Loving the Chalk Paint Colors and Finishes!

I have now been using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (link to website) for over three years and regularly feature my great pieces under what I am calling "The Custom Chalk Paint Collection" example on eBay. I have accumulated quite a few colors and am into my 2nd, 3rd and even 4th can for some.

Old Ochre with Dark Wax

Old White (most used)

Old Ochre

Paris Grey (least used)

Chateau Grey

CoCo

Cream

Emperor's Silk (like best)

Duck Egg Blue (like second best)

Country Grey (most recent add-on)

I have tried a number of techniques but have not necessarily achieved the "advanced" state - most of my techniques are fairly straight forward. By far, the most common application method is just several (at least two - often three) coats of paint with a clear wax finish.

See illustrations below of simple techniques:

Lightly distressing the woodwork is the simplest technique. It works best when done before waxing but can be done afterwards (wax over distressed areas again if doing after initial waxing). I use a sanding block for best overall application and consistency. Truthfully, sometimes I do the distressing after the piece comes back from the upholstery shop if it has gotten dinged and scratched quite a bit in places that I cannot easily touch up. It's a pretty good trick!

This technique is not difficult but each time i use it, I always start in less obvious places and then move slowly around the piece - usually several times to make sure it is evenly applies. I have had to repaint the base coat and redo the overcoat when it has been too darkly covered.  The trick is to use only a slight amount of paint on a fairly dry brush to do the overcoat. 

This is my trickiest technique. It involved doing an initial coat of clear wax and following that with a coat of dark wax (I use a tooth brush to get it into the crevices). The dark wax coat needs to be managed (and sometimes removed with more clear wax) to keep it consistent. I love the way the technique highlights the curves and crevices of fine woodwork.

I have created several photo boards to demonstrate the use of the different colors I've accumulated. They are all versatile colors.

This is my biggest color - I am on my 4th can. It is a great off-white color that matches most cream/white backgrounds. 

Duck Egg Blue was a very early purchase because I just loved the color. It has worked well on many pieces but does need a lighter fabric to complement it. 

I have always admired black and white combos and like the look of black wood. This is the closest to "flat black" that Annie Sloan carries. It can be made darker by using only dark wax but it is never totally black. I have found that many people love the look of black woodwork (and it works in SO many settings) but it is not as easy of a sale as either natural wood or white/neutral wood finishes.

I love the brightness of Emperor's Silk but have found it hard to sell. I am about to add at least one more red piece to my inventory.

This color was one of my first purchases. White it is called "grey" it definitely has a greenish caste. I have used it when it complements the fabrics and only then. I am in the process of having a vintage love seat upholstered in the same fabric as shown in two of these photos (Chelsea Linen called "Pineapple") . I used this color paint on that piece.

I bought CoCo because I wanted a color that somewhat mimics real "brown" wood. This is the closest color. I am enjoying using it and sometimes just add dark wax to get even closer to the color of brown wood.  

I love this vanilla shade of white - almost a very pale yellow. I hadn't realized that I have used it exclusively with blue and blue and white - although I do see that it works beautifully! I should try with some other combos!

If Old White is too "white", I used Old Ochre. It is a nice neutral shade with just a hint of pale taupe.

Here is a close-up of a "gilding" technique over graphite. I have only done this once but liked how it turned out.

Well, this was nice trip down memory lane and I enjoyed seeing the versatility of the paints. I would like to experiment some more but am always concerned about broader customer appeal. Maybe I'll pick up a can of the bright green in celebration of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day!!

Final 2014 Before and After - My Parade

Well, it has been a busy GREEN year for me and I continue to be SO impressed with the magical transformations possible with heirloom-quality upholstered furniture.  It's a win-win all around. Instead of languishing as outdated and little-used obsolete pieces (or worse - bulky landfill), the refurbished pieces are reclaimed as principle elements of current room designs.

Here are some of the pieces transformed over the past month. I hope these inspire you to do the same!

These vintage bergere chairs were purchased in a consignment shop in Destin, FL, during a business/pleasure trip. I refinished the woodwork using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and had my upholsterer recover in a linen pattern with red and white checks on the back. Love how these turned out! 

These chairs were bought at a local estate sale and refinished in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Cream). The fabric selected is a blue and white woven check that I have used on several other pieces this year. Love the crispness of this look!

This set was purchased at the same sale as the French chairs above (blue and white checks). I redid the woodwork in a slightly darker neutral shade (Old Ochre) and had my upholsterer's apply a heavy woven cream fabric to the bulk of the piece with taupe velvet cotton used as piping and on the oval back. I think they look both contemporary and ageless! 

I actually bought this set of six chairs about four years ago and have had them in my "working space" downstairs all this time trying to decide what to do with them. Three of the chairs needed some serious reinforcement of the base which my upholsterer does not do. My husband ended up taking them apart and by re-gluing and re-doweling made them good as new. I had my go-to lacquer specialist, Sharon, redo the woodwork and reupholster the seats in a European linen. Wonderful!

This versatile square ottoman was purchased at an estate sale and reupholstered in this crisp herringbone cream fabric. The styling of the base was changed because we could not get the multiple pleats to lay flat enough (too much bulk) and this cleaner look is much more attractive. 

These very sturdy chairs were purchased from a moving family on craigslist. I had a hard time trying to decide what kind (weight, pattern) fabric to use and ended up with this heavy woven pattern in cool blues and greens. I think the weight of the fabric and the oversized pattern work well on these large chairs. I hope someone else agrees! 

This lovely French style (my overall favorite) settee was purchased at an estate sale. It has been refurbished with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Cream) and reupholstered in a heavy teal woven fabric with an embroidered look. This one is on hold pending a decision from a client - so not currently on sale. 

This chair was purchased at an estate sale and has been refinished in chalk paint (old white) and reupholstered in a crisp red and white cotton ticking. I do like this French Country look!

That's it (probably for the year). Have a happy holiday and see you in 2015!

A Tale of On-Line Design Collaboration!

Recently, I concluded an online collaboration with a customer in New Jersey who was interested in buying a set of four dining chairs that I had refurbished using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) and a taupe and cream patterned fabric (expertly applied by my go-to upholsterers - the fabulous Lee's of Sun's Upholstery in Norcross, GA).  I thought a posting about the experience might calm others about on-line collaborations and buying furniture on-line - at least from me!

My potential buyer was worried about purchasing this set of chairs - that she would not be able to find a  table that would work with unique look. She asked if I would be willing to find and refurnish a round table to complement the set and ship them together.  We communicated back and forth about her interests including:

• Style and size of round table 
• Cost point
• Timeline for completion
• Shipping costs

I did several things concurrently:

• Used craigslist descriptions and photos to share ideas about possible tables to be bought and refurbished
• Obtained shipping quote (and general timeline) from my go-to shipper - (Cascadiacascadiaexpress@hotmail.com) 
• Checked with my ASCP paint store link to Chalk It Up - Norcross to get advice on finishing a dining table that would require a little more wear and tear than my usual chairs and small table/decorative item projects

Craigslist table.

My customer had some initial requirements for a table that were modified with time. She had preferred a table with four legs and not a central base. During this period, I found none that were attractive (or stable) - the round model was definitely the norm with four chairs. I shared several potential pieces before finding the right one on craigslist and proceeded to make the purchase - fortunately the price was right and it was still available. 

The table was solid and in good shape so painting was all it needed. I refinished it using ASCP CoCo but only used the dark was on the base. My conversation with the ASCP experts informed me that the clear wax was a better seal for the top - I did four coats to create a hard finish that should last and last. 

Photo of completed table with chairs - before shipping

Before finishing the set, my customer did add a set of French style chairs - redone in a hard lacquer finish with linen fabric - to her purchase so all traveled together to her home in New Jersey.

Here are photos provided by the customer of the pieces in her home - she is excited and I am very happy to see how well they work in her space.  This was fun!

I love seeing photos of my pieces in my customer's homes - very satisfying! 

Before and After - Magical Transformations!

Now and again, I review my photos and check out my own before and after stars. Today, I am featuring some recent magical transformations. I hope to inspire others to consider using existing furniture, of all types, and pursuing transformations themselves. It is a "green" way to decorate and very rewarding.

Here are some more stars from my own collection! ENJOY!!

I bought this sweet chair at an estate sale - all it needed was some a great fabric!

This great vintage piece had been in my neighbor's family for generations. One day, she offered it to me and I took it. I refurbished the woodwork with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (CoCo with dark wax to highlight the curves) and had it upholstered in a linen-look heavy tweed.  

This graceful chair came from an estate sale. I refurbished the woodwork with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Country Grey) and had it reupholstered in a cream linen-look woven fabric.  

These chairs were on a Craigslist sale. They were reupholstered in a woven and embroidered-look cream fabric with teal details (love this fabric)!

This chair was purchased at an estate sale. The legs were refinished (chalk paint again) and I had enough fabric left-over from another set to redo in this wonderful ikat!

This chair was purchased in a consignment shop in Destin, Florida, during a recent trip. The brand is exceptional! All it needed was a seafoam blue woven fabric to look great again.

Before and After - My Own Projects!

It has been some time since I've posted my own "before" and "after" miracles - so here is an update. I love them all! Included in the descriptions are all of my purchasing and "fixing up" secrets. Enjoy!

I purchased this chair at an estate sale held by Annette - one of my favorite sellers. It is a Woodmark - great North Carolina company. The fabric came from Fabric World (Stone Mountain fabric warehouse) - a bright buffalo plaid!

I found these chairs on Craigslist. I refinished the woodwork in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint's Duck Egg Blue (one of my favorite colors) and had the chairs reupholstered in a Charles Cantrell cotton print purchased at Fabric World. 

The history of this set of fabulous chairs is a little convoluted. I had originally spotted them at an estate sale (Vicki's) and left a bid. I did not hear back on my bid but saw them on Craigslist a little later being sold for exactly my bid offer. I did (of course) try to get a better deal but ended up paying the bid price - a little steep for me but a great price for this set - $250. The fabric was an eBay purchase - a heavy cream matellase.  Needless to say, this sold almost immediately.

I purchased this great little chair at an estate sale. The woodwork is exactly like one I have in my own home with a darker finish. I had the chair recovered in a blue plaid purchased at Calico Corners Fine Fabrics (major discount).

I purchased this sweet little settee at a nearby neighbor's craigslist sale. The original woodwork was in great condition. The piece was reupholstered in a very durable blue woven fabric (composition unknown) purchased at a super bolt sale at Fabric World.

I bought this set at an estate sale on a bid. The original woodwork is very interesting! The chairs were upholstered in a heavy woven fabric - teal and cream - from Fabric World. These were sold on One King's Lane.

These wonderful chairs came from an estate sale. I had them reupholstered in a wonderful soft woven organic cotton purchased on eBay. They are enjoying their new home in Colorado. 

I bought these chairs thru a Craigslist ad and refinished the woodwork in ASCP - Country Grey. The upholstery is a cream-white twill from Fabric World. 

Well, that's the latest on this hot sunny Sunday morning in Atlanta. Have a great week!

French Style Trio Transformed with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Pieces bought at Scott's Antique Market - BEFORE refurbishing.

I continue to enjoy the wonderful transformations possible with heirloom quality furniture - sometimes just new fabric is needed but at other times the wood needs attention as well.  Recently, I wrote about the culmination (to date) of lessons learned using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) link to posting and highlighted some of my 2014 projects.

This posting is about a very special trio of French style pieces bought from a Florida vendor at the June Atlanta Scott's Antique Market link to website. I recently listed the three pieces (and have already sold one through One King's Lane link to one of the listings on OKL.

The basic construction on these pieces (estimated to be 60-70's vintage) was solid. Each has hand-tied eight-way steel coil springs which ensure a stable seat platform foundation (and their presence is a GREAT way to determine the quality of a piece of upholstered furniture - only the best have these coils). The woodwork was fully intact but had old finishes which had become dirty and discolored over time. The fabric, of course, desperately needed replacing - it may have been original. The set was perfect for me and the seller said she did not want to truck these back to Florida so she gave me a very good price on them.

First two steps illustrated. I always use Goof Off to thoroughly clean the woodwork of oils, dirt, grease, tobacco staining and anything else that would interfere with good adhesion or create stubbles in the painted surface.

This is the one that has already sold on One King's Lane ($999). I choose a "French linen" cream fabric to offset the neutral wood finish. My upholsterers (the fabulous Lee's of Sun's Upholstery in Norcross, WI) do a wonderful job with the double welting and extensive back tufting. 

This bergere was upholstered in a paler cream fabric which beautifully offsets the chalk paint finish. The first paint coat was ASCP Old White with a diluted Duck Egg Blue light brush (almost dry) overcoat. The double-welted fabric is a duck egg color and highlights the wood finish. I love how this turned out!

The finish and fabric on this slightly oversized - almost a settee - chair is the same as the first item above. It does create a nice clean look!

I will be keeping my eye out for more French style pieces - my overall favorite style - and need to get to work on the pieces in my garage. This is, after all, just procrastination but I am getting inspired to get out there to start the new projects!

2014 Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Projects - an Update!

This great set of chairs was redone in a clean (not distressed) cream color with clear wax. The color was chosen to offset the rich brown color (sold).

I have been using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) for over two years and it continues to be my go-to paint whenever woodwork needs redoing. link to company site.  I have acquired a number of colors but have been using mostly Old White, Old Ochre, Cream and CoCo this year.

I closely follow the work of others - an ever expanding group from all indications - and try to keep a good set of ideas and images on my pinterest page - link.

This posting highlights projects completed in 2014. I will summarize my lessons learned over the years below.

This set of four vintage chairs was purchased in tony Buckhead (city of Atlanta) and needed everything. The woodwork was redone in CoCo to match the taupe and cream woven fabric selected to redo the pieces (professionally reupholstered by my go-to shop - Sun's Upholstery of Norcross, GA).  

I choose the fabric, a traditional green and dark cream toile, before choosing the chalk paint color. The Old Ochre color matches the background so well that is was an obvious choice. I also had to do the rusk seat platform since it had previously been painted. If it had been left natural, I would not have covered it (sold). 

These chairs had such nice woodwork that I wanted to enhance. I choose the Duck Egg Blue to set off the cream fabric - I loved how these turned out (sold). 

This great shaped chair was purchased in New Orleans on a January visit to the city. Once I chose the pale neutral and chocolate linen fabrics, the choice of Old Ochre was easy to make (sold). 

This vintage chair has great lines but the woodwork was awful. I choose the cheery fabric which made the choice of  Old White perfect for the piece. I did distress it (perhaps a little too heavily - I may go back and reduce the level of distressing on this piece).

These pieces all had woodwork and was no longer in good condition so I had to find a good color to coordinate with the fabrics selected. Three ended up with CoCo and one with Old White. The two wingbacks are still available.

So, with over two years and LOTS of projects under my belt, here are my primary lessons learned:

• Clean the woodwork and remove piping or other obstacles to getting as close to the fabric as possible.
• Do the first coat with the piece turned upside down so that you can adequately paint the hard to see and get to places.
• If some brown or red continues to show through the paint after one or two coats, it means that some of the original stain is coming through (and will continue to come through with more coats). Use a clear shellac finish to seal the areas and resume painting.
• Let each coat dry fully to the touch before adding additional coats - I have used up to four coats on some pieces but two are usually adequate.
• Let the final coat dry overnight before applying clear wax. Buff once it has dried.
• Before using dark wax (with some exceptions) use a clear wax coat first. This gives you the ability to moderate the amount of dark wax remaining on the piece. The only times I do not do this is when I am using graphite (dark grey) and want it to look as black as possible or another shade like CoCo for the same reason.

That's it - enjoy!