Homemade Chalk Paint vs Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Yes I'm talking about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, yet again.  I admit it's awesome paint to use.  Why, no sanding or prepping needed.  But the downside is the price a mere $38 a quart.  So I have been researching Pinterest, and youtube, and saw where there were homemade versions of chalk paint.  After reading several post about the homemade paint I decided the Martha Stuart version had to be tried & true, and so I went with that formula!

Homemade Chalk Paint

1 cup of flat paint

2 cups of grout mix

They say to use flat paint, not sure why, I bought the grout at Home Depot for $5 and some change.  I bought the container for $1.14 because it has measurements on the side.  I slowly added the grout a small amount at a time.  Stirring well as I went, if lumps show, you need to stir more.  I found the consistency to be about perfect.

A couple of weeks ago I saw that Ace Hardware was advertising a quart of free paint Clark & Kensington.  The Ace Hardware by me doesn't carry that brand so they were substituting Benjamin Moore instead (that was even better)!  I decided to go with a completely different color, after all it is free, called 'bird of paradise' which is a coral color. 

I had these two end tables I picked up at GW and decided they would be great to practice on.

I wanted these to have a distressed look, and I don't like the blonde color underneath.  So I did use the liquid sand paper ( great stuff ) to take off the slickness, and painted them a flat brown MS color 'garden soil'.  Seriously, the liquid sand paper takes about five minutes max to do both.  Wear gloves, with clean rag rub all over the furniture.

Just a rough coat to cover

Time for the homemade chalk paint.  Painted the first coat on purposely missing some places so the brown comes thru.

Also, a trick to distressing is when the paint is tacky take a wet cloth and take off paint where you want the underneath color to show.  It doesn't require as much sanding later.

After first coat is dry I painted on the second coat again leaving some brown coming through.

side table before lacquer

 Now is time to sand. Go to your local auto store such as Auto Zone, and pick up 1000 grit sand paper, lightly sand the entire table.  I go a little harder in places I want to distress more.  I sometimes use a 150 or 250 grit paper(from your local Home Improvement Store) if I want more distressing in certain areas.

 I like these at this point, but felt like it needed more so I picked up some Lacquer and painted on the table all over for a high gloss look.  I think it adds a richness that somehow they needed.  *Just a note normally you would wax with AS wax after the sanding process. (The Annie Sloan wax is about $28 a can, but it takes very little)

hand-painted side table with lacquer finish 

  Overall I like the homemade chalk paint, and think I'll be making alot more of it in the future!

Don't be afraid, just do it! It's only paint.....You can always repaint, and I change everything so often it will probably get repainted anyway!  

If you have any painting or refurbishing questions feel free to contact me with a post or email....

Have a super fabulous weekend friends!

Kim

 

Provence Candlesticks

after...Provence

 
I bought these large 2 1/2' candlesticks (below) thru my friend..... their clubhouse was getting a makeover, and had a silent auction for the furniture and accessories.  And,  I won the candlesticks!  Yay..... I love that they are tall & bulky and the way they make a statement, but I really thought they needed some color.....so I dry brushed them with Provence paint color...... and woo la la .....a new look....I know more provence blue, right!  I paid too much to resale, and honestly I don't think I could let them go anyway.  They came with these candles, but I'm thinking I may need to find a little something different!

before

Always keep your eyes open you never know where that next accessory for design may come from!
I haven't decided upon their home yet, but for now their next to the flat screen tv on the console.  I'm notorious for changing things out!

                         ......yep, definitely new candles ........

  So excited sold the plantation garden dining set yesterday to a lovely young couple in Raleigh who has been searching months for one like it for their beautiful new garden space.  This brings me such joy.....

 and a little sadness....because I love this piece and have no where for it.


Gotta go lots of painting to finish.  Have a blessed day friends!




 Kim

Plantation Garden Table

This has been a beautiful week here in NC it's more like summer than spring which is my favorite time of the year!  Unfortunately,  I've had a flu virus so it has slowed me down a bit.  But never the less painting has continued.....

 I bought this plantation garden table with 4 garden chairs that I have fallen in love with, and would love to keep, but have no space for it! Finished painting it on Friday, and here is the before and after.  Sorry about the before I kinda forgot until I got into it......

before...garden chair

before...table (sorry forgot picture until this stage)

after...table & chairs without the extention

after...garden chair

after...table set with the extention

The table & chairs were painted with Provence blue and distressed.  It would be great outdoors, and will weather over time, or could be adorable in a European style dining room or kitchen indoors.  You could add a glass table top .

More before and afters coming soon!  

Have a blessed day!

Kim

Everything's Coming Up Blue

Wow it has been so busy around here! I love repainting, redesigning furniture.....My latest furniture piece is this bookshelf before.....

and the after.....

Painted in Provence Blue and distressed, it sold in one day!  The response to the furniture has been great!
I'm thinking the teal, turquoise, and provence blue are my signature colors! Which of course makes me very happy!

Another piece which was a fun one is this round table with a black iron base.....the before.....

 Not very pretty, right?  But I had a vision..... the after.....

I painted it, antique glazed it, and distressed.....sold again one day!  I have a workshop full of furniture waiting on me.....more before and after pictures to come!  It's exciting......maybe there are some furniture pieces sitting around your house to repaint or you want a change.  Feel free to contact me with any questions you might have!  I love brainstorming creative ideas!

Have a blessed day!
Kim

Knock Out Roses.....

Daylight savings time.....I'm so glad you're back!  I love having more daylight time.  To me it means Spring is here!  I'm getting excited thinking of what plants and flowers I want to plant this year.  We live in a 2 story town home so I have limited outdoor space.  But, we do have a covered stone front porch, and a small covered back porch with what I call our postage stamp backyard.

We live in a planned community, and so they do all yard maintenance so we are very limited as to what we're allowed to do.  Sometimes this is very hard for me because I love piddling in my plants and flowers.

Over the years of home owning I have loved having window boxes with red ivy germanium's with ivy spilling out, boxwood's lining my steps to my front door, and urns overflowing with flowers.  I even had the fairy tell climbing hydrangea growing up the side of my cottage style home.

I love gardens that have beauty, and a time worn elegance to them.  But over  the years of spending hundreds of dollars on flowers every year I decided to start pairing down the cost.

Last year after moving here I potted a knock out rose bush in a planter with a finial , and must say I loved it! It bloomed all summer with bright  pink blooms.....and even weathered thru the winter on the back porch.

knock out rose first bloom after the winter

I also planted a juniper bush in a planter on back porch, and added some pansies last fall.

Not to shabby I must say to weather the winter ..... I love saving money, and having green all year round.

In April I'll bring out the herbs, and some annuals, and can't wait for all the flowers to bloom on my knock out roses!  Think outside the annual box, I love using boxwoods, lavender, Kimberly ferns in pots.  You can add alot of beauty by adding some annuals around your greens.

backyard tulip tree

Can't wait to share more outside ideas later................

Have a beautiful day!

Kim

Design Inspiration Orange

I love tulips.....they make me think spring.....and the color orange is the hot color for 2012!  I saw these at the market today, and had to have them for my turquoise buffet in my entryway!  There is something about fresh flowers that brings such life to a home.....nature is the best way to get color inspiration.



Have a great weekend everyone!

Kim

Design Inspiration in Mexico

A few years ago I accompanied Greg on a business trip to Queretaro, Mexico.  He has been traveling to Mexico for over 15 years now, and while he attended language school there he chose to stay with a host family.  We love to experience the authentic culture.   Gemma and Francisco are wonderful, and have become our extended family!

Queretaro, Mexico is a beautiful city full of Spanish architecture, and history.  You can find inspiration everywhere.....

 

Gemma and Francisco live in a beautiful home that sits behind two huge doors on a pebble stone narrow street.......in the heart of the city.

This home is a couple hundred years old and has been passed down within their family.  It is filled with hand painted Spanish tiles, wood beams and ceilings, handmade authentic Mexican lighting.  When you open the hand carved doors that's where the story begins...........

Entryway (also used to house the cars)

Gemma's kitchen

The Painted Chest

Sorry it's been a while since my last posting. I've had a computer crash, or should I say it died! In the meantime I've been very busy painting and selling furniture.  Last Wednesday I went to Wilmington, NC with Greg on a business trip.  Well, I should say he did business, and I did some shopping all work related of course!

I had heard all the latest craze about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and decided I had to find what all the fuss was about!

So I set off to Budget Redesign in Wilmington, NC.  What a great little shop! They were so helpful, and inspirational, and totally sold me on the paint! I bought "Provence" which is a blue, and just a beautiful color!  They gave me many tips in using the paint, and the wax process!

So I had this chest which I thought would be the perfect piece to try it out on..........

                                                               before......

                                                                  after.....

I'm really excited about how it turned out. I wanted a very distressed, beachy look.

You may be asking "so what's so special" about this paint?  Well, all I can say is there is no prepping, no sanding, no priming!! Greg was like, Kim this paint is perfect for you! I hate the prep work!  I will say it is expensive one quart is $35.00, but I'm really thinking it is worth it!  And the best news is this piece is already sold. Yes you heard me SOLD! In one day!  All I did on this piece was one coat so the the wood would show through, then I waxed it with Annie Sloan Wax which you put on with a soft rag, and rub off.  It makes the surface silky smooth. And of course distressed it to give it that aged look!

I also visited Thrill of the Hunt there, and was just in painted furniture heaven! All I can say is AWESOME shop!  I wish I could have stayed longer.  I will definitely be back in Wilmington soon for there are many other shops I'm dying to visit!  That evening Greg and I had dinner at one of the quaint restaurants, down on the river sitting outside watching the sunset!

All I can say is how blessed I am that I can do what I love, travel, visit quaint, beautiful towns such as Wilmington, NC, eat out watching the sunset, and truly have met some amazing people on this journey!

Have a blessed day my friends,

Kim