White paint is one of my favorite ways to dramatically change a piece of furniture and add cottage style! I'm sharing some of my favorite makeovers here!

I love drama.

Not the teenage kind (just wanted to be clear!!)...the kind that comes when a boring, dated and dark piece of furniture or decor is dramatically transformed with chalk paint!

Today is Thrifty Style Team, and I'm sharing 12 of my very favorite white paint makeovers! These are all my own pieces. Some have been painted using my DIY chalk paint recipe, others have been painted using purchased chalk paint, latex paint and even enamel primer! Each piece is proof of the power of white paint to make a dramatic transformation!


You can click on the link in each description to see the process I used for each piece.  In most cases, you'll also get to see the aforementioned ugly before pictures! At the end of my post you'll find links to the other Thrifty Style Team projects.

Dramatic White Chalk Paint Transformations

1. Cottage Dresser


I don't know what took me so long to paint this beauty. Oh wait, yes I do...this dresser had some major damage and I was intimidated to tackle it! In the end, I am so pleased with the results! The white paint and new hardware give it a gorgeous, cottage feel and really highlight the piece!

2. Large Chalkboard


Can you believe that I paid only $10 for this gigantic frame at a yard sale? You can read the whole story by clicking the link...plus see how it looked when I bought it!

3. Built-in Bookshelves


When we bought this home nearly 2 years ago, the living room was stuck in the dark ages...literally! Dark paneling, dark wood bookshelves and a dark, dirty red fireplace. This room has seen a lot of changes and is now a light and airy place for the family to gather!

4. Entry Table


This entry table makeover is an oldie...and the pictures are less than stellar, but it's still one of my favorite makeovers to date! I refinished the top in a darker stain, and completely transformed the bottom! Check it out!

5. Breakfast Table


Our present kitchen is tight and trying to fit furniture in the room has been difficult! I finally found the solution with a pair of small bistro chairs, a small pew and this round pedestal table that I found on Craigslist. The chairs that came with the table are being used in my dining room as they're too large for the kitchen. Updating the table is not something I posted about because it was late fall last year and I had too much else going on! But just in case you were wondering, I painted it white 😂

6. Stenciled Dresser


This was one of those pieces that very nearly got thrown out...it was that bad! Sun damage had ruined the color of the dresser. I'm so glad I not only saved it...but I think I elevated its status in the whole "dresser world" with the stenciled drawers!

7. French Country Hutch


This is another really old project (hence the awful pictures!) but it's such a dramatic makeover that I had to include it. I no longer own this white hutch, but sometimes I dream about it 😍 I paid $40 for this hutch...and you'll understand when you see the before!

8. Fireplace


Yes, white chalk paint can dramatically alter even a fireplace! This little painting project started off as a cleaning experiment...and a couple hours later I would up with this! An easy project that anyone can do!! p.s. I would rather paint than clean any day of the week!

9. Mantle Clock


You probably own one or two of these mantle clocks! They were very popular when I was growing up and chimed the hour. They're very easy to paint and look entirely different with a fresh coat of white!

10. TV Console


Old dressers can easily be repurposed as TV consoles! You can read all about this makeover...and find out where this dresser came from!

11. Laundry Cabinet


This farmhouse laundry room makeover came in at under $100! Most of the transformation happened with paint! It lightened the room and painting the cabinets freshened it up!

12. Farmhouse Clock


Sometimes it's fun to think outside the box with home decor! That's how this faux farmhouse clock came to be! Check out the post to find out what I used to make it...hint...it's from a piece of IKEA furniture!

And there you have it...12 dramatic white paint transformations! I hope you're inspired to try a makeover of your own! Please feel free to share and Pin this image for future reference 💙 and I'd love to hear what your favorite white painted piece has been to date!


Let's see what my Thrifty Style Team members have been up to this month...



bringing beauty to the ordinary,