Chalk painted furniture
The popularity of chalk painted furniture continues to grow, as more people realise how easy it is to paint furniture with chalk paint.
From its humble beginnings of a mixing your own chalk paint, the trend for painting furniture with branded chalk paint continues to gain popularity due to the fact that chalk paint is so easy to apply and looks absolutely gorgeous. With top brands - such as Annie Sloan and Rust-Oleum Chalked ultra matte paint - easily available in South Africa, painting furniture has never been easier.
The reason that chalk painted furniture is trending is due to the fact that furniture being painted requires very little preparation other than a light sanding. This means you don't have to put a lot of time and effort into removing old paint or varnish. Plus, chalk paint dries quickly, so you can complete a project much faster than when using conventional paint systems. Now you can use chalk paint to spend a weekend to transform almost any piece of furniture.
Chalk paint leaves an ultra matt finish on painted pieces that can be left as is or distressed for a vintage finish. After painting you can apply either a Top Coat or Antique Wax to finish off. This allows you to be as creative as you like with your furniture painting.
Rust-Oleum Chalked ultra matte paint is available in cans for application with a paintbrush, or as a spray paint. Find the full range of Rust-Oleum products at your local Builders Warehouse, or contact www.spraymate.co.za to find your nearest retail outlet.
Whatever furniture you are painting with chalk paint, the process is the same.
1. Lightly sand down the furniture with a medium sanding sponge or 150-grit sandpaper.
2. Wipe down with a slightly damp cloth to remove all traces of dust.
3. Use a paintbrush to apply the first coat, or spray on the first coat in a well-ventilated space. Leave this to dry for the specified amount of time.
4. If necessary, apply any additional coats and allow for sufficient drying time between coats.
5. Protect the painted finish with either a Top Coat sealer or Antique Wax.
Chalk paint finish with vintage distressing
Applying a distressed look to chalk painted furniture is super easy. After painting, use a medium sanding sponge or 150-grit sandpaper to lightly rub the paint back to reveal the wood below. Once you are satisfied with the look you can apply the Top Coat or Antique Wax.
Chalk paint finish in 2 colours
If you want to give chalk painted furniture even more detail, such as furniture painted in two hues, simply paint on your base coat and then use a damp cloth to dab on the second colour. While still wet use another damp cloth to wipe off the paint. Repeat this until you are satisfied with the result and then seal. Find step-by-step instructions for this technique at canary street crafts - canarystreetcrafts.com.
Lighten or darken the painted finish
There may be pieces where you want to lighten or darken the painted finish for effect. You can do this easily if you apply Antique Wax as the protective top coat. Simply add a small amount of light or dark paint to the wax and mix well before applying to the furniture. If you are unsure about this technique, paint some scrap boards to practice on before you apply to the painted furniture.