This is a new adventure for me, oh I’ve painted furniture for years, but the old school way, sanding, priming, painting, sealing, etc., so I’ve resisted the whole chalk paint movement, it sounded too good to be true, what, no priming?! Too trendy, too expensive, too easy! But then again, I was reluctant to join the computer age and actually the entire 21st century and here I am….. a blogger! So I’ve been seeing pieces of furniture at auctions that just needed too much work to restore to original, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try chalk painting! I simply refuse however to paint oak or walnut wood unless the piece is really too far gone, so I am limited, but there’s still plenty out there to paint. Here are my first two pieces to experiment on, nothing fancy and $2.00 each at auction.
So I bought Annie Sloan paint and wax, one clear wax and one dark wax. Youza, expensive! But I thought I’d go straight to the old master for the first time. I was surprised and pleased when I painted my first strokes! The paint is fumeless, so I can paint in the house! It goes on like a dream and it doesn’t drip, and yes I didn’t sand or seal, just cleaned the surface to be painted, I was overjoyed with how easy it was and I love the colors. Now, the wax part is a different story, it isn’t hard to do, you can wipe it on with a cloth or you can use a brush, but the entire piece must be sealed with clear wax, then to add a deeper color or a “patina” you must go over the clear wax with the dark wax. It’s not hard, but I wouldn’t say its exactly easy, especially if your piece has carving on it. But after you see the end result, it is so worth the effort! The finish feels silky, and the color is enhanced and instantly aged! To take this further, chalk paint colors can be mixed and layered and it really is addicting! I think I will try other chalk paint manufactures, they are much cheaper, but we’ll see if they are as good as Annie’s. After my experience with the small chair and mirror, I bought an enormous china cabinet that was hideously gold and I’m tackling that with Annie Sloan’s “French Linen” beautiful color, I’ll let a little of the gold shine through, then I’ll finish with clear wax and the dark wax. Big project, but I think the end result will be stunning, thank goodness it’s in 2 pieces! Here’s my progress so far on the china cabinet. Stay tuned for the unveiling of all 3 pieces and for more chalk painting adventures! I’ve already bought a mirror and 2 more tables!
Okay, my gold cabinet is finished and I think it’s stunning! I posted it on facebook marketplace and sold it the next day! Here it is! I did learn one VERY important trick that I’d like to pass on, if you plan on using dark wax, rather than apply a coat of clear, then come back with a coat of dark, just mix the clear wax and the dark wax together in a separate container and you’ll only have to do one application, this saves lots of time! Check back for more finished pieces!
Update! I’m still painting, it’s February and COLD, so it’s a good time to paint before gardening starts. I’ve been seeing chalk painted upholstery and leather and decided to try it, it really seems too good to true for those pieces that have perfectly good upholstery but need an updated color. I found these throne chairs at an estate sale, they are beautiful and sturdy just the way they are, but they are a little dated with their dark green vinyl, so I painted them with a sandy color and added my mixed wax, dark and light mixed together for a beautiful finish and patina and here they are! The wax makes them feel like fine calf leather! It’s quick and easy and opens up a whole new avenue for updating antiques! Next time I’ll show you the fabric I’m painting on two Victorian rosewood chairs. Stay tuned!
