An Arlington mom discovers a new career in old furniture

Christen Bensten needed a house full of furniture. So she started chalk painting, which led to a design blog and a painting business based in her Arlington home.

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Blue Egg Brown Nest blogger Christen Bensten sits in a first-floor study that serves as a storage room for some of the furniture pieces she has for sale.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Christen Bensten has found the products of Annie Sloan, a line of British-made chalk paints and waxes, to be the easiest to use for her furniture rescue business.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Christen and Brent Bensten's house in North Arlington has a large garage that serves as Christen's workroom.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

The Bensten living room has lots of comfortable seating and several of Christen's painted pieces. The TV screen above the fireplace was made by Christen and Brent out of eight framed antique bird prints.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

A vignette from the Bensten family room is displayed on a chalk-painted dresser. The sparrow-topped glass cloches from Wisteria contain bird nests from Save on Crafts.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Ollie, one of three family cats, hangs out on a chair in the dining room, which features this chest chalk-painted by Christen Bensten.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

The Benstens’ master bedroom is a cozy retreat in shades of white and cream. Even cats Owen and Ollie sort of match. The couple took weathered old shutters and made them into a screen. The fighting rabbits pillow came from British-based Helkatdesign.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

An arrangement of vintage plates and framed prints over the Benstens' bed shows Christen's style.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Christen Bensten took a traditional clear glass table lamp and filled it with pages from a vintage book for her bedside table.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

The white theme of the Bensten master bedroom extends to the window treatments and slipcovered bench.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Using Annie Sloan chalk paints and waxes, Christen Bensten transforms old furniture and gives it a Paris flea market look.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Son Reid gets a chest painted by mom in his bedroom featuring a stylized blue version of the British Union Jack.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Christen Bensten finds vintage clipboards online and repurposes them to hang children's artwork and fun pictures.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

The Bensten family in their North Arlington living room. Fiona lounges on the slipcovered sofa with Christen; in the back are Reid, Brent and Greta. Christen found the weathered door on the right at the Old Lucketts Store in Leesburg.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

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