I have been coveting all the concrete pottery vases and urns but wasn’t ready to splurge on them! One day while antiquing for new bookcase accents I happened across a $5 chocolate brown urn. It was ugly-as-sin in its 70s glory but I saw an opportunity to create what I have been yearning for without the high dollar price tag.
Follow along to see the step by step process you can use on your own antique finds!
Take a look at the piece in all it’s before-makeover-glory! With the cool color scheme in my house, this chocolate brown would never have fit in.
First up is two layers of this white primer. It’s glaring white and too flat to be the final color layer but it’s a great way to cover up the deep original color. Don’t worry about the layers being incredibly even. If there are scuffs in the paint while it is drying, they’ll just give it more character and add help the vintage, earthenware look.
Two layers of white and you can see some of the brush strokes but that’s totally fine! We’ll be covering it up with texture and other paints.
Next up is to add some texture. I chose a texture that was all white so that I could control the color after it dried with paint blends. There are other texture colors available if you are going for a different color! I found this can at Hobby Lobby for $12.99 (bonus frugal points if you wait for the paint to go on sale!).
Start by spraying even layers over your piece and then you can add more texture in certain areas if you wish for it to vary.
Here you can see the dried primer and texture (along with those scuff marks I discussed that add more depth and authenticity). Now we are ready to start adding in some color!
I used a combination of these paints to create the concrete color. To create depth on the piece I used varying amounts of the Iced coffee, mixed both together and in some areas used the white.
Here you can see the base layer of the Iced coffee. Using a sponge brush, I used dabs and strokes to create altering thickness of the brown. To lighten in certain areas, barely dip a corner of your brush in a glass of water and thin the paint. Be sure to blend well to avoid brush strokes showing.
Here you can see the three different layers during the paint process. The right shows only Iced Coffee, the middle is a mix of white and iced coffee overlaid and the right shows the primed layer. Be sure to overlay the mixed paint over the whole piece.
I am so thrilled with how this piece turned out and now I have the itch to make over all the flea market uglies that need a new life! You can style on your favorite coffee table books for a nightstand, bookcase, or bathroom vanity. A little texture goes a long way to making a space feel put together!
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