A Chalk Paint Review & The Clifton Armoire

So you all know I really, really love Chalk Paint®, right?

I’ve been using Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan for a little over 2 years now, with a-maz-ing results on my furniture, painting for friends and custom pieces.  I’ve written about how much I love it here and some of my tips here and you can see of few before and afters over here.

So, when my friends over at Annie Sloan Unfolded asked if I’d be interested in doing a little review post, well, the only answer was, “Yes, Please!”

Before

I knew I wanted to paint this 1930s armoire for my husband.  The previous owner painted it in a soft blue but it needed a fresh coat of paint and some patching.  As many of you know I absolutely adore the color blue – I could paint everything in blue if given the chance, but I didn’t think blue was right for this piece.

So I got my Annie Sloan books out for some inspiration.  I adore her books and reread them for ideas.  If you’re new to using Chalk Paint® I highly recommend her Quick and Easy Paint Transformations and her new book on color – Colour Recipes for Painted Furniture.  I mixed up some paint and played with ideas in my Annie Sloan Work Book:

It became very clear what color the armoire wanted to be.  My friends over at Annie Sloan Unfolded sent me some French Linen along with a few other goodies:

This is how the armoire came out:

After

French Linen is a lovely color inspired by the color of aged and natural linen and actually is very close to the stripes in the pillows on our bed and picks up the tone in the shells on our mirror:

I applied two coats of French Linen Chalk Paint® for the body of the dresser with Annie’s pure bristle medium brush.  There are many brushes you can use with her paint but I really love Annie’s brushes.

Her brushes hold the paint wonderfully, making painting quicker, and the handle is so comfortable to hold.  The pure bristles add a slight texture to the paint which I love as it gives that aged look to furniture, as if it has always been painted.  The brushes wash nicely.  I apply a bit of hair conditioner to them after washing and they remain as soft as the first day I used them.

The trim is painted in Old White Chalk Paint® so the outside is looking extremely classic, but on the inside there is a little surprise.  A custom blue –

I mixed together Aubusson Chalk Paint®, a historic color named after small town in central France,  in equal parts to Louis Blue Chalk Paint®, a pastel blue, which created the most beautiful seaside blue.

Isn’t that a gorgeous blue?!?  I love how easy it is to create your own colors with Annie’s paints!  So that is the little pop of blue inside.  Well, I needed a little blue.

You may notice the beautiful detailing on the outside of the dresser.

In the before you probably didn’t notice it so much because it just blended in with the solid color, so after sealing the entire piece with two coats of clear soft wax. I created a tinted white wax by mixing together the soft clear wax and Old White Chalk Paint®.

When applying the tinted wax you want to work in small areas.  First apply a bit of the soft wax so the area is tacky and then apply the tinted wax.  I’ve used a waxing brush but for these areas I used a small decorative paint brush.

To apply: put the wax on heavy, wait a few minutes and wipe away with a clean cloth.  Then move onto the next area.  The wax will remain in the recessed areas.  It really made all the lovely details show up.

The lion’s head pulls look so elegant and regal against the French Linen.

My hubby is so happy with the finished piece.  If you read the blog regularly then you know I name my  painted pieces.  I’ve called this on the “Clifton Armoire” after the area of Bristol, England where we first met.

The armoire looks amazing next to my Paris Grey (“Elise”) vanity and Duck Egg Bluechair – previously painted with Chalk Paint®.

I highly recommend this paint.  It is, for sure, magic in a can and has helped me transform so many rooms like our newly done dining room and pieces of furniture.

If you’re interested in learning more about Annie Sloan Unfolded or Annie Sloan Home, you may want to follow them on social media:

I also recommend connecting with your local stockist.  For a list click here.  Your stockist can provide you with great tips and classes.  I’ve learned so much from my stockist who is now such a good friend.

Happy Painting!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post with Annie Sloan Unfolded.  I truly love Annie Sloan’s decorative paint and products and I would have said all of the above regardless of the products I received in return for this post.  All thoughts and beliefs are my own.

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