My husband and I were visiting friends in the California gold country when I first walked by a shop that featured chalk-painted furniture. In the window sat an atrocious, deeply beveled and ornately trimmed dresser made glorious by the simple application of paint. I gazed in awe, suddenly longing for the bedroom set of my early 70s marriage. How could paint make such a difference?
Wanting to buy every piece in the store, a sad reality struck home. My house is fully furnished. I never buy furniture. My attachment to furnishings seems to relate to my concept of home. I once read the average person remodels a room every five years. That doesn’t happen at my house. My friend’s purchase of a small, blue table for her deck caused sincere envy. But I resisted and walked out of the shop empty-handed.
Through the years, I’ve purchased a few sample jars of Annie Sloan paint with the intent of refurbishing small shelves. One year we splurged. Instead of using spray paint to restore Adirondack chairs in our backyard, we used chalk paint. Those chairs never looked so wonderful. It was refreshing just gazing at them.
Let’s see if I can demonstrate the wonders of chalk paint with a small project. Here’s an old frame I dug out of the garage.
I liked the old-fashioned look of it and proceeded to apply a coat of Robin’s Egg blue. I could have stopped there. The flat quality of the paint is what appeals to me.
Instead, I traipsed into unknown waters to enhance my project. First came the clear coat of wax that added a bit of luster. Actually, chalk paint projects can even be finished with car wax!
Then I experimented with dark wax. There are ample YouTube warnings about the depth of color the dark wax can produce although it’s easily wiped away with clear wax. I used it sparingly and like the subtle antique look.
Last step was adding “artwork”—my embroidered book motto. Not bad for a do-it-yourself project.
I keep collecting display ideas. This one actually came to fruition.