Last weekend she finally got her makeover and I couldn’t be happier with her new look!
The best thing about using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to paint my table up is that it requires NO prep work. No sanding. No priming. Nada.
I chose “French Linen”, a dark gray, as my paint color. I used a natural bristle brush (a $1 chip brush from Home Depot) to apply it. I didn’t get very good coverage from my first coat, maybe because I was painting such a glossy surface, but the paint dries so quickly that once I was done with the first coat it was ready for a second coat. With the second coat I got very good coverage – you can see the difference here:
Next, I used a rag to wipe off the sanded bits of paint, rub in the wax all over the table, and wipe off any excess wax. After 24 hours, I finished it off with a second thin coat of wax, making sure that I covered the distressed areas well. Finally, I went over the table one final time with a rag to smooth out the wax and wipe off any excess. About two days after I was finished fixing her up and the wax seemed totally dry, I used a rag to buff the wax to a nice shine – done!:
*It’s a great paint to use if you’re not experienced with painting furniture because it is very, very forgiving. I almost had a heart attack after finding a long brush bristle embedded in my paint after the final coat had dried but I gently sanded it out, brushed on some more paint and it blended in seamlessly. I love that.
*Use a natural bristle brush (usually labeled “pure bristle”) rather than your typical synthetic Purdy brush for painting. I used a simple chip brush such as this to apply my paint:
*Distress AFTER you apply your first coat of wax and then add a coat of wax to the distressed areas.
*If takes close to a month for the wax to fully cure so use a bit of TLC for a few weeks after you’ve painted and waxed your furniture piece.
* The Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, wax, and waxing brushes aren’t cheap but after finishing my painting project, I still have over half of the quart of paint left and over ¾ of the wax. I have another project in mind for using them, which will make the money invested in supplies seem much more reasonable. Also, you don’t need to spend any money on paint strippers & primers since no prep work is necessary.
*There are several advanced techniques that you can use with the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to create gorgeous finishes including techniques using two different colors and using both dark and clear waxes. Many of the studios that stock the chalk paint offer classes that allow you to experiment with either basic or advanced techniques before embarking on your own project. Click {here} to find a retailer near you with links to each retailer’s website for information about classes.
* Have fun! The beauty of painted furniture is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Having some brush marks and imperfections is part of a painted furniture piece’s inherent beauty so have fun with your project and don’t sweat it if the final result isn’t perfection – it shouldn’t be.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Hooray Kris! So glad you had a good and successful experience. The photos look lovely so it looks like a job well done!!!
Thanks for nod and please let me know when you want to join us for class as a guest blogger!!!!
Thanks for all of your great advice Laine! Would love to do a class and learn some new techniques for working with the paint! Will be in touch!
Hi Kris, I’m curious how your table is holding up? I really want to do this to my kitchen table. But, I have two kids and the table takes a beating everyday! How do you clean it? I worry about spills, caked on food and scratches. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Angela – our kitchen table gets lots of abuse too so I had a piece of glass cut for the top of the table. That way it’s easy to clean, I never have to worry about stains, and my kids have a smooth surface to do their homework on. The rest of the table has held up very well to being kicked with shoes, scraped with dog nails, etc.! The wax is key!! Good luck with your project!
Hi Kris,
I have a wax/paint question. After I finished painting my piece feels rough to the touch, I don’t want to distress the piece so i really didn’t want to sand. Will the wax smooth out the roughness? I am pretty confused on the waxing..
Hi Jackie,
The wax did smooth out the finish on my table a bit but it didn’t feel all that rough before I waxed. Since I’m not an AS Chalk Paint expert, I’m going to ask someone who is – Laine from MissElaineous Studio – and see if she has any advice for you!
Hi, I use Chalk paint every day in my furniture at my shop and the secret to a smooth surface with this paint is to water it down 10-20% should be fine, I use 20% water, but remember to brush it on thin or it will run, this leaves a real smooth surface, if its still to rough then a 200 grit will take out the rest, if you not happy with the results then paint it again.
Good luck, Chris
Thanks for the great advice Chris!
Hi Jackie & Kris –
I wouldn’t count on the wax to smooth out the surface completely. The porous and sort of rough, chalky nature of the paint makes it ready and willing to accept the wax – and the two unite to form a fabulous and sturdy bond. However – the best way to get that is to apply the wax LIGHTLY, wait about 10 minutes and buff. If you want the surface to be smoother…you can use a 220 grit sandpaper or block to gently sand. This will take away the roughness of the paint and the friction/heat will cause the wax and paint to bond – and you’ll have a yummy smooth surface. You shouldn’t have to work too hard… but you will want to wax your piece a second time after 24 hours to replace whatever was removed during sanding. Again – wait 10 minutes and buff – should be gorgeous!
In the future – if you prefer a smoother finish, try dipping your brush into water and offloading it prior to dipping into the paint (in other words, a freshly dampened brush) This will help the paint settle a little more smoothly.
Thanks, I’ll give this a try. I’ve been reading alot of the blogs about chalk paint and no one really explains how your piece should feel. With latex you can feel the smoothness. I really wanted to try the chalk paint for the rubbed finish. I wasn’t sure if it should feel smooth before the wax or if I’ve done something wrong because when I rub my hand over the piece it feels chalky and a little rough, on some of the blogs they say they don’t use wax on every piece. The way mine feels now is not how I would want the completed piece to feel. I really wish there were some workshops in my area. I’d love to learn more.
thanks again..
Kris, thank you so much for sharing your experience with the paint. I have been on the fence about whether or not to use ASCP for a project. Your thoughts convinced me it’s the way to go. Thanks again, for your detailed post. Now to chose a color…ugh!!! : )
Good luck with your project Brandi! One of the things I like most about ASCP is that all of their colors are beautiful – you can’t go wrong!
I have read that soaking Annie Sloan’s brushes in water overnight before using helps with the brush hairs being left in the paint or wax. After soaking them and they are dry, you are suppose to run your fingers over them and pull out the hairs that have loosened.
Great blog! I start painting my first piece tomorrow!
Thanks so much for that tip Candace – I hadn’t heard of that but I’ve got a few chalk paint projects I’m about to embark on and I’ll try it out!
It’s a good idea before using your brushes to wash them in Dawn dish washer detergent, rinse thoroughly and let them dry overnight. This prepares your brush and you should have less “hairs” or bristles. I agree that using a damp brush, or rinsing your brushes often when using ASCP helps it go on easier, as it does dry quickly. I have found that the wax does smooth out a rough finish just fine and I always apply 2 coats, buffing the next day of course.
Great tips Stacey – I’m actually going to be working on a piece today and I’ll try out dampening my brush and see how it works for me.
BEAUTIFUL. WELL DONE!!
So I am loving all of this…and especially the adorable sofa that you are using with this table!. I just bought a repurposed table for a kitchen that I am remodeling…and I am trying to decide on the chairs that I want. I have seen some great benches but I love this look. Where did you get it?
Thanks so much! The bench is from Ballard Designs and we’ve loved it! Here’s the link to the post with more info about it: http://www.drivenbydecor.com/2012/06/breakfast-nooks-kitchen-bench-seats.html Good luck with your remodeling!
I don’t wait anytime to buff. I buff immediately and use a polisher (from the big box store) that one would use buffing wax on a car. It makes the surface like glass. I also don’t distress after the wax. I paint, distress, wax and distress more if needed. I love the look the wax gives the distressed portions that you don’t get when you distress afterward. IMHO
I love it! Absolutely beautiful. You did a great job!
Wow, good job with the table! Looks really nice. I’m in love with this color, thinking of painting my walls with it. I’m hesitating a bit because I don’t want them to look to brown, it looks so different in different pictures… Would you say it looks more gray or light brownish in for example daylight?
Hi Andrea! I would definitely say that it looks more gray than brown. Stores that sell AS chalk paint have paint charts of the colors (and our store actually has true painted samples) so you might want to see it in person before committing. In fact your best bet may be to just get a color chart and color match the sample in a typical wall paint because the AS paint could get pretty expensive to use depending upon the size of the painting project. Enjoy your weekend!
What is the effect of using chalk paint varnish versus wax or in conjunction with?
I need help. I chalk painted a table antique white, applied the clear wax, distressed it and then dark waxed it. It looks horrible. In watching your video, I think I shouldn’t have used the dark wax at all. Can I start over and just paint over what I have? Or does a waxed piece have to be prepped in some way?
Hi Jane! Actually the video you watched wouldn’t have been mine (I never made a video on using chalk paint) but I can tell you that with Annie Sloan paint and wax, you can just paint back over the wax and try again!
You can use Mineral Spirits to remove the wax even after it has dried. I just did this and then repainted a different color.