Tuesday, January 5, 2016

My Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Experience

 

Hello 2016! I took a break from my blog over the holidays so it’s been awhile since I posted. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is starting the new year out on a positive note!

I have an exciting little project to share with you all! I’ll start at the beginning..

I’m sure you have all heard of Annie Sloan chalk paint, right? If you want to learn more about it, visit their website here.

So, being the skeptic I usually am, I was a little hesitant to fall into the “rave” over some chalk paint that cost four times as much as my regular water based that I’ve always used all these years. (I can be annoying and set in my ways like that) :\ 

I have made my own chalk paint now and then, mostly just to try something new. Eventually I will share those recipes with you, but for now let’s focus on Annie Sloan paint..

This past spring at the vintage fair, I met a lady from The Village Gift Barn (an outstanding place to visit if you are ever in the area) who kindly told me I can pick out a quart of Annie Sloan chalk paint, any color I wish! I guess she probably saw that I really enjoy painting and wanted to get me started on this chalk paint. The thing with this paint is you can’t get it just anywhere. You need to get it at a place where an Annie Sloan stockist is and I don’t know of any other place in the area that has it, besides the Berlin Village Gift Barn. They are great to work with there and very helpful. They also offer painting seminars and classes.

So, after picking out a “Duck Egg” from the selection, I stuck the quart of paint in my paint cupboard and didn’t get around to trying it out until fall.

My friend Linda gave me this little stand that she was going to pitch, and I knew that this was the piece I would use as my first Annie Sloan experiment.

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Pretty ugly, right?

 

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The green paint is an ugly, shiny, oil based paint from eons ago. The funny thing is the paint underneath that is almost identical to the “Duck Egg” I would apply.

The top had an old floral print contact paper on it. That would definitely need to go too.

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First I removed the contact paper. I decided to go with only one shelf on the inside, so I tore out the shelf holders that I wouldn’t need.

I also made a door frame. I thought that a little chicken fence door would complete the look I want.

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So now, the fun part..

I really really wish I could convey in a picture how it was to paint with Annie Sloan paint, but I guess that’s why I didn’t bother to take any pictures while painting, since I knew it was impossible.

Let’s just say that with one coat of chalk paint, the ugly green color was gone! I was quite impressed!

When I got the paint, the first thing I noticed was the weight of it. It was much heavier than regular paint. So, evidently there is something about paint that allows it to give better coverage, the heavier it is.

To prove my point: The ugly stand had the same green paint on the inside as the outside and I used three coats of regular white latex paint to cover all the green on the inside, and only one coat of Annie Sloan on the outside!

I didn’t sand down anything, just brushed it on with a regular bristle brush.

So again, the “before”…

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And now, the “after”…

 

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Pretty amazing, huh?

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I put fresh, new contact paper on the top.

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So… on a scale of 1 to 10, I would definitely give Annie Sloan chalk paint a 20 err, 10!!

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No, I won’t be completely giving up my other paint I use, but I do admit this chalk paint was more than I expected. I have since bought some more. (that’s coming from someone who waits to buy regular paint until it’s on sale, or even mistinted!) And I’ve also gotten some Annie Sloan wax that I will share more on later!

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1 comment:

  1. I LOVE that paint! I was so happy when they started selling it locally. Used to drive up to Seville to get it! I just bought Old White, just haven't had time to paint anything yet!

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