We call Annie Sloan Chalk Paint “liquid gold.” At $40 per can, it’s not something to be wasted! I am passionate about the product and about teaching people how to use it properly…about how to maximize their can so not to use more than necessary.
 
When I get ready to start a new project, there are a few supplies I always have ready to go.
 
1. Paint Brush
2. Bucket of luke warm water
3. Fine Sanding Block
4. Two hand towels
5. Waxing Brush
6. Paint and Wax
7. and…a glass of water.
 

 

This week, I painted this buffet. My hope was that the top was a nice, grainy solid wood. I stripped a small section to find a cheap, colorless wood…I can’t even be certain it was solid wood. I’m not sure what it was, to be honest. But, stripping and re staining was out of the question so it had to be painted.

 

I chose Primer Red for the color. I’ve never painted anything in Primer Red and it’s not one of my favorite colors. But, I like to have variety in the store so I went with it. Plus, the original color would be a nice contrast to the rich red. Unfortunately, when painting such a bold color over such a light finish, the coverage isn’t the usual one coat application (bold and bright colors like Napoleonic Blue, Barcelona Orange and Emperors Silk often need two coats for good coverage).
 

 
Enter my glass of water. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is water based. That means it has no VOC’s, is odorless, can be used indoors and can be thinned down with water. When it comes to applying second coats of paint, watering down the paint just a little bit is, more often than not sufficient at providing a solid second coat while using a minimal amount of paint. 
 
When the first coat is completely dry, I dip my paint brush in water, brush out the excess water on the side of the glass, dip the brush in my can of paint a couple of times and then start painting the second coat.  
 

 
That little bit of water trapped in my brush is just enough to loosen the paint. The result is about half as much paint spreading on twice as much surface. When it’s all said and done, the second coat is applied much quicker, much smoother (if you like smooth finishes) with a minimal amount of paint!
 
For the musically inspired part of this furniture piece, I wanted to break up the primer red and add a touch of color that would compliment the “parchment” color of the original finish. Sheet music was definitely the way to go and I added a touch of free-hand scripting to the top drawer.
 

 
Prior to waxing, I treated the top drawer just like a chalkboard. I chalked out the lettering, erased it, chalked it again and then painted over with a black paint pen. I used my damp sanding block to clean off the chalk and distress the edges, then I sealed the whole piece with dark wax.
 

 
Normally, I would never leave gold brass hardware as-is…but…the gold on this one just seemed to work, so I left it in its original state.
 

 

 
The sheet music is vintage prints from the 1940’s so the coloring on the pages is authentically aged!

 

 
I’m not in love with how the free-hand musical notations came out, but for now I will leave it. If it doesn’t sell right away I will probably add a bit of Old Ochre to the top drawer.
 

 
I’ll be taking a break from painting furniture in the store this week to get ready for our Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony this Friday. In the meantime, my afternoons are spent at home with my girls and I’ve been getting a bit stir crazy. There’s only so much cleaning and laundry a girl can do, and since I hate to cook, I need a project while my girls are taking their afternoon naps and resting.
 
So…I’m painting my kitchen cabinets. 🙂
 
Wish me luck!