How to update some old pine furniture with Chalk Paint
Are you new to Chalk Painting and can't believe it's as easy as everyone says it is? Here’s a little ‘how to’ for you.
I came across two dated orange pine bedside tables - not matching but with a lick of paint they will sit well together. The perfect quick Chalk Paint project. The hardest part of this project was choosing a colour from the Annie Sloan range.
The beauty of Chalk Paint is the fact that no preparation is needed prior to painting. No sanding or priming is perfect for an impatient person like me. It means I can finish a project quickly and have the piece of furniture in its new home.
If you fancy having a go at this, here is what you will need:
A tin of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre
Annie Sloan Clear Wax
Annie Sloan Dark Wax
Chalk Paint Bristle Brush
Chalk Paint Wax Brush
Sanding Pads
Lint free cloths - I use old sheets cut up
I decided on Annie Sloan’s Old Ochre a beautifully soft cream, reminiscent of French furniture. I love this colour as it looks beautifully aged with the addition of dark wax. I’ll explain how below….
First of all I gave the drawers a quick clean, removing dust and some old cobwebs! I wanted an aged look, so I painted the edges of the pieces with some Duck Egg Blue. I was planning to rub the Old Ochre back a little so that this pretty colour would peek through. I was painting on a very warm day, so the paint was dry in very little time - less than 20 minutes!
The next step was to paint a two coats of Old Ochre. As I said I was aiming for an aged look, so using a Chalk Paint Bristle Brush, I painted in all directions giving me lots of texture. More on the reason for that below….
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.
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.
Check out the whole Annie Sloan range and let me know if you have a go soon!
Love, Jill
