A few weeks ago, I introduced you to my future She Shed. Can I tell you, I’m obsessed with this project?! I can just envision how great this space will be. But, let’s be honest, it’s a bit of a mess. So what’s a girl to do besides just jump in and start working on it?!
exterior plans
I recently painted the front of the shed, but work just started on the back. The back was clad in painted plywood. My husband removed that and exposed the original, beautiful wood. Eventually that’ll get painted. First though, I have plans to cut a huge hole in the wall and switch out the tiny window for glass French doors.
This’ll allow for a TON more light. I found the French doors at Habitat for Humanity for $100. This’ll be a big project, but I think it’ll make a huge difference.
clean up
The shed was FULL of junk. Some good and some literal garbage. I moved the good stuff to another shed and got rid of the rest. Now, I have a blank slate to work with!
Luckily, the she shed already has a nice big window that lets in the prettiest light. I saw this image on Instagram and I’m planning on adding at least one shelf on the window. How pretty is this?!
View this post on Instagram
headboard
Recently, I upgraded Don’s bed. Since his vintage headboard was no longer in use, I brought it downstairs so I could list it for sale. As I was staring at it in a new context, I thought that it would make for a beautiful bench. It’ll fit perfectly in front of the window. Hopefully this will become a fun place to sit!
p.s. this picture was taken in my office. It is a MESS since we’re redoing the drywall in the living room (and its holding all of the furniture from both rooms).
old chair
This plastic chair came with our house (it was with all the junk in this shed). It’s hard to tell, but the back is pretty much broken off. Once again, I was just going to get rid of it, but my husband came up with the idea to remove the seat rest so we could use it as a stool or seat rest. I thought that was super smart!
When I shared the tutorial on painting and distressing my sister’s kitchen island, I got the request for sharing a video on how to use wax. Here’s that with a look at how I redid this chair.
how to wax furniture 
Let’s start with the video tutorial so you get an overview on what I did. Then, I’ll dive in with more details below:
If the video doesn’t work here, you can watch it on YouTube here. P.s. I’m trying to build that page up, so if you’d subscribe, I’d really appreciate that!SUPPLIES
step 1- Paint 
Start by cleaning off the piece of furniture well. This one was super dirty from all of the years in the shed. Next, give it a few coats of chalk paint.
step 2- wax
After the furniture is painted and it is dry, it’s time to add the wax. Wax is used to darken edges or highlight them- aka distressing. My little table has so many pretty details that got lost in the white paint so this is perfect for bringing those out! Wax absorbs into wood and works as the top coat on chalk paint.
To apply the wax, use a lint free rag. If you use a rag with a bunch of fibers, they’ll get into the wax and make a big mess. I personally don’t love a lot of distressing. Since I keep it light, I dab my rag into the wax and off load most of the wax onto a piece of scrap wood.
It is best to start with thin coats of wax, even if you like a super distressed look.
Remember, if you put a ton of wax on and everything is brown (or whatever color your wax it), its nearly impossible to wipe/rub it off or remove it. The distressing will lighten up a bit as it is dried and buffed in, but if you want light distressing like me, go easy on the wax.
Also, thicker wax takes longer to dry and is harder to work with. So go thin on that wax! If you don’t, you can sand it down or paint over the wax until you get the look you want.
After the wax has dried for 15-20 minutes, use another lint free rag and buff the wax into the piece of furniture until its shiny. If you want to do additional distressing with sanding, now is when you’ll want to do that. Otherwise, you’re finished!
after
Here is the finished table in all of her glory! I ended up painting one wall of the She Shed (Beloved Pink by Behr) so I could see how I like the color for the whole room. Luckily, I think it’ll work! Usually, I do white walls, but it’s such a pretty pink, I’m excited about it!
I figure this stool/end table will be perfect for holding potted plants (and maybe a faux bunny 😉 ). The wood sign is from Curious Timbers on Etsy. The owner designed it just for in here. I LOVE it and can’t wait to hang it on the wall.
Anyway, I have one happy corner in here so I’m considering this major progress! This table was a bit of a paint to paint (all those crevices!). But I love how it turned out and really like that I am using pieces that belong to the house to bring this shed back to life.
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
If you love it, pin it!
