We have a client that wanted to repurpose a dresser as a media cabinet. It has perfect lines and we had my carpenter son, Michael, take the front off the top middle drawer, line it and hinge the door to drop down for access to the tv components (plus cut a whole in the back).
I wanted the piece to resemble the look and feel of fine furniture. Enter chalk paint--not just any substitute, but Annie Sloan's Chalk paint. I looked into chalk powder that you can add to any color of any brand of paint,and other off brands, but the Annie Sloan French Linen color was perfect (and perfectly classy) and the product has an impeccable track record.
This stuff is amazing. I watched videos (thank you Pam )and drove an hour to the The Empty Nest in Warrenton, VA, that carries it and saw lots of examples and was given instructions and tips. It is true, NO SANDING OR PRIMING, just start painting.
There are hundreds of tutorials and videos out there on Annie Sloan Chalk paint, but the helpful local source was amazing to call when I ran into some snags. The stockists of these paints are experts!
The magic in the clear soft wax application is the $35.00 brush. This video tells you how to wax so I followed it precisely. I had applied the paint in a horizontal motion- all 3 layers of it. After drying thoroughly, I applied the wax in a circular motion, but was not happy with how it was buffing between coats. I was looking at circles and horizontal lines in the paint..very incongruous.
So I called The Empty Nest for troubleshooting advice and they were familiar with this dilemma and recommended that I use 500 grit sandpaper to sand the top coat of wax, wipe and reapply in the same horizontal direction of the paint. Perfect! I applied 3 coats of clear wax, buffing in between and waited 24 hours for the final buffing. I am told it will cure rock hard, and we are loving the look and feel of this piece.
We delivered the piece this week prior to the full living room install this weekend! We are so excited and the client was over the moon about the new look of her old dresser.
I love this paint. It is so worth the cost and you will be thrilled with the quality and outcome. More on this client reveal soon! Have a great weekend!
