When I first started shopping for a crib I had my eye on this little modern beauty, but soon realized spending $2249 is crazy and I should stop looking at sites named “Posh Tots.” We’re putting the baby in a room the size of most people’s closets – his life probably won’t be described as posh. Then, luckily, I fell in love my friend’s adorable Jenny Lind style crib. It’s classic, simple, and on the smaller side. When she told me it was only $160 from Walmart I was sold. Done and done. And then I had to go and complicate things and decide to paint it red. My gut told me I should a) pay someone to do it b) spray paint it or at least c) disassemble the bed before I paint it. I, of course, ignored my gut and did none of those things.
I wanted a matte finish on the crib, so I decided to use Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in the color, Emperor’s Silk. The paint doesn’t require you to sand or prime the furniture beforehand so I was pretty sure this was going to be a snap. Shockingly, I was wrong. The bed ended up needing 3 coats of paint (I should’ve started with the white crib rather than the dark finish) and let me say, painting 3 coats onto spindles with a paint brush is pretty much my hell. After the paint dried, I applied Annie Sloane’s clear wax, which added one more step. The paint itself is really great. It looks amazing. And although I didn’t go this route, it gives you the option to lightly sand the furniture after painting to give the piece an antique finish. Using it on this crib was pretty painful, but I have to admit I’m 100% satisfied with the result. It was worth it. It turned my inexpensive crib into one of my favorite parts of the room. I still need to put up the wallpaper (definitely hiring someone to do it) and make/buy the curtains, but the room is almost done. I’ll share the finished pictures with you soon. For those of you sick of baby-related posts, I’ve got a cocktail recipe coming up tomorrow to make it up to you!
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The crib is absolutely fantastic! I can’t wait to see the full room.
Thanks Kate! It’s all because of you
I love the idea of chalk paint! I also adore the vintage crates underneath – what a perfect touch for a perfect make over! Great job!
Thanks Vel!
Love the red, but is the paint safe is the baby chews on it? I know when my kids were teething the crib rail was fair game.
Hi Lynn – From my research I found that people say it is safe for kids and cribs. It’s a water based, eco-friendly paint with extremely low VOCs. That said, I’ll still probably put up chew guards when he gets to that age just to be safe!
Good to know! Glad you checked it out
Hi,
I love the red crib. I just bought some of the Annie Sloane paint in Emperor’s Silk to do this same thing for my baby’s crib. How would you describe the shade of red when it dries. I put a drop onto some white paper and it dried almost terra cotta.
Thanks!
Hi Ariel,
The color in the picture is pretty true to life. It’s a dull red, but definitely more red and darker than a terra cotta. The clear wax you put on at the end will darken it slightly. Good luck with your crib!
How many quarts did you use? How is the crib holding up? What was your purpose for using the clear wax, more protection?
Thanks
Hi Curtis. I only used 1 quart on the crib and it’s holding up great! No complaints at all. Yes, the clear wax protects the paint and makes it more durable. It also adds a very subtle sheen.
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