In his book on style Canadian Robert Bringhurst advises, “By all means break the rules, and break them beautifully, deliberately and well. That is one of the ends for which they exist.”
I am mystified how Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint® breaks every rule I’ve learned about painting. It completely trashes the old paint rules and yet it still works beautifully.
Old School paint rules: Prep your surface by removing oils and wax, sand and wipe clean. Apply primer and let it dry for 4+ hours. Paint a thin first coat and let it dry 4+ hours. Applying second thin coat and let cure 24+ hours before handling.
New School paint rules: NO PREPWORK. Apply a thick coat of Chalk Paint®. If an accent color or second coat is desired, wait 20 -30 minutes to paint. Clear wax and if desired, distress a few areas with sandpaper. Dark wax and buff to a smooth, soft satin finish. Boom, you’re done!
Bev Crossen at the FarmHouse in downtown Tupelo, MS sells Chalk Paint® and holds weekly painting classes. Bev says people like using it because, “It allows big projects – like painting an armoire – to be finished in a day. It paints anything with no priming and no sanding, so you can paint, clear wax, distress, dark wax almost anything all in just three hours.” I’m impressed because the paint is non-toxic, has little to no odor, and its water clean-up makes it perfect for painting inside, even in wintertime. Bev tells me it’s a natural on nursery furniture and lets young mothers easily change colors with different babies.
Leigh Ann McGonagill of the Rusty Cat in Amory once worked for Sherwin-Williams. Leigh Ann says this about Chalk Paint®, “When you’ve been trained as we were to prime surfaces, it’s hard to believe it will grab – but it does. In our shop we’ve painted lamps, concrete, wood. Amazingly, it stays on. It works even over varnish with no primer. Where old latex paints would not stick and roll off, this paint cures fast and sticks, it stays put, it just stays put. It’s a very good product.”
Unlike conventional paints, Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint® sticks to most all surfaces – wood, concrete, metal, fabric, plastic, terra-cotta – and can be used inside and outside your home. Prepwork is rarely necessary. It dries quick, so if you want multiple colors on the same surface, you can paint a second or third color quickly, and start enjoying your revitalized furniture, cabinets, walls, floors, ceilings immediately.
Gorgeous results are so simple. Whether you are a D.I.Y. type person on a budget who wants to de-grannyfy an inherited heirloom or you are a professional up-cycler rescuing age-worn antiques from garage or estate sales, you should definitely give Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint® a try. You’ll be mystified by how easily it paints. You’ll be ecstatic when you see how its Clear Wax adds a rich patina. And you’ll be amazed at how its Dark Wax adds instant age to distressed surfaces.
Chalk Paint® is a unique decorative paint developed by Annie Sloan in 30 decorative and historical colors. See them all at the FarmHouse in Tupelo MS and online at anniesloan.com. Find additional colors recipes at http://www.thepurplepaintedlady.com/paint-mixer. See Before & After pictures on Pinterest under “annie sloan chalk paint colors” and search YouTube for Annie Sloan how-to videos.
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