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