Annie Sloan Chalk Paint-ed Chair

I would like to send my deepest and most sincere thank you to Miss Annie Sloan. And her chalk paint.

 

You see, I really don’t like painting furniture. And, no, that doesn’t mean I don’t like painted furniture. Because I do. Very much so. It’s the painting of the furniture part that I’m not a big fan of …

 

I don’t spend my time while painting a piece of furniture admiring the lines. Or noticing how the paint draws out and/or accentuates the details.

 

I just want to get it over with. As quickly as possible. So I slap it on. I mean, who needs two thin coats when one thick and sloppy one gets the job done …

 

… right?

And I don’t wax poetic as I wax the piece. I just get annoyed at how many times I have to repeatedly wash my hands in scorching hot soapy water to get the wax off after I wax …

 

I’m not going to kid myself – or you – and offer up a tutorial. Because, like I said, I’m not very meticulous in my painting of furniture. I’m just thankful that Miss Annie Sloan made a paint product that is forgiving of my sloppy technique. That needs no advance prepping or priming. That I can just slap on and wait for it to dry. And it dries really, really fast.

 

Miss Annie Sloan is a painter after my own heart!

 

Instead I’ll just share what I did. Mostly because I took pictures along the way …

 

I’ll start with the reason I painted this folding chair in the first place. A chair I purchased as part of a set 20 years ago from Crate & Barrel. And a folding chair that no longer wants to fold …

 

I decided to turn this bright, window filled corner of the family room into my photo shoot area. For the blog. And for the Etsy shop.  And for the Etsy shop, I thought I could use a chair to stage my pillows. An idea I’m shamelessly and unabashedly borrowing from fellow blogger and fellow Etsy shop owner and fellow pillow-maker extraordinaire, Ann from On Sutton Place. And Sutton Place Designs on Etsy.

 

I decided to start with a base coat of Annie Sloan’s Duck Egg Blue …

 

I realize this is an advanced furniture painting technique. And I have no business trying an advanced technique. But sometimes I’m crazy like that.

 

Oh, and in case you were thinking, “No, Linda. You can’t possibly be as sloppy as painter as you profess” here the proof …

 

For the top coat, I used Annie Sloan in Pure White.

 

I should have given it two coats. But I didn’t. Did I mention I’m not a big fan of painting furniture?

 

Next up: sandpaper. To hide my sloppy paint strokes. And make the chair look seasoned. And well worn.

 

But mostly to hide my sloppy paint strokes.

I toyed with finishing it off with Annie Sloan dark wax. I tried it out … and I learned a valuable lesson. You need to use the clear wax first. Otherwise the pure white will look like you stained it with tea …

 

… not the look I was going for.

 

So after I painted over my dark wax mistake, I used clear wax to seal the paint.

 

 

It’s just like waxing a car.

 

I skipped the dark wax. I have to admit, I was scared. And I didn’t want to have to paint the chair again …

 

 

Now that I have my chippy, painted chair prop done, I need to create a bigger backdrop. The shutters just aren’t wide enough …

 

 

I have an idea that involves spare Sheetrock in our garage and some cool brick wallpaper I purchased online and chalkboard paint. I’m thinking a two-sided design.

 

And you know what? Miss Annie Sloan makes painting furniture so easy that I may take on the drum table in my living room next. I’m thinking the paint will really bring out its lines. And accentuate the details …

🙂

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