Why Not Just White?

Why use so many colors to paint a white chair? In order to create a finish that looks like ones you see on antiques and vintage furniture, you must create a depth and texture that extremely hard with one color of paint. If you look closely at the chair above you will see several colors that contribute to a white washed, bleached looking finish. It looks like it has been hand painted many times and over the years and through use and age the paint has been worn off in various areas. Its lack of uniformity and imperfectness give it character. Combining various shades and tints in layers allows you to create a vintage looking finish.

Sometimes painting white can be more complicated than a bold color. To see more ideas for white, click on my posts, Country Sideboard, At Your Service and Swedish Country Style.

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

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

Shamrock Step Stool

These old little step stools are easy to find for a few dollars and can be used in so many ways. My green one, shown above, is very primitive and delightfully imperfect. It has been used as a side table stacked with books, a tray, a foot stool, and a step to reach a higher shelf. It was pink when I found it. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, starting with a coat of Aubusson Blue, followed by some Florence. Antibes Green was mixed with Old White in various strengths for the top coat.

Here is another view:

I have had many questions about my "layering" technique.  I may do a post with step by step photos, but honestly, there are so many great tutorials already available on painting techniques.  Layering is just a word I  use to describe the process of painting on coats of different colors, to achieve depth and texture. It is the the finish that comes naturally on many vintage pieces and antiques.  I am trying to create that look of age and wear on pieces that may or may not be old. 

Before Annie Sloan Chalk Paint became available in the U.S., I used mostly oil-based paints, along with various stains,  dyes, glazes, shellacs, lacquers, and varnish. It works well, but it is labor intensive, takes a long time to dry, and you must use solvents. I have tried creating this, for lack of a better word, distressed finish, with latex and acrylics and was not satisfied with the results.  Annie Sloan Chalk Paint has made it possible  create a vintage looking finish, easily, quickly, and on a variety of surfaces.

I will continue to detail and explain my process in later posts. You can also leave comments and questions in the comment section, or contact me by email. I will respond as quickly as I can. 
Thanks for reading and following,

Leslie
lesliest4@gmail.com


For more little stools and benches see these posts you may have missed:  On the Bench,  Upholstered Bench,  and  Pretty in Pink.

Wearing of the Green

This secretary is truly a mix of greens. A layering of neutrals on the exterior with a surprise minty green when the desk is open. The mint green finish can be created by layering Cream over Antibes Green, or mix the Antibes Green with a little Old White until it becomes a light tint. A little Cream on the edges and worn areas and the interior will look like the one above. In addition to using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, a little Gilding Wax on the details will give it a time worn patina.

Spring Forward

With the coming of spring, I start to think about ideas for my garden, planters and pots. Terra cotta pots are my favorite, but over the years I've collected several made of metal, composite, and plastic. One way to unify this hodgepodge  of materials, shapes and colors is by painting. I have used many different paints, including, latex, oil based,  and spray paints. With out a doubt my favorite is, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. You can make metal look like zinc,  and verdigris, plastic like concrete, and terra cotta, and new terra cotta look old. Below are some ideas for your planters and pots using Chalk Paint.

Light it Up

Even brass chandeliers can be given a new life with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. A coat of  Graphite will usually cover the brass ( I have never needed  a primer), followed by a quick coat of Coco, and Paris Grey. It is not necessary to completely cover each of the preceding  layers of paint. Purposefully  leaving gaps in the colors enhances the look of vintage patina.  Dry brushing Old White, and Pure White  on  selectively will highlight the raised portions.

Dark into Light

Sometimes you will find a vintage piece of furniture that has great structure and lines but the finish is very dark. It used to be a very long, messy and difficult process of stripping, sanding, bleaching and liming. Even then, the results could be disappointing.

Dark Walnut Finish

Here is one way to get that light, whitewashed, limed, Restoration Hardware look, that I used on my

old Stepback Cupboard shown in the above photo. Although Graphite is included, it was only used on the hardware to create a rustic zinc color and not on the wood. My first coat was Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White. French Linen and Coco were lightly brushed on in long strokes following the direction of the wood grain. It takes a little practice, but you can always add a little more of any of the colors to create the look of wood grain. After a coat of clear wax, you can also use the dark wax for a grain effect. Just remember to continue to brush in one direction. The old pulls were were painted with Graphite and Old White.

This is a very easy finish to create with Chalk Paint. I used French Linen and Coco because I like the depth created by adding additional colors.  But really you could easily create a similar look with just Old White and a second color, or Old White plus the clear and dark wax. 

Painting the inside is a matter of personal preference. In this cupboard I used Provence mixed with water, for a wash effect. 

Gustavian Secretaire

My latest project is painting a vintage mahogany secretary that is similar in construction to the beautiful one pictured above. My client has requested that I use this photo as inspiration for a finish of blues, greys, and white to create a Gustavian look for her piece.

Here is how I intend to duplicate this look. Using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, my first coat will be Graphite. Next a light  coat of Louis Blue for the areas of blue. French Linen for the upper cabinet. After that is dry I will mix some old white in French Linen and lightly paint over areas previously painted top. I will also mix Louis Blue with Old White to make some areas lighter on the blue drawers and an even whiter/blue mix for the interior. The purpose of these additional layers is to create depth and texture. I usually go back after it is dry and add to certain areas, until I'm satisfied. I do very little sanding, preferring to add paint to lighten, darken, or modify color.

I've had several requests for more details about the painting process so I am including a brief explanation of my techniques. Some days more than others. Please let me know in the comment section or by email if you have additional questions.

Thanks for following and commenting,

Leslie