My First Annie Sloan Project!

My first experience using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Wax....

First let me show you my inspiration photo for my office furniture.  This picture just melts me.

Here is what I have to work with

                                              

So here we go!


Day 1....Prep & First Coat
I kid you not...  the day I started Mr. L Street set up my work area while I was cleaning up after breakfast.  I almost fell over laughing when I saw it.  The wine was a joke and a great one.  It was his way of saying relax and go for it!  I think he was just as anxious for me to start as I was.   And yes, this pic is crazy staged by him for my benefit.  Too cute!  And perfect for a blog pic.

Here are my 'adjustments' to my work area.

I had my paints and brushes ready.  I also needed to wash my furniture a bit with my favorite no nonsense solution of vinegar and water.

The paint colors I chose for my office furniture were a 1:1 ratio of Paris Grey and Louis Blue.  The brush resting on the paint is the brush I will use for the paint.

First order of business in terms of prepping my furniture was to wash it clean.  Super easy, 2:1 water and vinegar.  Take a few paper towels and soak them in the vinegar mixture, squeeze then wipe the entire piece down.

I'm just using a couple of plastic cups to put my mixture of paints in.

My table was placed on a couple of saw horses (thank you honey).  This made it easier on my back as well as make painting the bottom of the legs so much easier.   This is not a high end piece.  All of the furniture is Bombay Company with veneer and a high gloss finish.

A bit of chipped veneer.  No worries right?????  Annie has me covered.

So because all the furniture I was painting had a bit of high gloss, I chose to rough it up a bit.  I just lightly sanded it as you can see below.  Nothing sweat breaking.  Annie's paint does not need much prep however common sense with older inexpensive furniture finishes makes sense.

Once my piece was prepped I was ready to paint (and really, really nervous).  I actually measured my paint ratios since I was painting a total of 5 pieces and knew I would have to keep mixing paint.

I took a pic of my first brush strokes for prosperity sake...

I think this a great example of the contrast between the old finish and the new.

Moving along.....

Here's the desk after her first coat.  I was extremely happy with it.  Pictures do not capture the magic of how chalk paint dries.   It is so gorgeous.

Day 2...Second Coat
I applied a second coat, this time I thinned the paint just a teeny tiny bit.  I would kiss the tips of the brush in a bowl of shallow water and then shake and dip in the paint.  This made the second application very smooth.

Day 3...Waxing
This was by far the most nerve wracking part of the entire experience.  I must had watched 5 YouTube videos and read the same number of blogs to review everything I had learned in my class.  The vase is another inspiration piece.  My office is going to be all blues, whites and grays.

Clear wax going on.  This was a breeze.

When it came to the dark wax I decided to lighten it by mixing 1:1 dark and clear.  This just helped lower my anxiety level.

I apologize for the lack of detail shown in regards to the dark wax.  Using my iPhone until my camera is back in action.  This shot has both clear and dark wax.  I wanted the waxing to be subtle and I was able to get the exact look I was going for!

I could not be happier with my first piece of furniture.  I now have these 4 remaining pieces to tackle, <gulp>.

Last but not least (because this isn't already the longest post ever!)...this is me super happy!

I would love to read your comments, please drop me a line.  If you enjoy my posts sign up to receive them via email (over in my right side bar).

Fondly-Lisa

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