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.