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.
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