I haven’t painted a piece of furniture for a couple of years. Storage space and time were an issue. But when I opened my shop at the KalamazooKitty Marketplace, it allowed me to once again get creative. Granted, a lot of the other shop owners are offering painted furniture, so I knew I was going to be very selective in my offerings and make sure what I had was different.
When I found this little marble top table at an estate sale, I scooped it up. It was sturdy, in perfect condition, and just needed to little refresh of color on the base. I had a brand new, unopened jar of Annie Sloan’s Aubusson Blue at home that I had also snatched up at an estate sale. But I also had a nice basic black paint from another paint manufacturer that I was more familiar with, so I decided I’d let my followers on FB and IG decide which color the table base should become; dark teal or black. The results came in, dark teal it was.
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is known as a low-prep/no-prep chalk paint, meaning no sanding or priming. It’s meant to be used quickly, meaning you can paint and wax a project in a day. It’s also able to be used on a number of surfaces; wood, glass, laminate, metal, indoors or outdoors.
However, I’m a different kind of painter. As much as I’d love to be able to have a project done in a day and maybe I’ll find one that can be, this table wasn’t. My training has been such that you take your time in prepping the surface, allowing adequate dry time, sand between coats, etc. Also, I always have multiple things going on at the same time, so I don’t get back to things right away.
I started out by cleaning the base with Krud Kutter*, which helps to get off any dirt and grime that may be lurking on the wood. Then I wipe the surface down once more with a damp towel. Once dry, I went over all the wood with 120 grit sandpaper to just really scuff the surface, to allow the paint to really adhere to the surface. Again, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint says that one does not need to do the sanding as part of the prep, but I’d rather over-prep than under-prep.
Using a 3/4″ Royal Crafter’s Choice* paint brush, I worked to coat the surface with a coat of Aubusson Blue paint. I chose this smaller brush for a couple of reasons; 1) I had it on hand, 2) the legs of this base were thinner and needed a smaller brush to receive the most efficient amount of paint. I found that the paint dries quickly so you want to work expeditiously, feathering out the paint for a smooth finish and don’t rework surfaces you’ve already covered because that can “pull” the paint that’s already been laid down. I had a small cup of water near by to help thin out the paint a bit as needed by just dipping the tip of my brush into the water and quickly blotting onto a paper towel.
After allowing the first coat to dry, I did a quick sand using 220 grit paper, wiped away the dust with a tack cloth and applied a 2nd coat. Once that dried and I felt like I had a nice even coat all over, I sealed the table with Annie Sloans Soft Wax. It took me just a couple of days overall. I’m certain if I didn’t have another table I was working on and other projects, I could have easily finished this piece in a day.
I’ll most likely try another project using Annie Sloan paint, just to learn how to work with it more. But I’m still on the fence about it. I have a mineral paint and clay based paint of which I’m quite fond and I’ve also been wanting to try a milk paint.
Overall, I’m pleased with how the table turned out. It got a lovely update and will be a pleasing compliment to its new owners home.
*I provide links for reference only. I’m not compensated if you purchase from the links I provide.
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