Once the paint was dry - again this was extra quick as it was a very warm day, but its normally around 20- 30 mins, it was time to wax. A question I am asked many times, is why do I need to wax? Chalk Paint is a water based paint, without a protective coat of wax (or you could also use Lacquer) the paint will mark easily and cannot be washed. The wax will give you a lovely durable finish, and can be left matt or buffed for a shine.
I use a Chalk Paint Wax Brush to apply my wax, this allows me to brush the wax into any texture on the piece, making sure that every part has a protective coating on it. I then use a lint free cloth to wipe away any excess. The idea is to build up several thin layers of wax. When you first put it on it should feel a little tacky. Any more than that and the wax will not’ cure’ and harden off and the furniture will feel sticky. Allow at least half a day between coats of wax.
To sand back or not to sand back? You will remember that I painted the edges of these cabinets with some duck egg blue. You can either sand back before you clear wax, or as I did here, immediately after you have done so. Less is more in my opinion with this. Imagine where the item of furniture would naturally wear and gently sand those spots. In this case, there is the merest hint of the duck egg showing, all adding to the lovely patina.
So now to the burning question about dark wax! As I mentioned above, I use dark wax to give an aged patina to my furniture. The first thing to know, is always apply dark wax on top of a coat of clear wax. Otherwise you will not be able to manipulate it as it will stick to the Chalk Paint itself. I always work in sections. I apply some of the dark wax, at this point you need to be brave, as it will look awful! Using a clean lint free cloth I ‘pull’ away the excess dark wax, pushing it into any texture. Finish with another coat of clear wax and voila, this orange pine piece now has a pretty aged painted finish.
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Annie Sloan range and let me know if you have a go soon!
Love, Jill