Annie Sloan developed the amazing furniture Chalk Paint in 1990 and this is widely used today when restoring or creating unusual effects on furniture and other items around the home.
Painting furniture with chalk paint
chalk paint on wood furniture can look astonishing when used with decorative finishes like the chalk paint wax. It is very easy to use does not require any primer or preparation. It is water based and non toxic so is quite eco friendly. The range of colours is very large with 42 different shades to choose from. You can use this paint on antique, second hand and vintage furniture to up-cycle and therefore reducing your carbon footprint as you are not buying new. The chalk paint colours come in various shades of black, grey, white, cream, pink, green and blue. You can even use this on walls but we also stock the wall paints in store. We offer all chalk paint brushes for painting and waxing to make application and finishing easier along with different sealers to finish your project.
What can Chalk Paint be used on?
This is such a versatile product, it can not only be used on wood but also on kitchen cabinets, plastic, fabric, fireplaces, metal, glass, dining tables, chest of drawers, wardrobes and much more. If you are using this on outdoor exterior use like garden furniture, you need to ensure you use the correct sealer like chalk paint lacquer.
Chalk Paint Effects
Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan is a unique decorative paint for vintage and antique furniture, walls and to create unusual paint effects.
You can create three different effects with Chalk Paint –
- A Smooth Modern Finish
- A Two Colour Distressed finish
- Or a Rustic Textured Effect
With all these following finishes there is no need for priming or sanding.
Smooth Modern Finish
To create a smooth modern finish with Chalk Paint, this is very simple to do.
The tools you will need are –
- Chalk Paint
- Clear Chalk Paint Wax or Chalk Paint Lacquer
- Annie Sloan Flat Brush
- Annie Sloan Sanding Pads
If the wood surface is not smooth or has any issues, start by using a Sanding Pad to remove any lumps, bumps or rough texture.
You can dilute the Chalk Paint slightly with water and mix if required but we usually find it is best to leave as is. Use a Flat Brush and paint using the tip of the brush in smooth soft strokes without too much pressure to avoid creating any marks or lines in the paint.
If you do dilute the paint, you will need to add more coats to ensure proper coverage.
Once dry and you have completely covered the wood then you can lightly pad over the paint with the sanding pad to smooth off any texture. Be careful not to sand through the paint.
Now you use a wax or lacquer to finish. We find the wax finish will give you the smoothest finish.
We offer a Clear Chalk Paint Wax or Priory finishing wax that you can work into the paint using a lint-free cloth or Chalk Paint Wax Brush.
The more thin coats of wax that you apply will create a better smoother sheen.
A Two Colour Distressed finish
A two colour distressed finish is ideal for use on antique furniture to create an aged effect. This can look like an old original paint finish.
The tools you need are –
- Two Chalk Paint Colours (usually a dark colour under a light colour)
- Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Brush
- Clear Chalk Paint Wax (and Dark, Black or White Chalk Paint Wax depending on the finish you require)
- Annie Sloan Sanding Pads
Apply a thick coat of your base colour (usually a darker tone) using a Chalk Paint Brush as these brushes are designed to hold lots of paint so create a textured feel.
Once fully dry, apply a thinner coat of Chalk Paint and leave to dry thoroughly. You may need to apply a couple of coats to cover the first coat.
Apply a coat of Clear Chalk Paint Wax by working it into the paint surface using a lint-free cloth or Chalk Paint Wax Brush.
Use the Sanding Pads to sand and wear through key areas of your base colour. Especially wear on edges, corners and mouldings.
You can also sand back further to reveal the original wood in areas.
Wipe away any sanding dust.
Apply a final coat of Chalk Paint Wax. For this you can use clear or if you want to further highlight the shape and texture try using a Dark, Black or White Chalk Paint Wax.
The more thin coats you apply, the better the sheen you will achieve.
Rustic Textured Effects
To create a Rustic Textured effect on your furniture you will need the following tools –
- Chalk Paint
- Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Brush
- Chalk Paint Wax in Clear, Dark, Black, or White.
- A Hair dryer
Firstly apply two thick coats of Chalk Paint and brush heavy and dramatically with a Chalk Paint brush to create texture.
When the paint is almost dry, go over it again in different directions to create more brush marks.
Dry the paint with a hair dryer to create cracks in the paint.
Apply Clear Chalk Paint Wax to your piece; work the wax into the paint surface using a lint-free cloth or Chalk Paint Wax Brush.
For an ‘aged look’ apply a second coat of Dark, Black or White Chalk Paint Wax to emphasise the brush marks, cracks and texture.
Leave to dry in a warm area for 24 hours and remove excess coloured wax with a very small amount of Clear Chalk Paint Wax on a lint-free cloth.