Made It My Own with Annie Sloan - Competition

Since discovering Annie Sloan's range of decorative paints, I have been crazy about her Chalk Paint™ and the amazing things you can do with it. Recently I was invited to help spread the word that Annie is giving everyone a chance to show off their creative wares using Chalk Paint™, along with a chance to win $100 of Annie Sloan prizes... Yay!

1950's French Parquet Table, Chalk Paint™ Makeover

I am still Chalk Paint™ crazy and just about to begin an exciting new project, I have to admit though, I haven't tackled anything quite as beautiful as the French table Kaye has just completed.

Painted Furniture Transformations by Mary Vitullo

I am sure a number of you can identify with spending too much time on the Internet, and in particular on Pinterest, so I guess you won't be surprised to learn that I have more than 11,000 images pinned on my boards, or that I painstakingly arranged them in alphabetical order to make it easier to find what I want. Pinterest is a continual source of inspiration which inspires not only my blog, but the journey of making my house into a home. Pinterest is also where I discovered Mary Vitullo who gives new life to antique and re-purposed furniture  with her painting skills.

DIY - Decorative Wall Art Using Chalk Paint™ & Annie Sloan's, 2 Step Craqueleur

Recently I came across a set of bird paintings  and wondered if I could achieve a similar look with decoupage. Using Chalk Paint™ and Annie Sloan's 2 step craqueleur, I set about trying to reproduce the look and have created a tutorial with images to show how easy it can be.

Chalk Paint™ - Decorative paint by Annie Sloan, finally arrives in Auckland

The moment my Auckland readers have been waiting for, Chalk Paint™, decorative paint by Annie Sloan, has finally found its home in Auckland. Many of my readers have contacted me via email and on my Face Book page to ask when the paint would be available locally, so I was extremely excited when Noelle Davies, the Director of Le Monde, contacted me last week to say Chalk Paint™ was officially in their store.

Weekly Inspiration - A fabulous DIY dining table, chalk paint effects, not forgetting some delicious recipes.

Last week I discovered a stunning DIY dining table of which the end results look as good as a design store piece. I am also excited to announce Chalk Paint™, decorative paint by Annie Sloan, will soon be arriving in Auckland...Yay! I will be revealing more in a few weeks time. Meanwhile I have been exploring the use of stencils with Chalk Paint™ and discovered a few clever ideas. A couple of delicious recipes and a few newly discovered homeware products, complete this week's round up.

Above: Becky who blogs at This is Happiness, has a very handy husband who created this beautiful dining table out of re-cycled timber, from scratch......Instructions can be found here. If you have a beach house, finishing this table with a white wash could also be an option.

Chalk Paint™ Makeover - Bedside Tables from Lucille

As promised, Olivia of Lucille is sharing the makeover of her bedside tables using Chalk Paint™, decorative paint by Annie Sloan. Olivia kindly took the time to take lots of step by step photos to share with readers. I am buzzing with excitement about this paint as I completed my first project today and I cannot rave enough how easy Chalk Paint™ is to use, and its endless possibilities. 

Below, the 'before', Olivia wanted to re-finish, two recycled timber, bedside cabinets. She chose 'Paloma', a neutral colour that wouldn't fight for attention with her teal coloured headboard (last image). 

Olivia's Method:

• There is no need to sand or prime before using Chalk Paint™ but Olivia said she loves to break rules and I believe that our best work can happen when we do. Olivia sanded back to remove old watermarks and some makeup stains that had accumulated over the years.

• Handles were removed from the cupboard and the sides of the drawers were taped off with masking tape. The draw pulls Olivia decided to retain and paint over as the fluted edge reminded her of seashells, a little homage to her living next to the sea.

• 2 Coats of Paloma were painted onto the drawers and cabinets, leaving the top clean.  

• First, Olivia cut into all the corners with her paintbrush, working one side at a time. Because this is fast drying paint, if it is a hot day, you need to work relatively quickly.

• Once dry, Olivia mixed up a wash for the top of the cabinets. She mixed Old White with Paris Grey (about 50/50) and then added water until the mixture was about half paint, half water. She said a thin consistency is required. 

• Working in sections, she painted the top with this mix, then wiped off the excess with a clean rag, making sure to blend the sections together. Repeating the same process on the body of the cabinet, leaving a thin coat of the wash over the Paloma.

Applying the wash in sections and wiping off

After the wash has been applied to the body of the cabinet

Lining the drawers

• Once the wash had dried, she used a super fine sandpaper (400) to sand back some of the wash and expose the Paloma below. This gives a soft, worn appearance.

• After wiping off the sanding dust, Olivia applied one coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax with a rag. A brush would have been easier to get into nooks and cranny's but she said, work with what you have. Olivia said the wax was very easy to use, creamy in consistency and no strong chemical smell like other waxes.

• Once touch dry (about an hour) she used 240 grit sandpaper to distress the edges and expose the wood below.

• The piece was then finished off with one more coat of wax and buffed.

• Olivia chose to add that special touch of lining the drawers with wrapping paper and she added some new door pulls to complete it.

Drying time before applying wax

Waxing, adds sheen and protection

Olivia will be running a workshop on re-finishing furniture on November 23rd.  Note; this is not an Annie Sloan workshop, however the techniques taught, could be used with Chalk Paint™. Please visit Olivia's website, Lucille for further details. I realise I have posted this rather late for the course which is tomorrow, however Olivia will be holding more workshops in the future, you can contact her by email at:  hello@lucille.co.nz to find out more.

If you want to know more about Olivia's work and see her other re-finishing projects, you may be interested in a post I wrote about re-finishing or upcycling furniture. Her desk below feature some of the little extras touches such as lining the drawers.

As I mentioned earlier, next week I will feature my own project, I am thrilled with the results and eager for my next piece which is an antique French mirror somewhat previously spoilt by an attempt with gold spray paint. It has lots of fabulous detail and I am going to use two colours and some dark wax to enhance this detail. If you have any Chalk Paint™ achievements of your own and you are happy to share them, please email me, I would love to see them.

Since publishing this post I have achieved my own makeover on an old chest of drawers, you can see and read more....here.

Sharing this post with the following blog parties:

I should be Mopping the Floor

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Lee x

Chalk Paint™ Decorative Paint - Two Great Makeovers

Recently as part of the launch of Chalk Paint™, decorative paint by Annie Sloan, in New Zealand, I had the opportunity to give away an inspiring book titled, 'Creating the French Look'. I asked readers to leave a comment as to what project they might tackle if they were the lucky winner. One reader, Sheila from Christchurch, wrote how her house was damaged 2 years ago by the devastating 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Sheila's home has since been undergoing repairs and it is only now she is able to move back in. The theme of Sheila's interior is French style and planning to upcycle a few pieces of furniture for her new start she had already purchased some Chalk Paint™ from Femme de Brocante in Rangiora. A little unsure where to begin and meanwhile putting the paint aside, winning the book, was exactly the inspiration Sheila needed. Deciding to tackle a chest of drawers and a couple of chairs, Sheila sent me images of her first makeovers. Sheila praises Annie's paint and says she is "completely hooked" and I am not surprised seeing her results below.

Painting directly over a dark varnished Queen Anne set of drawers with Chalk Paint™ decorative paint by Annie Sloan in Duck Egg , Sheila then used a thin layer of clear wax which she allowed to dry overnight. A further thin layer of 'dark' wax was applied which was quickly wiped off. Once dry it was sanded back in areas to give the drawers an aged look. Sheila said using a clear layer beneath the dark wax gave the dark wax a better finish.

If your item has a previous dark varnish, Annie recommends you test a small area and leave it for a week to make sure it doesn't bleed through. If this happens you can seal the piece with clear shellac, alternatively I would recommend a 'sealer'. However, it is said that Chalk Paint™ decorative paint will cover most surfaces with no prep work required.

 Even the handles got a coat of paint. 

 Before a rather tired chair

After,  the chair has been transformed, even the upholstery seems to have come to life

I also wanted to share a fabulous makeover by Mary at 'Orphans With Make Up', a professional with paint techniques Mary used Paris grey to update a dark, Queen Anne sideboard. What a lift the colour gave this piece, a totally new look. I am excited by this makeover as I also have some Paris Grey for my first project, a rather sad chest of mahogany drawers I found stored in my mothers garage. It is about time they were given a new look and I know she would love them to have a French style makeover. You can see more images, along with Mary's 'before' image at Orphans With Make Up. Or you can view some of Mary's incredible past makeovers.....here.

Thank you Sheila and Mary for letting me share your projects with my readers. If any of my readers have their own makeovers with Chalk Paint™ decorative paint by Annie Sloan, I would love to hear from you. I have more projects from myself and readers coming up over the next few weeks.

Sharing this post with the following blogs;

I should be Mopping the Floor

The Dedicated House
A Stroll Thru Life

Alderberry Hill

DIY Showoff

Savvy Southern Style

Not Just A Housewife

No Minimalist Here

The Real Housewives of Riverton