Transforming Old Concrete Planters
Heavy, weathered concrete planters drink up a wash of Provence chalk paint and emerge with the loveliest aged French patina.
The Painted Drawer · May 2015
The season has turned firmly toward outdoor living, and after a round of painting wicker in milk paint with a glaze, attention shifted to the garden — and specifically to a pair of old concrete planters that had been kicking around for years. They are seriously heavy, more than a little dirty, and undeniably old. But the shape, the design, the generous size, even the broken-off bits and chipped edges all add up to something charming. They are perfectly imperfect, and exactly the kind of thing a little paint can bring back to life.
Painting concrete with chalk paint
The color of choice was Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Provence, that gorgeous soft blue-green that instantly conjures a French garden. The plan was a simple wash — paint thinned with water and floated over the surface.
Concrete, it turns out, has other ideas.
- It drinks paint. The porous concrete soaked up the wash like a sponge, swallowing color almost as fast as it went on.
- Go heavier than you expect. The thin wash kept disappearing into the surface, so it took nearly straight, undiluted paint to build up a good, even color.
- Embrace the texture. All those pits, chips, and rough edges catch the paint beautifully and add to the aged effect rather than fighting it.
What a difference a little paint makes. The tired grey concrete now wears that lovely, faded French patina — soft, aged, and full of character. Provence is the perfect color for the job, reading like something that has sat in a sun-warmed European garden for decades rather than a backyard for years.
The old concrete planters now have that lovely, aged French vibe — perfectly imperfect, just as they were.
A happy feature
There was a bit of lovely news to share alongside the planters, too: our vintage French flower pots were featured this week on the Joann Fabric and Craft Stores website. It is always a thrill to see a project celebrated, and a wonderful encouragement to keep transforming the humble, overlooked things.
Chalk paint on concrete is a brilliant, low-effort upgrade for any garden. Whether your planters are heirlooms passed down through the family or yard-sale finds, a wash — or, where the concrete is thirsty, a near-solid coat — of a soft color like Provence can give them an instant, weathered, French-garden charm. Do not let a little dirt and a few chips put you off. Those are the very things that make them beautiful.