Annie Sloan Round 2

It's that time again. That time where I endorse Annie Sloan Chalk Paint like my life depended on it. If you remember last year, I blogged a post about an ugly coffee table I did and how easy it was. Just to recap, here are the reasons I love this paint:

• totally avoid sanding, de-glossing, priming, sealing etc
• I am able to paint in my house without dying of the stench
• how fast the paint dries
• the lustre look the wax gives

SO when my mother in-law was in town we decided to start tackling my kitchen table.

(I thought I got some good before pictures--guess not). 

We decided with the colors duck egg and off white. Last year, I just used the clear wax. But we thought we would add some dark wax to this project to give it a little more rustic look.

Tip: the clear wax can act as an eraser if the dark wax comes on too strong for you. Just add the clear wax on top of it until you like the shade. Below you can see the dark wax added to the right side. I had to lighten it up quite a bit after I took this picture.

Then after the wax dries for 24 hours you can start buffing it uppp. It takes about 30 days for it to completely "cure."

I am still working on the chairs but so glad we no longer need to have a living room picnic for dinner. For more tips and detailed tutorial, check out my post from last year.

Guest Room Makeover

I am finally feeling like my house is coming together. It is an awesome feeling!

I can not tell you how many colors I have tried for my guest room and nothing seemed to fit. My Mom would always say, 'you'll find a piece you can't live without and then just decorate the room around that one piece.' Well that finally happened. I was at Hobby Lobby and walked passed this octagon black & gold mirror. I fell in LOVE! That is where I got my black, white, and gold inspiration.

Next, my heart could not part with this adorable lamp! I walked passed it
at Target for a few weeks. I thought I could just somehow make a look-a-like,
but I soon realized it just wouldn't be the same (isn't that pull chain so ADORABLE?!)

You can paint a pine cone gold and make it look like it's worth money.
Gold is just so classy like that. Here I got an All a Dollar length mirror and painted it
gold. 

Curtains and bedskirts are next on the to-do list!

-The black pillow covers are $8 at Hobby Lobby!

-My cousin taught me how to make the small gold pillows (no wonder ladies open their own pillow making business. I felt so accomplished after making that small pillow, haha!)

-Black Ikea frames $2

-The gold prints on the left I got on Group Deals. When I realized I needed

two more, I just scanned Pinterest for some free gold printables.

-Remember my Annie Sloan chalk paint obsession? I took one of my parents

old writing desks and painted it. Small, but it gets the job done.

Annie Sloan

I was excited for my Mom to come visit because she usually gets me motivated to decorate or paint something. She makes things seem super easy too. So when I told her about a coffee table that was on it's way out the door to Goodwill, she brought up the idea of painting it. Well call me lazy but these were my issues:

-the long process (sanding, deglossing, priming, sealing blah blah)

-paint smelling up my house

-having to paint outside in the hot humidity

Then my Mom showed me Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I was able to paint in my house and I couldn't believe how fast the process went!

Get your piece of furniture and make sure it is clean and ready to paint on. That is really all the prep you need to do so just start painting! It's a fast process because the chalk paint dries so quickly. I read many tips online saying that you don't want to use repetitive brush strokes. Instead use long fluid strokes. Try not to go back and forth over your same paint strokes {that took a little bit for me to get used to}.

Your first coat should be super light and you may even see the wood coming through. Once the first coat dries {I think mine took seriously fifteen minutes} go ahead and put on the second coat. The tip that I read online was to "kiss" the tips of the brush in a little water to help the second coat glide on smoothly.

After your second coat dries, that is when you want to distress your piece if you are wanting to. Once your piece is painted and distressed (or not) it is time for some waxing! A lot of people online used Annie Sloan's waxing brush for this step but some used a thin cloth or even a ripped t-shirt. Apply a small amount of wax onto the cloth (or brush) and then apply to the surface of the furniture. As you are applying it, you are also brushing it into the piece of furniture with a good amount of pressure.

Online they advise you to cover a two foot area, then take another cloth and lightly rub it down to remove any residual wax {extra wax does not make it dry the way you want it to}. Repeat this process over the whole table. Twenty-four hours after the waxing, take another cloth and buff it to bring out the smooth luster the wax can give it.

We are going with an ivory, red, and black color theme to my living room so I went with an ivory for my table (which actually looks more white in the photo). Still trying to find the perfect drawer knob for it. I am already in the process of doing the same thing to two of my new nightstands because of how easy and fast it is. The wax makes the table feel so smooth and clean! I am now addicted to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Here are some of my other favorite Pintrest pieces of people using the chalk paint:

Lamps, mirrors, chairs

Kitchen cabinets

Headboard, walls, & nightstands