Archives for June 2012

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint has revolutionized furniture painting for me. With this paint there is no stripping, sanding, priming, painting a first coat, waiting for days for the paint to cure, sanding again, painting a second coat . . . for anyone who has refinished furniture, you know the time-consuming nature of it all. NOW . . . with this wonderful medium . . . all I have to do with that shabby little piece I picked up at the neighborhood garage sale, is dust it off and start painting!

One coat is usually enough to cover. The paint dries quickly and can be sealed the same day with the wax, which comes in either clear or dark, to give it a more aged appearance. There are a wide variety of colors available and they can be mixed to make custom colors. It is really all about experimenting until you get just the look you want.

For this piece I combined Arles and Antibes Green. I was a little worried about what my husband’s reaction would be to such a vibrant color right in the middle of our living room, but when he came home from work he absolutely loved it!

Part of the beauty of chalk paint is in it’s versatility. In my experience, every piece of furniture seems to call for a different finish. While one item may be just perfect with the silky smooth effect achieved with a coat or two of paint and clear wax, another (like the piece above), seemed destined for the use of a sanding sponge (this paint is so easily distressed) and dark wax, to end up looking like a much cherished piece of furniture. Most of the time I prefer furniture that has a little bit of an aged and distressed look. I believe that there is great beauty in imperfection.