At Your Service




A country pine server or sideboard painted in the weathered wood style with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®. Wash layer of Paris Grey over a base coat of Old White.  Coco accents and Pure White highlights.

For more inspiration on ways to achieve the weathered wood (aka Restoration Hardware finish) see my posts, Restoration Hardware Finish,  Dark into Light   and  Mirror Image


Architectural Patina





Color Studies-natural patina seen on outside architectural ornament. Colors of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® to create a similar color palette.

On the Bench





Small vanity bench painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®. Duck Egg Blue for the base coat, followed by a layer of Duck Egg mixed with Old White. French Linen added for depth and shadows.  

Secretaire Extraodinaire





Much of my time this week was focused on my new website. As a result projects and painting dropped a notch on my to do list. Fortunately, inspiration is only a click away on Pinterest. This antique secretary (source) is extraordinary! To achieve a similar look on yours, use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®. Antoinette painted as your first and dominant color. Add Paris Grey and Coco for shadowing and depth around the frame and drawer edges. Old White for highlights. Perfect, in a home or a palace!

A secretary can be a statement piece as well as a practical desk, especially in double duty rooms and small spaces. If you missed these other posts on paint colors for secretaries, see,  Secretary Preview,  French Secretary, and  Going Green

Passionate Purple




If you are passionate about purple, you will love the inspiration for today's post. Use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® to recreate a romantic, vintage style by painting your first coat with Emile. Add accents of Paloma and Old Violet for interest. Dark Wax further enhances the rustic and worn patina. A color combination that is on trend without being trendy.



Color Relationships





Inspiration today comes from Joss & Main. Using muted greens and yellows creates a style reminiscent of old world furniture on this new, reproduction, chest of drawers.  To recreate a similar look, layer Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® colors Chateau Grey and Versailles on the frame and Arles on the drawers. Finish with Clear Wax. Dark Wax adds another level of depth and complexity to the simple green and yellow color palette. New and old in combination.

For more inspiration check out these posts you may have missed. Stack of Bowls,  At the Harbor, and Heart of the House

A Do Over



Many layers of shellac required to seal. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® . French Linen, Versailles, Old White on base, hardware, and trim. Followed by clear wax, dark wax and gilding wax.  For cabinet doors, sides and top: Provence, Old White, Paloma and clear wax.

Only Temporary




On the surface, this looked like a quick and easy project. Mid-century, no major damage, solid wood, nice details and a reasonable price at a thrift shop. I think (not sure), it is a former phonograph/record player cabinet, as it is vented on the sides and has a sliding base shelf.  After I put on the first coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Pure White, I noticed spots of red and orange. Known as bleeding, it is common with raw or unfinished wood or as in this case, dark, mahogany red furniture from the 1940's and 1950's.

The best solution is to stop painting (it has nothing to do with brand of paint) and seal the finish. More coats of paint alone, will not work. There are several finishes available that will prevent the stain from seeping into the paint, but my favorite it shellac. It can be brushed on or sprayed, dries quickly and almost always works. I brushed on two coats and let it dry overnight. It bled through my next coat of paint. Another two coats of shellac, another coat of paint..... this happened again and again. After I ran out of Pure White, I used Old White, and when that was gone I used Old Ochre. 

This is how it looks now. After too many cans of shellac and paint, too many hours of work, after photographing, writing this post and thinking this project was finally finished, it continues to bleed. It is still in process. I don't know what it will look like next time you see it, but it will not look like this. To be continued...



Swedish Country Style




This old pine cupboard has a naturally primitive and simple style.  I used a color palette of whites and greys, often found on Swedish country antiques. In order to allow the grain to show through the paint, I added water to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and applied the paint as a wash. Old White was used on the frame and top and Paris Grey followed by Pure White on the drawer facings. A little dark wax was added over the Old White. Simple and beautiful!

I love consoles and sideboards. For more of my posts on these great serving pieces see,  Country Sideboard,   French Sideboard, and  Country Console


Going Green



Found on Inspiredpaintrepeat, this secretary/desk is a great way to go green.  Use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®  to recreate this fresh combination of color. Mix and layer Florence and Chateau Grey and add accents with Versailles and Arles. Use the same colors on your desk chair but with the emphasis on Versailles and Arles. A clever way to use the same colors to work together and also avoid looking too matchy, matchy.



A Supporting Role





This heavy old mirror was a dark walnut when I found it in at a flea market. Due to age, some of the silvering has worn away (most noticeable in the top left corner) and it has a wavy look you sometimes see in old glass. At first, before I painted it,  I used it as a tray on top of a table to add some light to a darker area of the room. It served well in that role for a few years.

I need something to fill a spot after some of my pictures that had been mounted with Command Strips, fell off the walls and broke (The walls had been freshly painted and I didn't want to put new nail holes in the wall.. Big Mistake!). Thus, the mirror lost its supporting role and needed refreshing with a coat of paint. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®, Paris Grey for the first coat and followed with a wash of French Linen.  Graphite  and Old White were added by dry brushing for additional depth.

*If you would like more details on the process I used on the walls (Royal Designs Stencil and Chalk Paint), I posted about it here.


For more mirror projects see my posts, DIY Sunburst,  Sunburst Mirror Step by Step,  and Mirror Image
  

A Different Technique



Inspiration for today comes from The French Bedroom Company via Pinterest. Although the colors are fairly simple and straight forward, the style is different and interesting.  As always, there is more than one technique you could use to achieve this look, but here is how I would do it.

Choose two colors of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®. In this case I would use Old White and Paris Grey or Old White and Paloma. Paint your base color (Old White) and let it dry completely. It may need more than one coat for solid coverage.  For your second color (Paris Grey or Paloma) dilute your paint with water and work in small areas. Brush on your second color, and immediately, while it is still wet,  smooth on a previously crumpled sheet of newspaper. Once you have smoothed it on, remove it quickly. When it comes off, it will also pull off areas of the grey paint for a splotchy look, like you see in the photo above. 

It may take a little practice, but it is easy.   However, should you decide you would rather purchase the Love Me Chest , it is currently available (as of this post) from The French Bedroom Company.

I love consoles and sideboards. For more of my posts on these great serving pieces see,  Country Sideboard,   French Sideboard, and  Country Console





Another Sunburst Mirror

I never met a sunburst mirror I didn't like.  And this vintage mirror was simple to modify. A coat of Graphite Chalk Paint, some gilding wax along the tips and edges, and an 8 inch convex mirror from the auto supply store. Completing a project in one day is so satisfying!

For more mirror projects see my posts, DIY Sunburst,  Sunburst Mirror Step by Step,  and Mirror Image

On the Side






Inspiration for today's color palette comes online catalog  Soft Surroundings via Pinterest.. I love the combination of soft neutrals on this vintage style sideboard.  Even a basic used sideboard can be transformed with paint and decorative moldings can be added to create interest.


Using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® start with a coat of French Linen. Over that layer Duck Egg Blue. Add Coco for shadows and Old White for highlights. Next time you consider purchasing a factory made reproduction also consider picking up something secondhand from a consignment  shop or craigslist. Chances are it will be a fraction of the price and you can make it yours with a little paint.
I receive many questions about the techniques I use when working on old furniture. New things are happening behind the scenes at Colorways! A newly designed website will be launched, hopefully this month. One of the new elements will be a series of short videos on how to do the techniques I use: paint layering, washes, color mixing, drybrushing etc. And to start things off there will an exciting contest/giveaway. Look for more details in upcoming posts.





I love consoles and sideboards. For more of my posts on these great serving pieces see,  Country Sideboard,   French Sideboard, and  Country Console

I like Annie Sloan Chalk Paint  for my craft and furniture projects, but for walls nothing compares to Pure & Original Fresco Lime Paint. I love the natural variations of shades and tones the lime creates within one paint color. You have to see how gorgeous it is! Checkout my most recent interior design make overs with Fresco. It can be purchased online at www.502paint.com

Bohemian inspir


P.S  Pure and Original also makes a chalk based paint called Classico in 140 colors! Its amazing too!

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Ralph Lauren





Color Inspiration for today comes from the designer, Ralph Lauren.  Found on Pinterest (of course), this smallish planked top table is featured on Ralph Lauren Home  in a color I always associate with his designs and products: denim blue. A complicated color, based on the fabric it is usually a combination of several blue shades and tints. Like a pair of old blue jeans faded from years of washings and wear. A style Ralph Lauren does so well.

Old planked top tables can be found at most flea markets, consignment and used furniture stores, ebay, craigslist at reasonable prices. They are simple to paint and many prefer to leave the top in its natural state. Leave the cracks, add some paint, and lightly sand. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® is a perfect for this look. Any combination of the colors shown above will work. Or you can purchase this table at Ralph Lauren Home. MSRP $1270.

If you love blue as I much as I do, check out my posts, Chinese Apothecary Cabinet where I use a combination of ASCP blues, Country Blue Wardrobe  and how to make a Denim Blue.

Stars and Bars


Happy 4th! Chest of Drawers painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®. Emperor's Silk, Pure White, Napoleonic Blue

Inspired by Turquoise





This photo of a pantry drawer was found on Pinterest from here. It's lovely patina, peeling layers, and  cool colors serves as inspiration for my post today.  If you layer Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®, Country Grey, with accents of Chateau Grey, followed by washes of Florence and Provence,  the result will be a beautiful, complex, rich turquoise like the one shown here.

I was a Pinterest girl even before I started blogging. It's a source for inspiration and a great way to save ideas. If you are looking for ideas for your projects, check out my Pinterest Boards, ASCP(Annie Sloan Chalk Paint),  Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint,  and Mirror Mirror