How To Paint Marble Effect with Chalk Paint
Are you a keen Pinterest fan? Do you follow groups on Facebook who showcase their stunning projects? Do you save lots of photos of projects to try at some point? Me too! And just recently, I finally learned how to paint marble effect with Chalk Paint.
I found a brilliant online resource hosted by professional furniture painter Jonathon Marc Mendes; this is my outcome following his tutorial on jonathonmarcmendes.com
Read on to see the transformation....
First of all, I have been waiting for the right piece of furniture to come along, which would look natural with a marble top. Finally, I came across this little washstand. With its sweet drawer and pretty shaped legs, it would look lovely with a fresh coat of paint. However, it was the shape of the top that drew me to it, as it was perfect to look realistic as a piece of marble.
Here it is, and as you can see, it had already been painted by a previous owner. They had also replaced the original handles, but I was pleased to find those in the drawer. I was ready to go!
The first step - as those of you that have used Chalk Paint will know there is no need to sand or prime. Which is great, as you can crack on with the fun part. I painted the table top with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Original, a warm white, and once dry used a coat of the Matt Lacquer. I left this overnight to cure.
The second step - The following day, I painted another coat of Original over the lacquer. I let this dry, which only takes about 20 minutes. I then spritzed with water with a plant spray. I wanted the paint to be slightly damp, not wet. The next part is the scary part. Using one of Annie’s detail brushes and some Graphite which I had thinned a bit with some water, I held it loosely in my hand and let it roll several wavy lines across the top of the table. As you can see from the photo, at this point this looks very strange! Its also very scary as you wonder how this will ever end up looking like marble.
Next - Using a Wall Paint brush, and squirting the paint with the water spray if if felt a little dry, I started to gently blend in all directions, removing the sharp edges of these lines. Once I was happy with that first blend, I started to define my original lines with a thin, small paint brush, blending as I went. I also added a few more lines where I felt the marble look needed defining.
Once I was happy with the effect, I finished the top with several coats of Clear Wax to protect the paint. I then painted the body of the table with a first coat of Coco, followed by Paloma, a very pretty, delicate grey with a hint of lilac. This also was given a couple of coats of Clear Wax and a little light distressing to allow some of the Coco to show through.
Ta-da - I was finished! Here it is, my finished piece when learning how to paint marble effect with Chalk Paint. If you have visited the shop and wondered why you hadn't seen it, that's because it sold the day it arrived. Don't worry, I enjoyed this so much I plan to do another one...
If you fancy a go yourself, take a look at Jonathon’s tutorial and grab yourself the following tools:
Annie Sloan Matt Lacquer
Annie Sloan Clear Wax
A misting plant spray bottle.
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in your choice of colour to paint the body of the item you decide to try this on.
Lint free cloths and/or Annie Sloan Wax Brush
A few tips from my first go at this. It was a warm day, so the paint was drying very fast, you’ll need to keep it damp with the spray. A fine spray is better, or else it will mark the paint with bigger droplets of water. Work quickly to ensure smooth blending. You could also finish this with the lacquer if you prefer.
Are you feeling inspired? Read my blog showing you how easy it is to update some dated pine furniture. If you do have a go, make sure you tag the shop if you share photos on social media. Or email me photos of your finished pieces to jill@sourceforthegoose.com. I'd love to see what you have done!
Love, Jill
