Annie Sloan chalk painting . . . have you done it?

[Deleted]

As I posted before, I just bought new furniture for the sunroom. It's not being delivered until April, but we gave away the sofa/loveseat in there this weekend.  Getting rid of them was actually easier than I thought.   There is still a market for pink/blue striped furniture if the price is right . . . (free).   

So while we wait and clean the sunroom thoroughly, we are talking about other changes.  DH wants "new" end tables/coffee tables.  He thinks we can pick up used maple ones cheap.  Lol.  What is in there is natural-finished "parawood" tables from Target.  If he wants to buy new ones, anyway, I want to play with these first to see if I can come up with something I like. 

So I'm thinking of doing the chalk painting.  I don't want to pay for a class.  I have started watching the youtube videos. 

Has anyone done this?  It is all the rage around here, and I hurt every time I see real wood involved.  But "parawood" (aka rubber wood) isn't maple or oak.  This is Target furniture.  But I like the design of the furniture (Mission) and think I could have fun.

Warnings?  Pictures?  C'mon, I know you guys are creative, too.

[raeoflyte]

Do it!  And post your pictures. 

It's on my to-do list, but I haven't gotten to it yet.  

[debthaven]

I think chalk paint is fun but I'm not sure I get the point of chalk painting on a end / coffee table. To me it's more suited for a kitchen surface where members of a family leave each other messages. 

I don't know if you're handy or motivated, but these are the two nicest and most original coffee tables I have ever seen:

- one friend had a blonde wood bottom with small compartments and a glass top (she may have actually built it, I can't remember). My friend (who is an artist) filled them with sand, shells, coins, and other small objects from their trips. It may sound tack but it's not, its really lovely. 

- another friend redid their coffee table while taking a mosaic class. With her son's help (he was about 10 at the time) they covered the surface with red and white tiles to reproduce the bottoms of several board games ... definitely chess / checkers and backgammon, and one more game I can't remember, I think there were three. They chose red and white to match their LR. 

ETA: I know how frugal you are and I'm so happy that you got the new furniture! May you both enjoy it!

Whatever you decide to do, maybe you can make it a project for you and one of the older grandchildren? 

[debthaven]

My bad! I'm so sorry, I thought you meant painting it green or black so you could use chalk on it! I didn't know that was called "chalk painting" in the US, I've never heard that term before. 

That was all the rage here years ago, not so much anymore, but I really like it, so good luck! I bought an old "pirate's chest" a few years ago from DS3's theatre teacher (it was a prop in that year's play). I intended to do that, in white. And then I looked into it ... it's a LOT of work (I have an interior designer friend who does it).

I'm lazy, so in the end I just stripped the fabric and varnished it. It still looks good, but I'm sure it would have looked much better using the chalk technique. 

ETA: What I do know from my friend is that "parawood" doesn't react as well as real wood because the (fake) wood fibres won't soak up the patina as much. 

[Deleted]

Feb 28, 2016 16:54:51 GMT -5 debthaven said:

My bad! I'm so sorry, I thought you meant painting it green or black so you could use chalk on it! I didn't know that was called "chalk painting" in the US, I've never heard that term before. 

That was all the rage here years ago, not so much anymore, but I really like it, so good luck! I bought an old "pirate's chest" a few years ago from DS3's theatre teacher (it was a prop in that year's play). I intended to do that, in white. And then I looked into it ... it's a LOT of work (I have an interior designer friend who does it).

I'm lazy, so in the end I just stripped the fabric and varnished it. It still looks good, but I'm sure it would have looked much better using the chalk technique. 

ETA: What I do know from my friend is that "parawood" doesn't react as well as real wood because the (fake) wood fibres won't soak up the patina as much. 

Yeah, that is what I am scared of . . . the parawood thing.  The chalk painting is actually real paint (not the chalkboard type), though, that you then distress or whatever. What's the worst that can happen? I blow $50 on paint? That's how much a can costs. The lessons are about that much, too, but the youtube thing looks fairly thorough.

Anyway, it sounds like fun to me . . . to do something with these tables.  I used to be very creative, and I have sort of stopped since marrying DH.  I'm not blaming it on him, but there's just not as much time.  It used to be I could decide to paint a room.  If I didn't finish, I didn't have to clean up.  I stuck the paint brushes in the refrigerator (in plastic wrap . . . painting tip) and went back the next day. 

It can't be any worse than what I see on the Facebook trading sites.  They don't even remove the hardware, which I think is awful. 

I will post pictures.  I'll probably do the tables during Spring Break.

[Tiny]

I haven't used the "chalk paint" and I don't really care for the 'distressed' look... but I have painted/refinished/customized old low quality furniture.

It pains me when someone takes a perfectly good/working/not damaged better quality old piece of furniture and paints it or beats on it to 'distress' it... Of course, an old better quality piece of furniture that's not in good shape/working/slightly damaged where the painting whatever allows the piece to be put back into use... I'm good with.

I say go for it. I think you'll be surprised at how easy/nice it comes out.

Of course, if you do it and HATE the finish - you can always just re-primer and repaint the pieces in a different solid color. Make sure you put a couple three four coats of polyureathane (or whatever sealer is suggested) to finish it off.

I'm going to be repainting (or maybe doing decoupage or something) the tops of some wooden TV tray tables my SIL gave me. They aren't particularly expensive and the original finish has been damaged... so they are perfect for a 'refresh'. I won't be using the 'chalk paint' and distressing them - but they will be getting updated.

Have Fun!

[Deleted]

Feb 29, 2016 10:52:09 GMT -5 Tiny said:

I haven't used the "chalk paint" and I don't really care for the 'distressed' look... but I have painted/refinished/customized old low quality furniture.

It pains me when someone takes a perfectly good/working/not damaged better quality old piece of furniture and paints it or beats on it to 'distress' it... Of course, an old better quality piece of furniture that's not in good shape/working/slightly damaged where the painting whatever allows the piece to be put back into use... I'm good with.

I say go for it. I think you'll be surprised at how easy/nice it comes out.

Of course, if you do it and HATE the finish - you can always just re-primer and repaint the pieces in a different solid color. Make sure you put a couple three four coats of polyureathane (or whatever sealer is suggested) to finish it off.

I'm going to be repainting (or maybe doing decoupage or something) the tops of some wooden TV tray tables my SIL gave me. They aren't particularly expensive and the original finish has been damaged... so they are perfect for a 'refresh'. I won't be using the 'chalk paint' and distressing them - but they will be getting updated.

Have Fun!

Decoupage!  Now that's an idea!  I really wanted the bottom half one color and the top something else.  If it wasn't parawood, I'd just strip and stain the top.  But I don't think it stains well from what I've read online.  Decoupage might work better!

More to think about!