Thursday, April 28, 2011

Duck Egg Blue



Miss Mustard Seed was one of the first blogs I started reading.  I never grow tired of her fantastic thrifty transformation.  She is incredibly talented behind the brush or the sewing machine.  However, it is her generosity in sharing her wealth of information that is so infectious.  I  have learned so much from her blog posts about photography, blogging, thrifting, painting and so much more.  A few months ago she spotlighted chalk paint by Annie Sloan.  If Marian is so sold on something it must be good.  Having tried chalk paint in the past I was sure of its wonders, but I did not realize you could use it right over a finished piece.  Oh, now this I had to try!


My curio cabinet/secretary was given to me by my dad a few years back.  He won it from an auction and said he thought of me.  Thanks dad!  It has seen better days, but I wasn't ready to tackle the spindly legs and all the swirls.  Chalk paint in duck egg blue and old white were ordered from  Classic Wall Finishes and shipped.
(this is the only pic I have of it before it was painted)



Painted in duck egg blue with 2 coats and trimmed in old white on just a few spindles of the legs, drawer trim, pulls, and around the top it turned out more Swedish looking than french?


I gave it a nice sanding in standard wear and tear places.


Followed it up with my walnut stained Briwax that I painted on and then wiped off.  Let it cure and then steel wooled to a luster.  


The old white looks like it was made for these cut outs.   The inside I left original because it houses old books and seasonal items  it will be easier to maintain.  The door trim was removed to open up the inside and give a much cleaner look.


Always questioning myself when I sand...did I sand too much?  Does it look too intentional?  Too worn?  I had to step away and let it go for a few days.  It is miles better than it was.  


After a few days, I loaded it back with the vintage books and enjoyed my hard work.  Its like having a new piece of furniture.

Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint are just as Marian professes.  Wonderful, bright and easy to work with.  Almost zero drying time and goes over most surfaces without prework (sanding or stripping) with no smell.  It is on the higher end of paint and the shipping is high, but it is heavy and you will use very little.  It will last a long time.  Think of it as an investment and pick a color that you can use over and over.  The colors can be mixed to make new ones too.  Just in case you take the plunge and pick up your paint brush too.

18 comments:

Diane Mars said...

Looks so much better, great job! It's a keeper~

birdie blue said...

didn't that just turn out perfectly, renee? love the duck egg blue.

xo
~molly

Musings from Kim K. said...

I'm loving that color... it's perfect. The distressing is divine.

donna said...

Renee I think it tunrned out perfect. You did a beautiful job.
Hugs
donna

Rosemary@villabarnes said...

You did a fantastic job! Swedish, French, whatever! It looks incredible! I love the colors.
Rosemary

laurie -magpie ethel said...

Absolutely wonderful! You rocked that cabinet...

Pretty In Paint said...

great job! It turned out beautiful, I also ordered Duck egg and LOVE everything i have painted with it.

Allison@FabRehab said...

Love, love, love it! The white accents are perfect!

Betty said...

I love the blue and I love the way you brushed white over it. It really turned out pretty!

Into Vintage said...

What a great cabinet - your dad picked a winner. And the paint - now I really want some to try!

Nan said...

I have never heard of chalk paint so I was reading up on it. Your case looks wonderful and I love the color you picked.

Decor & Harmony said...

Renee,
It looks AWESOME! I love how we second guess ourselves on every distress mark that we make I guess it's just part of the process. I must try this paint. Thanks for sharing :)

Gloria Fox said...

Gorgeous! I am going to have to try this color next. I just painted my first piece with chalk paint in Old White and loved it.

Gloria Fox said...

I featured your secretary today. Check it out. :-)

Desiree Guy @ Camelot Art Creations said...

OH MY!!!! It's beautiful! I would just LOVE a piece like that :) LOVING that color.

Desiree
CamelotArtCreations.blogspot.com

Miss Mustard Seed said...

Love, love it!! You did a gorgeous job on it and I love the white against the Duck Egg. Gorgeous.

DearHelenHartman said...

Your blog is precious! Came over from... hmmm, I think Kim K's blog - only goes to show we're in good company.

Eric said...

Wonderful cabinet.You did great job.I love blue.
-Corner cabinet