After a year of staying home, staying safe, there’s a trend towards home improvement. After all, if we’re going to spending more time in our homes, we may as well make them as beautiful as possible. But with money tight, there’s also a trend towards DIY … and taking old furniture that could be past it’s sell by date, or perhaps has just been around so long it feels a little boring, and giving it a new look. Over the next few months, we’re going to give you some fabulous ideas of easy DIY with Chalk Paint.
What is it?
Chalk Paint is the decorative furniture paint invented by Annie Sloan to be easy to use, quick, and reliable. It very rarely requires any preparation, such as sanding or priming, and can be used indoors or outside, on just about any surface. Use it to paint wood, metal, melamine. It can be used to paint flooring, or to dye fabric, and it can even be used to paint glass!
Since it’s a fool-proof furniture paint which can be used to create any look you require, it’s fantastic for beginners and for furniture painting professionals alike. From colour-blocked, modern interiors, to pine bedside tables in need of a revamp, or authentic aged rustic effects fit for much-loved heirlooms. Chalk Paint can solve all your furniture dilemmas.
And the colours of Chalk Paint are as unlimited as your imagination. Annie has created a colour palette inspired by 18th and 20th Century decor and design. Plus colours can easily be mixed to create your own bespoke shades.
The finishes are as endlessly diverse as the colour selection and there’s a look to suit every style. Two coats of Chalk Paint followed with Clear Chalk Paint Wax gives that iconic, luxuriously velvety finish which looks beautiful in every home. That said, it can be adjusted to achieve countless other looks to perfectly suit your taste, your personality, and your home. Add a little water to it to make it smooth, thicken it up by leaving the lid off, make it into a wash by adding even more water. By using different brushes, you can achieve a modern look, a more textured aged look, and there’s special wax and lacquer to protect your finish and add durability
Pick up a tin, pop open the lid and join the thousands of people around the world who’ve unlocked unknown talents, nurtured creative impulses, and saved money through the fulfilling process of upcycling their furniture and their homes!
Not sure where to start? Whether you’re a first-time painter or a pro, over the coming weeks and months we will be sharing great tips, showing how to upcycle furniture with fabulous techniques and colours.
Inspired? Ready, steady, paint! It’s easy to update furniture, whether you’ve inherited an old piece of furniture or found one at a flea market. Perhaps you simply want to update something you already own that doesn’t suit your style anymore. You don’t have to worry about sanding or priming first. You can get straight into the fun bit! Chalk Paint has incredible sticking power and will go onto almost any surface, even varnished pine or laminate. You can apply it thickly for a rustic, textured look or smoothly for a slick modern look.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO PAINTING FURNITURE
- Remove any hardware, such as handles, from your furniture if possible.
- Give your piece a quick clean with a damp cloth (avoid any harsh chemicals).
- Stir your chosen Chalk Paint colour. You can use a stir stick or anything else you have to hand.
- Dip you brush in, and apply the paint straight onto the furniture. As you paint, move the brush in every direction and all over the piece.
- Wait for the first coat to be touch dry. Depending on the climate, this could take one to three hours.
- Once dry, apply a second coat in the same manner.
- Wait for the paint to be fully dry.
- Next, apply Chalk Paint Wax in the same manner as the paint. Use a brush or lint-free cloth to apply in all directions. Work in sections removing any excess with a lint-free cloth as you go. You want to make sure every bit of paintwork has been waxed. If you’re doing an outdoor or high traffic area piece, use lacquer instead of wax.
- And that’s it! You can use the piece of furniture as soon as the wax is touch dry, but note it will take up to two weeks to reach its full hardness (known as the ‘curing period’). During this time, take extra care with the piece.
- For more inspiration visit www.https://anniesloansa.co.za/chalk-paint/
VIDEO: https://www.anniesloan.com/techniques/how-to-use-chalk-paint-by-annie-sloan-a-beginners-guide/
* Photo credits: Annie Sloan
