Dudes and dudettes, I finally tried chalk paint. And yes, I just broke out dudettes. Gutsy move for 2013, eh? Anyway, many of you guys have asked if I’ve given Annie Sloane chalk paint a go, and now that I have, here are the details. First of all, here’s how we used it:
John and I brainstormed a few possibilities for the table that we cut down and the two thrift store chairs that we found in West Virginia (they were $8 each) for a while. Here are a few alternatives that we tossed out there:
- red chairs with a white table
- red table with white chairs
- navy table with red chairs
- navy table with white chairs
- one red chair, one navy chair, and a red table
And then we finally landed on something that we thought was interesting enough to make us pull the trigger: wood chairs with red backs and a white table. Of course it was John’s idea (as he is the brains of this operation), although a reader later suggested exactly the same thing, which was a pretty funny “jinx!” moment.
We had a hunch that adding a table and chairs would be something that we’d get some good use out of in there. Sure enough, the day we dragged them into the room to test our theory, this happened.
And this:
And I realized that I even loved Clara’s pj’s layered into the room’s palette. #crazyfabriclady
So after establishing that the table and chairs were a good addition to the room, it was just about getting those chair-backs painted bright red. Our first instinct was to run to the hardware store and grab a $4 test pot of red paint, and get to work sanding and priming. But then I remembered that we had a little sample pot of Annie Sloane chalk paint (everyone at last year’s Haven conference got a bag with a few little pamphlets and samples, one of which was this guy in “Emperor’s Silk”). So I decided to give it a try. I mean I’ve heard it’s really convenient since you don’t have to prep the surface at all (no sanding, no priming, etc).
Update: Chalk paint, although it sounds similar, isn’t the same thing as chalkboard paint (chalk paint is just a flat chalky type of paint, sort of like milk paint or clay paint).
So I brought the chairs out into the sunroom, wiped them down with a liquid deglosser just to be sure they weren’t coated with something weird like oil (you never know with thrift store stuff) and cracked open the red paint. Then I got down to painting the backs of each chair, which took about ten minutes each for each coat.
I used a short handled angled brush (more control) and free-handed things, being careful around the edges to keep them nice and clean (for those who are worried about shaky hands, you can tape off the edges if you’d like). It went on pretty thick even though I did my best not to pile it on (it’s pretty viscous stuff) so there was great coverage and it only took two coats to be completely done. Then I let them dry in the sunroom for a while (it was kinda smelly, so I wouldn’t recommend doing it anywhere that’s not closed off and ventilated – I had the slider wide open in the sunroom while I painted).
But here’s the rub. While chalk paint doesn’t call for any prep before you paint, there’s a step after you paint. I didn’t even realize this going into it, but after a few days of letting them dry in the sunroom I went in to check on them and they felt really dry and chalky. I dragged my finger across the back of one and it actually made a white line (yes, that probably means I left skin cells on the chair, which skeeves me to no end, but the point is that the freshly painted chairs were crazy chalky and dry – not sealed and ready to use at all).
That’s when I learned that Annie Sloane paint gets sealed after the paint dries by applying a coat of Annie Sloane wax over the painted area to seal it and gloss it up for everyday use. Duh. $herdog was not even in on that little fact. The good news is that a friend of mine named Lori (who happens to be Clara’s school friend’s momma) had used Annie Sloane paint and wax on some bookcases in her daughter’s room, so she offered me a few dabs of her wax so I didn’t have to buy a whole tin for two tiny chair backs. Literally, I only needed two dabs, and I used a sock to apply a nice thin coat of wax. Tip: you don’t want to go super thick with the wax or it can have a hard time curing and may stay tacky over time.
It wasn’t really hard or anything, but the thing I still sort of think about is this: if the whole selling point to chalk paint is that there’s no sanding or primer needed, but you have to apply another product afterwards (and buy that as well, unless you have a crafty friend with leftovers) isn’t it sort of the same difference?
I definitely recommend giving it a try if it beckons you, and it didn’t crack and peel or make me hate it or anything, but I’m not convinced that it’s much harder to degloss, prime, and paint (which is what I would have done) instead of deglossing, chalk painting, and waxing. Does that make sense? So my very very honest review is this: I liked chalk paint, but it didn’t change my life. That being said I know there are super crazy chalk paint lovers out there and I totally respect that. Who knows, maybe I’ll use it again and that’s when it’ll change my life. Haha. Ya never know…
In the meantime, there’s one thing I can’t deny. We love our red-backed chairs and we cannot lie.
One more chair pic, just for kicks:
Oh and as for the table, it was stained…
… and peeling down below.
So we gave him a quick sanding…
… followed by a quick primer + paint job. As for the paint specifics, we used semi gloss Benjamin Moore Decorators White in their Advance paint, which is extra durable (we used it on the cabinets in our office when we painted them over a year and a half ago and they’re still taking a licking and ticking like crazy).
As for the placement of the table, we go back and forth between putting it against the wall under the window and pulling it out onto the rug. So we’re living with it both ways to see what ends up being the most functional. We’ll report back as we trial and error our way to a decision. Ha!
This little playroom/big girl room is starting to shape up, right? I mean, we’re only about 35% there, so there’s a ton left on the agenda, but it’s definitely an awesome change to see this room go from Crazy Chaotic Storage Explosion to a room that we can actually all hang out in. Hootie hoo.
What are you guys painting? Have you ever painted just the top or the back of something? Did you eye it or tape it off? Have you tried chalk paint? Did it sweep you off your feet? Does it take a few tries for it to really make you swoon? Or are you a stodgy old traditionalist like me who doesn’t mind primer before instead of waxing after?
Ashley says
Whoo hoo! Atlanta! See ya tonight :)
Amy says
Loving the chairs! Just painting the backs is such a unique idea! They could even be stenciled with a fun pattern in other bright colors… Love, love! Thanks for the inspiration!
FYI I’m not getting your posts sent to my reader… You may already be aware of the glitch… No worries though… I know where to find you ????
Amy says
Those question marks were supposed to be a wink face… I just realized that probably sounded really creepy… Ha!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha!
xo,
s
JennP says
Maybe the convenience factor of chalk paint increases when you are doing a larger or more complicated piece…? Sanding and priming a small chair back wouldn’t have been too difficult, but eliminating those steps from a huge dresser in favor of a quick layer of wax would be a bonus to me!
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, I can totally see that!
xo
s
Lilian says
Love the chairs! Loving the way Clara’s big room is coming… Have you thought of making some pillow cases for her bed with her favorites t-shirts? Just cut and sew the front of the shirts, fun project! (that Pj would make a great pillow case! a little roll shaped one, with the legs!)
Can’t wait to see more of this room!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s fun!
xo
s
Mary Buckelew says
I am getting a kick out of you and the gal from “All Things G & D” doing your “big girl rooms” at the same time! Fun! PS You’re in the lead, decorating wise!
YoungHouseLove says
Love her! Seriously, we text all the time. I totally see Clara in her little Kate.
xo
s
Shelley says
I have a two-part question…and I’m the master of making a short story long, so…
I have a dining set from the 20s. It’s already covered in massive layers of wax…what kind, I don’t know…but when you sit on the chairs on a hot day you stick. Yuck. Would chalk paint go over that? Would they require de-waxing before applying the paint? Which leads me to my second question….
What about painting over the chalk paint/wax? A have an armoire that I’m dying to paint with chalk paint, but I can’t commit to a colour. Should I hate the colour down the road, how difficult is it to re-do? Any special prep? It’s the wax part that scares me.
Thanks!
(love the chairs!);)
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, anyone have any idea? Maybe sanding first and then deglossing and then chalk painting? Sounds like anything that tacky might be hard to fix without a little effort first…
xo
s
Jen says
Shelley, my suggestion would be to go to the blog called Blue Egg Brown Nest and ask your questions there since the woman who writes that blog seems like an expert on chalk paint!
Shelley says
Thanks, Jen! The tutorials at “Blue Egg Brown Nest” were extremely helpful! I feel ready to tackle any chalk paint project now! Woo hoo!!
Susan S. says
LOVE how the big-girl room is coming together. As someone learning to embrace colour and mix and match instead of over-the-top eye-vomit or the blandest of bland beige, I was with you on the pink, red and navy but you lost me on the chair seats.
Admittedly I suck at this, but as I’m trying to learn how not to suck at this, I don’t get how it all pulls together. You’ve got the multi-tone wood floor, the warm honey oak dresser and the blonde beech-y chairs with white, grey, red, pink and navy.
If it was me doing this room, I’d feel compelled to paint the seats navy and paint the wood dresser white to go with the bed, trim and play kitchen and using smaller wooden items like trays or bookends to tie in with the wood floors.
I get that design is subjective so I guess I’m asking, what’s the general rule of thumb when mixing wood tones with room schemes? Is there like some secret wood tones, colors, patterns formula?
YoungHouseLove says
We love mixing wood tones but everyone has a different take on that. To us in person, the floors and the chairs completely relate (they’re both a honey color) and the dresser will either get refinished or painted so that tone won’t be a factor once we address it. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Tracy says
have you guys had any issues with getting new posts into their blog rolls? I have you in my google reader, and you always show up real-time, but the last 2 days haven’t worked, and i see over here there is a new post.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, something is up and we’re still trying to track down a solution. Yesterday’s posts did show up late in the day yesterday but this one still hasn’t. Hoping to have it solved soon!
-John
mindy says
OHHH Louboutin chairs!!! Genius! Love it. You mentioned navy for the table. How about navy and white stripes for the table top or the table leg?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a fun idea! You never know…
xo
s
Meghan says
Okay this is a little off topic but does the deglosser just take off the shine or the finish?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, it takes off any oily residue but it’s not a stripper, so it won’t take off poly or anything, for that you need to sand or strip :)
xo
s
cheap3r5 says
From what I have read about the waxing part, I a remember correctly — you can use dark wax to give it a glazed effect. That is why I would use the chalk paint, eliminates a last step.
Angela says
I cannot believe you got those chairs at a thrift store. Well, I don’t think you are lying, but that’s incredible!! The bedroom is turning out adorable!
sue says
i love your tribe! and your vibe for that matter! these are like little louboutin chairs! kind of…
Katie says
Hey, guys! Totally unrelated to chalk board paint – Sherry, I love that your bright red nails fit right into Clara’s big girl room :) Total coordination!
Love you guys! Can’t wait to see the room shape up more!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks! Total accident!
xo
s
Christy says
The chairs look great! Add me to the group that has never heard of chalk paint. Glad you clarified the difference betweem it and chalkboard pain in the comments! You guys are making fantastic progress in Clara’s big girl room! I’m really hoping you guys end up painting the celing a bright, fun color! Keep up the great work!
Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says
That looks super nice Sherry. This is the first time I’m hearing of chalk paint so thanks for the Update sentence clarifying that it’s NOT chalkBOARD paint. I woulda been out some money honey! :) I hear you about the steps being comparable to the prep, prime, and paint but I think the plus of maybe less chemicals exposure is worth it? I like that fact if my calculations are correct.
My best, Lynn
*sorry I’ve been so MIA (you didn’t even notice did you?) ;( but who knew how hectic a Realtors life can really get???? But seriously you guys are the calm and happiest part of my day…thanks for that.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Lynn!
xo,
s
CC says
For something just a little different….my husband and I took the 60 year old ship-lapped fir off an old garage on our property. It had many coats of paint on the outside and icky cobwebs on the inside. So I power washed it, and let it all dry in the sun, then he ran it through a planer to take most, but not all, the paint off in a random fashion. We then reassembled the wood, horizontally in the main wall in the foyer of our house. Where the paint had been completely sanded off was raw wood, so I used the Annie Sloan clear wax to seal it and give it a vintage patina. Worked soooo well! And you’re right – a little wax goes a lonnnnng way. Nice work on the chairs! I’m going to try painting an armoire next.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome!
xo,
s
Mary | lemongroveblog.com says
What a sweet little space for your bean. Looks like she is totally loving the table and chair addition :) John looks to be enjoying it almost as much though ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha I think he is!
xo,
s
Claudia says
I just wrote a post about chalk paint this week. Here’s the thing: if the wood is dark, then you ALSO have to prime. Otherwise, you end up having to do 4 coats of white paint. But one of the selling points is that you supposedly DON’T have to prime. So in my case, I had to prime, paint and wax.
Needless to say, I’m not real taken with chalk paint! Ah well, live and learn.
Katy says
I just received your book today as a birthday present from my sister! Well done, guys! I’m so proud of you! You’re such official authors now. This is the only DIY book I’ve ever even been tempted to own. I’m usually afraid they’ll end up dated and passé, like Martha’s books tend to go. Yours is fresh and dynamic! But best of all, it’s real. Real as in I feel these ideas could actually be applied in and improve my own home–my real, actual home that could use a designer’s eye (or two!). Thanks for your hard work!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much! So sweet!
xo,
s
Lori says
Thank you for what you said about the chalk paint in the way of if you have to wax it is it really saving a step? I think not…
I work at a paint store and we have been getting bombarded by this chalk paint trend…
and honestly I have a few reservations about the waxing too…
Like usually waxing requires maintenance because wax can wear down just like how people used to oil or wax wood pieces of furniture…
also i haven’t honestly looked into this but how do you remove the wax or prep the piece if you want to change it later? It seems one would have to strip the wax… as opposed to a painted piece where you can just scuff sand, wash it, and go…
Just glad to see someone else had the same initial thought!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah I have heard redoing things once they’re waxed is hard (stripping, etc) since you can’t just paint over it like primer/paint.
xo,
s
lindsay says
first of all… clara is getting so big it is insane! i can’t even imagine what it must be like for you two to watch.
second, i am also sort of meh about chalk paint. in the pics here it looks like the coverage is a little uneven, but i’m guessing that’s some combo of photo/my monitor being wonky. also i’m always resistant to super strong trends, so if the whole world is obsessed with chalk paint i’m less likely to love it. anyway, i was happy to read a more neutral review of the stuff.
Anna, Sydney says
When Clara moves in, do you plan to have a moving in party, to make a big deal out of the big girl phase? Fill the room with balloons? Red ribbon scissoring across the door (you know, mayor-inaugurating-new-mall type style)?
The room is turning out great.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha that’s cute! Didnt even think about that!
xo,
s
Natalie says
So sad the RSVP for your signing tonight at FLOR has been closed but good for ya’ll… it’s gonna be a packed night! Hope ya’ll have a great time in Atlanta! Wish you could stay and enjoy our city!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks!
xo,
s
Addie Klein says
Loving the big girl room’s evolution! I’m dying to know about the transition to the big girl room. Is the still sleeping in the nursery, but starting to play more and more in the big girl room? How do you think you’ll transition her from bed to crib?
YoungHouseLove says
She still wants to sleep in her crib every night so that’s where she sleeps but she plays in her big girl room a lot :)
xo,
s
Susie B says
Cute chairs! I feel the same way about chalk paint. I bought some old violet for a dresser, and ended up needing several coats to cover over the pastel pink. I was not happy about applying 2 coats of wax after all that work- it seemed to negate all the claims about how wonderful this stuff is. Not to mention the toxic fumes from the wax. Next time I’ll just strip (the furniture) and paint.
Amanda says
I am one that sings the praises of chalk paint. The ability not to sand and strip is huge when you don’t have a big workspace and don’t want to invest in tools. I also have found that drips are easily sanded out so it is more forgiving than regular paint or even spray paint. Yes, I put spray paint on my dresser. :) Glad you liked it. The true benefit of Chalk paint comes when you need to knock out a big piece fast with not a lot of workspace or tools. It probably isn’t for everyone, but when you get good at glazing and using the brown glaze it is pretty impressive stuff.
Laurie says
I think Clara is a very lucky little girl: she is getting a totally fab and modern big girl room. Love the colour combinations–I’m just so afraid of bringing too much colour into a room, but you guys do it so well. How do you make those decisions? How do you keep it cohesive while bringing so much life and diversity into a room?
I love watching it all come together. Does Clara feel herself to be a very big girl now?! ps: loved her responses you posted the other day. loved the ‘that sounds like a good idea”. cracked me up.
YoungHouseLove says
She’s so cute in there! She loves it. As for how we add color I think one step at a time makes it easier. We just did walls, bedding, rug, curtains, art, and chairs (so nothing was all at once and we could evaluate it every step of the way and course correct as we go).
xo,
s
Tara says
Put me in the camp of “Meh, it’s a fad.” The color is beautiful but I think it would look better glossier. I’m a fan of high endurance, high durability things for kiddos (my daughter is super hard on her stuff). We recently re-furnished a dresser & mirror for her & went with oil paint & was so glad that we did. I’ve had to scrub it down a few times already. Is that chalk paint scrub able? I can’t imagine that it would be with wax on it.
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! Anyone scrubbed it?
xo,
s
Katie DeYoung says
I’m with you, Sherry. I recently tried AS chalk paint and have mixed feelings. I’m not big into distressing so it might not be the best paint for me to use. I do like that you don’t have to do the prep, but the wax smells just as bad as oil based primers and it’s still another step!
The chairs look awesome! Clara’s room is coming together so nicely! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes I was surprised about the wax being stinky!
xo
s
Emily says
Love reading your posts when you talk about something I’ve never used or heard of before. Love the chairs, but I think I’ll shy away from using chalk paint!
And thanks for clarifying about the chalk paint vs. chalkboard paint. Never knew the difference!
Cassie Moore says
Love what you did with the chairs. My humble opinion though is to paint that table a bright color like the navy blue or are you planning on using any yellow? The table would look nice in yellow. Now it just seems to disappear. Also, have you considered painting the dresser navy and the existing drawer hardware red? That pop of red hardware on navy blue would be really cool. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, still painting of refinishing the dresser is on the list. I love navy for it, and red handles could be fun too!
xo,
s
Gina says
Looks great! I love chalk paint but get your point about the “after paint steps”. Think you could have saved a step by skipping the deglosser. My sister just used some Johnson’s paste wax over her ASCP projects. Wish they made sample pots of the wax.
Loved meeting you guys in Charlotte Tuesday!
Jennifer says
I am working on my soon to be nine year old son’s room. He asked for a new (grown-up) room for his birthday. He has chosen gray, tan and taupe for his colors. Paint is on the walls and I did it all without tape. Yay for practice makes almost perfect. I need to choose and figure out how to add pop of something bright. I am staining plywood for a headboard and plan to use metal tile edging as an edge to the headboard. I came here to see how John made those frames for that awesome bike picture. We are blowing up some close ups of my son’s much loved bike for room art. Trying to use what we have in the house. Thanks for being such a wonderful resource!
Lindsay@Tell'er All About It says
I’m so relieved to hear you guys say you’re kind of “meh” about chalk paint. I looked into using it for a bookcase project and at close to some ungodly amount of money for a pint, my husband talked me out of it…and he said the SAME thing you did – how is it any different than any other product out there? The only difference is that it’s “designer” and uber-expensive!
michele double you says
Oddly, I’m just happy you used the word “viscous.”
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo,
s
Jeanine says
I recently discovered chalk paint and I do love it. I HATE to sand, and I als really like the finish it leaves on a piece. Smooth and polished and it won’t chip or flake like regular lates paint. I also have a small house where sanding makes a royal mess and outside doesn’t always work. So paint plus wax was much easier for me.
Jessica says
Awesome chairs. You guys are so clever!
I’m curious how Clara feels about her big girl room. I remember you said that she would stay in her crib until she’s uncomfortable or climbing out of it. Do these improvements make her want to sleep in her new room?
YoungHouseLove says
She loves playing in her new space but still loves sleeping in her crib :)
xo,
s
mary @ B&G JOURNALS says
clara is too cute drinking out of her little jug!
anna says
i haven’t seen the annie sloan stuff in australia, but i’ve used the paint+plaster of paris mix as a distressing paint. i prime because i like sanding back sections to the wood with white with bold colour on top. after i finish painting, it has the same dry feeling – but it usually just needs sanding (and if i feel like it, spray sealing).
for me, this is way cheaper – five bucks for plaster of paris (which has so far lasted me one sideboard, six chairs and a coffee table) and whatever paint i want as a tester pot. no shipping officially branded products from the states… ;)
Angela says
I haven’t tried chalk paint, but I’m with you, it kind of seems like it’s “Same Same But Different”. Having said that, I like your red back, wood seat chairs. I’m not sure it’s my jam with the white table. I like it more in the pictures with Clara playing at it, so maybe I just prefer a table that has been styled compared to a bare one. ;-) On a completely unrelated note, have you checked out @wwys on Instagram. Cute chihuahua pics!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like fun!
xo,
s
Brittany says
I love the way you only did the back of the chairs! Her room is adorable. She is lucky to have parents with such great taste!
Brittany
http://theinspireddiy.blogspot.com
Amanda says
I’m so glad to hear this honest review of chalk paint, because I’ve always kind of wondered what all of the fuss is about! I’ve never tried it myself, but I don’t find the prep work in painting to be that huge of a deal, and with how much more expensive chalk paint seems to be, it just doesn’t seem worth the extra expense to me.
The chairs look fabulous, though, and I love that you did the red on the outside with the wood inside. It’s the perfect pop of color!
Jessica brown says
Does the texture looks different/more matte than regular paint? Priming a sideboard right now for a tv stand and I don’t want to miss out if chalk paint looks cooler than regular paint.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah it looks the same to me :)
xo,
s
Cara says
I used it on some antique dressers I redid for my daughter’s nursery. I had already sanded and primed them though so it really didn’t help me. I just wanted the finish with the chalky finish/wax. I just used a minwax wax though not annie sloan. I really like how the waxed finish turned out.
I think you can use chalk paint on veneered and laminate pieces which are more difficult to paint with regular paint.
Rachel says
I know it’s your living and all, but do you ever think, “I really am just over-thinking this for the sake of a blog post?!!” I love my home (and 4 kids, husband and 2 dogs) so much, but I just can never imagine getting that bothered about the colour of one side of some baby chairs.
YoungHouseLove says
I think that everyone decides how much they want to futz with their house, haha! We’re just natural born futzers. And it was fun to try a new product that we had around. In the end we like the painted chairs and Clara especially likes them. It’s win-win to us :)
xo,
s
Rachael says
I may just being testy about the upcoming NY storm, tbh! x
YoungHouseLove says
Stay safe!
xo,
s
Rachael says
I had to come back to this one because today, I had to suck up what I posted here! I have been struggling and struggling with why my youngest child’s room wasn’t quite working and then I realised. The 1950’s bright yellow desk (that is completely awesome and we inherited from the original owners of our house) was too much against the rest of his (white) furniture when it had nothing to offset it. So (swallow my pride!) I painted the back of his white chair yellow and, with the art on the walls as well, it finally looks right!
I would like to say I wasn’t a couple of wine coolers in charge of the keyboard, but the fact I didn’t even spell my name right cannot lie!! :D
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Rachael! So glad the yellow chair saved the day!
xo
s
Sam M. | Atkinson Drive says
I have done several pieces in my house chalk paint, and the no-sanding thing is what won me over. But, I also didn’t add any wax afterwards *gasp*
Maybe that’s not how it’s supposed to work, but it has been good for me so far.
mp says
John, you just earned BIG Cool Dad points for sitting, smilingly, with Clara at her table. I can say neither of my husbands would have done so!
mp says
Also reminds me that, when I visited the Farmville Goodwill today, the only thing that tempted me was a cute round white table with a Peter Rabbit decal.