Annie Sloan’s New Neutrals

Chalk Paint is one of my favorite paints. There’s been some updates to manufacturing and the product line, I’m excited to share Annie Sloan’s New Neutrals.

I discovered Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan shortly after starting my blog. I remember visiting the Sea Rose Cottage in Bristol, RI and buying enough supplies to get me started. I wanted to paint my old dresser for my son with a union flag on it. That was nearly 8 years ago. Since then I’ve painted many things in our home and for others and also wrote a book on painting furniture.

Annie Sloan created her paint over 25 years ago and it is just as fabulous to work with as you’ve heard. This isn’t a sponsored post and I don’t sell Chalk Paint®. This is an unbiased look at the paint and my observations of new additions to her global line. My friend Nancy, owner of the Sea Rose Cottage, sent me a few sample pots so I could share the differences in the color offering and also get a feel for the paint which is slightly thicker than when it was being manufactured in the US.

Many of you know how much I love playing with paint. It was so much fun to experiment with these gorgeous sample pots and paint some sample boards. I always think it’s a good idea to paint out some samples before beginning any project.

Annie Sloan is now producing Chalk Paint in her very own factory in Oxford, England. Annie’s in-house factory is right next to her studio and workshop. This paint is the original Chalk Paint® and what Annie has used in all her youtube videos and tutorials in her books.

So what can you expect to be different if you’re used to using the US made Chalk Paint®?

Annie Sloan’s New Neutrals

Some Differences

• The paint made in the UK is thicker, which means the application may need to be adjusted when working with this thicker paint. You may need to feather the application.
• It covers better than the US made Chalk Paint because it’s thicker. All the sample boards I painted were done with just one coat of paint.
• The color palette has changed which I’ll detail in more depth below.
• The new paints contain little to no black pigments, which means the colors will mix properly, Annie mixes custom colors as noted in her videos and book tutorials.
• It responds better to Chalk Paint® techniques
• Supposedly it takes the wax better too (I haven’t experimented with this yet, though).

Colors

All the sample boards I’ve created do not have clear wax applied unless noted. The clear wax makes the colors appear more vibrant, while bare have a more chalk-like appearance.

Whites

Annie’s palette now contains three whites – Original, Pure, and Old White. In America we used to have Pure White and Old White. I used to always mix the two together to get the perfect white but now I’m excited about these three whites.

Let’s break the new white color palette down.

Original – described by Annie Sloan, “The white of old painted furniture, pair this with Duck Egg Blue or Antoinette for a delicate old French look.” As you can see, Original is at the top and you can see it juxtaposed to the other whites. The US Old White (was more of a creamy antique white that had more yellow in it). Original is similar to the US Old White but doesn’t have the yellow undertones. Instead it has more of a tan undertone – leaning more to Ochre.

Pure -described by Annie Sloan, ” Perfect for modern interiors, this cool clean white makes a crisp contrast to strong colors. This is not as stark or cool as the US version of Pure White. I like this shade of white more than the original US one, but I’ve heard as similar to the US version Pure doesn’t have the same coverage as the other whites. I think this color is similar to the one I achieved by mixing the US Old White and US Pure White.

Old White – described by Annie Sloan, “Use this versatile white to highlight other colours or pair it with Paris Grey or Aubusson for the Swedish look.” This color is new to the US and I’m really excited about it. It’s a modern white with grey undertones. I think it has a lovely coastal look to it.

Black

Annie still only has one black in her palette but it’s changed slightly from the original US Graphite.

Graphite – Annie Sloan says, ” Based on traditional pigment called Lamp Black, this is perfect for anything from neoclassical to the modern interior.”

The US Graphite was cooler and had blue undertones. I always felt like it read more charcoal than a true black. I’m excited about the new version because it is a richer, deeper black. The UK Graphite is warmer and blacker. Excited to use this in my home decor!

The Greys

Annie has two greys in her color palette – Chicago Grey and Paris Grey. The Chicago Grey might seem new to us but it’s actually the US Paris Grey which is now available to the rest of the world.

Chicago Grey – Annie Sloan says, ” Chicago Grey is a cool, fresh and modern grey, with a hint of blue. Suggestive of the architecture in Chicago. A perfect neutral for industrial interiors, or muted Scandinavian styling.”

Paris Grey – Annie Sloan says, “This soft and gentle colour takes inspiration from French and Swedish interiors, and works well with blues and oranges.”

As you can see in the above photo, the Chicago Grey is much cooler and steely than the Paris Grey. The below sample board is from a workshop I did with Nancy at her shop. The undercoat is Cream with clear wax and then dark wax at the bottom. I love how muted and romantic the UK Paris Grey looks. I definitely think this color will look great on old pieces of furniture for that “found” look.

French Linen

French linen is one of my favorites. I’ve used it on many pieces in our home and for clients, as well.

French Linen – Annie Sloan says, “Inspired by the colour of aged, natural linen, this works beautifully with gold and a range of rich, bright colours.”

This color hasn’t changed but I wanted to to try it out against a sample board I created at Nancy’s studio.

It looks very similar to my eye. I know Annie says it’s great paired with bold colors but I love it with black. In the sample you can see it with clear wax and also with dark wax.

Neutral Blues

Annie Sloan has two variations on Duck Egg Blue. A very beautiful color that makes my heart sing, in fact it’s one of my favorites.

Duck Egg Blue – Annie Sloan says, ” Evoking Rococo interiors, this color stems from the discovery of a beautiful blue pigment in the 18th century.

Svenska Blue – Annie Sloan says, “Svenska Blue is a crisp and cool toned blue-grey, evocative of the colours seen throughout Swedish manor houses in the 17th and 18th Century.”

The Duck Egg Blue is the UK Duck Egg Blue and it is greener than the US version. Annie Sloan decided to add the US version of Duck Egg Blue to the global palette and called it Svenska Blue – Swedish Blue. I love both version and am very excited to try the UK Duck Egg Blue in our home.

I thought you all would enjoy learning more about the changes to the colors and texture of the paints. I enjoyed testing them out and seeing the difference myself.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions, please share them in the comments. Over the years I’ve written many posts on painting furniture and some fun techniques, you can see my before & afters here.

I’ve also written these specifically about Chalk Paint.

Applying Dark Wax | Tinting Wax |Faux Marble | Faux Soapstone

Why I Love Chalk Paint is also a very popular post, but bare in mind it’s very old so the photos are just okay 😉

I hope this post inspires you to get painting this summer! Nancy has an online store you can order paint from. If you’d like more painting tips, you might just want to pick up a copy of my eBook here.