Im a bit obsessed with chalk painting at the moment. I came back to Ireland in the middle of my American road trip to sort out some loose ends. Inevitably I got delayed so I need a project.
I’m not arty in any way and I have very little patience and attention to detail is definitely not my forte. So much so that when I went out and bought an old dresser my son laughed his ass off at me. In fact I did this before my trip in January and I paid someone to do it for me so I am determined to do one myself. I bought this dresser from a guy emptying out an old house. Its mahogany but damaged so Im not destroying it by putting Chalk Paint on it.
unloved, wood worm
My first job is to source chalk paint in Ireland as its not sold everywhere.
I’ve opted to go with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint which I had to go online and contact the company to find the retailer closest to me thus discovering there isn’t any in my town. She doesn’t sell her chalk paint product to big stores as she feels that the smaller ones will help you and know about the product they are selling and she is right.
I decided on Duck Egg Blue and original and got both light and dark wax and 2 of her brushes. I’m already 145 euro in the hole plus the price of the dresser and I haven’t even started. Here’s hoping I don’t mess this up. Choosing the colour was difficult for me as I cant make a decision and get weighed down with all the choices in the store. I stuck to what I liked. However I’ve just found another one I like and I’m going back tomorrow to get red also and Ill be up to 175 euro in paint alone. This is working out as an expensive hobby.
Next job is to clean the furniture for the chalk paint.
Chalk paint doesn’t need any prep that’s why I choose it. its water based, no chemicals etc and no smell when your painting, I’m asthmatic so this is very important to me As its water based any mistakes you make or if you change you’re mind then just wipe it away or change it easy peasy. I haven’t really made a decision on the way ill do it or directly where Ill put the colours so Ill just decide that when the brush goes in my hand.
The first coat of chalk paint went on and after 2 seconds into the project shock horror, bloody woodworm. So I did what any damsel freaking out in in 2014 would do. I ran to YouTube. yes if it exists there’s a tutorial on Youtube. I began my education into everything I never wanted to know about woodworm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69s1WF4vH8Y and I watched a few more also on what to do.
I then headed to the hardware store and purchased Woodworm Killer. I’ve been informed that I can apply it after my paint so the piece is salvageable thankfully. It did darken the colour of my lovely Duck-egg Blue which i think could also be called mint green but hey, its up-cycling so who knows what the finished product will look like. I have to wait a day now for treatment to soak in before I can resume painting. (A glass of wine is called for I think)
After 48 hours I resumed and painted the whole cabinet except the drawers Duck Egg Blue. I dabbed the same colour on the hardware. I painted the drawers white and also the hardware and when this dried I skimmed over the drawers with duck-egg blue dabbed on a sponge. Make sure to store you paint and brushes carefully as chalk paint will dry up. The paint is water based so just wash your brushes in water. Annie Sloane’s chalk paint brushes and wax brushes are fabulous also.
Next I went at the entire piece with sandpaper to give it the distressed look. I went quite lightly as this is my first ever piece to I’m cautious.
After this I painted Annie Sloan Clear Wax over the entire dresser bit by bit and polished using a very clean soft cotton cloth, mine was an old t-shit.
I’m so happy with the finished product, I really like it. I’m probably more proud of myself as I’m totally useless at DIY and this actually looks great if I say so myself.
If you want any ideas for chalk painting furniture check out my pintrest page I’ve saved loads of examples. http://www.pinterest.com/sandraorourke/ann-sloan-chalk-paint/
