just soap and water. No special products or harsh chemicals needed—just a smooth finish and a clean workspace, ready for your next idea
- FAST-DRYING, ONE-COAT COVERAGE: Most surfaces need only one coat, and it dries to the touch in just 30 minutes. That means less waiting and more doing—perfect for weekend projects, last-minute updates, or spontaneous creative sessions
- SMOOTH-TO-TOUCH MATTE FINISH: Chalked delivers a soft, ultra-matte finish that feels as good as it looks. Whether your style is modern, minimalist, boho, or classic, this smooth, velvety texture adds a refined, trendy-yet-timeless touch to any project
A complete work sequence
- Set up protection. Cover the work area and arrange a safe place for drawers, knobs, and pulls.
- Remove movable parts. Take out drawers and remove the original hardware.
- Paint the broad faces. Use the small foam roller on flat sections.
- Paint the details. Use the small brush in crevices and around trim.
- Check for runs. Look at legs, corners, lower rails, and edges for drips while the paint is workable.
- Allow the first coat to dry. Wait a few hours or overnight, depending on when the surface becomes dry.
- Apply the second coat. Repeat the roller and brush method, preserving any gold details you want to show.
- Touch up. Correct thin or missed areas after the second coat.
- Seal. Apply clear water-based satin varnish with the roller on flat areas and brush in recesses.
- Reassemble. Once the protective finish has dried, reinstall the original brass knobs and return the drawers.
Troubleshooting the documented problems
Drips appear on a leg or edge
Rhoda’s advice is to watch for drips during application. Check vertical surfaces as you move around the piece and smooth a visible run before it dries. After the coat has dried, inspect the area again rather than burying a raised drip under another coat.
The second coat still looks patchy
Thin coverage can occur in recesses, along edges, or where the roller passed lightly. The source recommends touching up thin areas after the second coat. Use the small brush for those corrections and allow the paint to dry before sealing.
The finish looks too flat
Chalk paint dries with a chalk-like feel. Rhoda selected clear satin varnish specifically for a little sheen and a solid finish. The satin topcoat is therefore the documented way to change the final surface appearance without changing the green paint color.
You want to keep a decorative accent visible
The project retained gold-painted leg details over the earlier black finish. Treat those accents as part of the design: use a small brush around them and avoid rolling over them as if they were an ordinary flat panel.
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If your furniture is definitely a buffet, the same coating sequence can still be useful, but plan around its different storage layout. Remove and label every drawer, keep doors open or removed while painting their edges, and make sure the roller can reach the broad front and side panels. Recessed interiors and narrow ledges are brush work. The source documents an entry table or desk rather than a buffet, so these adaptations are practical planning choices rather than details verified from the original project.
Preserve features that give the piece its identity: original knobs, contrasting leg details, and any trim that benefits from the green-and-gold combination. The makeover’s character comes from updating the main painted surfaces without erasing every older detail.
Quick Recap
What this makeover can—and cannot—tell you
- It demonstrates a two-coat chalk-paint approach using a small foam roller and brush.
- It documents clear water-based satin varnish as the author’s protective finish.
- It shows that original brass knobs and gold-painted leg details can remain part of the final design.
- It records a $25 yard-sale purchase for one Henredon piece in 2016, not a general furniture price.
- It does not establish that the furniture was a buffet, verify current stock of Maison Blanche St. Anne’s, or compare varnish and wax in a controlled test.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
