Table-Annie-Sloan-Chalk-Paint

What is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint?

Most folks who have an interest in creating Shabby chic furniture projects are probably familiar with the name Annie Sloan.

Annie has been producing her awesome chalk paint for around two decades now but it has never received such accolade as recently with the onset of popularity of Shabby Chic furniture.

Even though I’d heard of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint quite a while before I decided to try it out I was gutted that I waited so long. The reason for this is largely that I simply didn’t understand the obvious benefits to this type of paint.

I knew that there were different types of paint for walls and for woodwork etc, however I thought that most furniture paints were going to be largely made up of the same composition (yes I’m showing my ignorance, I know!)

Even though it has been around for a while it is still a very misunderstood product with a lot of people wondering just what it is and what it can do for them. Many think that it is only suitable for producing Shabby Chic or period pieces with a less modern or unrefined look…NOT TRUE

So what have I discovered and why do I (and so many others) love Annie Sloan Chalk Paint?

1 – Eco Friendly

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is actually a very pure and environmentally friendly product with very low VOC’s and virtually no odour so it’s great for using in enclosed spaces. It is made up with a very high pigment concentrate so goes a very long way with ease.

2 – Paint on almost any surface

It will paint over just about every surface that you can think of, wood, plastic, tile, metal. glass, fabrics. You can even paint over a piece of furniture that has previously been sealed with wax. Slick surfaces like glass or glossy plastic, will need a scuff up first.

This is something that just isn’t possible to do with regular latex paints. The use of latex paints necessitates the use of providing a good key by sanding the surface to be painted and then making sure that a good quality primer is applied before adding a few coats of topcoat, making sure they are perfectly dry in-between.

 

3 – No Prep Needed

Sanding off varnish and removing old wax is time consuming and hard work.

If your project has been previously waxed before such as a knotty or antique pine piece of furniture it’s almost impossible to use latex paints effectively as all the old wax needs to be stripped back to ensure good adhesion. It’s a lot of hard work, and time equals money!

For any project where you simply want to get painting without hours of prep then Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is a Godsend. Now I know that some naysayers out there will be saying “a decent finish without prep is impossible, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is only good if you want a rough finish“.

Now don’t get me wrong, you can’t take a piece of furniture with deep welts in it and make it look smooth by painting it with ASCP. If your project piece is in poor shape it will be necessary to either sand off any loose surface material or fill any deeper areas of chipped off paint or deeper knocks, otherwise you will certainly see the indents through the paint.

Though I personally do prefer to at least clean my project and give it a light sand, you’ll get away with no prep in many cases.

 

 

4 – No Priming Needed

Primers are used to help a paint adhere to a surface. Most paint brands recommend them to get the best finish.

One of the benefits of using Annie Sloan Chalk Paints is that it can be used directly on the project.

As with most paints, you will usually need at least two coats This will depend on the colour you are using and the colour and surface type of the surface to be painted.

 

5 – Adaptable to different textures

 

Traditionally most folks use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint because they want to create a time worn ‘distressed’ look or they want to give their piece more texture. What about those who want a perfect flat finish without brush marks or heavy texture?

Smooth Finish

Well once again ASCP is incredibly easy to use to obtain this type of finish. To achieve a smooth finish I would use a small foam roller to apply the paint as required to get good coverage. You can also use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint with a spray gun if you have one available.

My recommendation for this is try to use a gun with at least a 1.8mm tip, 2mmm is even better as the paint will be quite gritty for anything smaller. If you have access to an airless sprayer then even better. You may need to thin the paint down with clean water by around 10% to get good results when spraying.

Once the paint is dry, and before waxing, I gently sand flat any stipples or high spots with some 400-800 grade car body sandpaper and a flat sanding block. This only needs to be done very gently, be careful not to break through the paint. You will find that the paint sands incredibly easily and flats off perfectly to give a pristine finish.

Textured Finish

On the flip side of the coin, what if you prefer a finish with a bit more ‘texture’. This would be much harder to achieve with a latex paint, not so with the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. If you leave the lid off of your can for a while the paint will start to stiffen and get thicker. This allows you to add some deeper brush marks and some light stippling that can really add another dimension when some dark wax is added to bring out the details.

During this article we’re going to delve into the different possibilities and techniques for achieving the exact look that you desire for your piece and we’re going to get to know this fantastic versatile paint so that it’s like an old friend! We’ll look at the pros and cons so you can decide if this is the paint for your next project.

 

 

The Benefits of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

It was only after a bit of looking on the Annie Sloan website that I started to notice the benefits of this type of paint. To be honest I was sceptical when I started reading.

Annie Sloan Chalk paint needs NONE of the following:

X Prep
X Sanding
X Sealing
X Priming
X Solvents 

6 – Great Colour Range

If you like to play around a little with colours and shades then this is another area where Annie Sloan Chalk Paint really comes into it’s own. By adding other colours to a base you can make a whole plethora of individual colours to really individualise your project and put your own stamp on a piece.

 

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Mix Chart
Pictures used by kind permission of Ciruelo Interiors

As with any paint you may still encounter some issues such as a dark wood stain or nicotine stain seeping through and in this rare case you will need to apply a stain blocking sealer primer. To be sure of blocking just about any stain I would recommend either treating a spot with some white car primer.

Or if it’s on a larger panel I would go for the Zinsser B-I-N primer. Cover the whole panel and this will seal it to kill the bleed, then repaint with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint as before. The beauty of this is that these are all very fast drying products that will allow you to get your project finished FAST!

 

7 – Easy to Seal with Wax

So you have finished painting your project, now what? Well this is possibly the one caveat to using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint…it needs to be sealed to make it resilient to stains and marks. This is not a big deal though, we just need to add a little wax if our piece is to be used inside.

I personally have used a few waxes with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and they have been fine, however Annie produces her own range of waxes that are designed to work in perfect harmony with her chalk paint.

When Annie Sloan Chalk Paint dries it is very porous and will not take kindly to dirty finger marks or oils from your skin, the wax produces a protective barrier against this. Now when applying wax the idea is that less is more. If it’s applied too thick it may not dry properly and will be prone to marking very easily.

Annie Sloan describes this process as being like applying a skin moisturiser, you want it to dissolve into the skin and not sit on the top as a greasy layer. The same goes for the wax as the chalk paint is designed to bond or fuse with the wax to create a protective barrier.
If you are producing a piece that will see a lot of traffic, such as a table or a dresser you may want to give the top two or three coats of wax for added protection, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly before adding another.

 

8 – Use a Dark Wax for an Amazing Vintage Look

Once you have waxed your piece you may want to bring out some of the features by adding a dark wax over the clear. I have written an article that describes this process in detail which can be found here: Dark Wax: Everything You’ll Ever Need To Know

 

Are there any Downsides?

Well apart from the fact that you need to apply a wax to seal it after painting, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint really doesn’t have much of a downside.

Some might be facepalming right now thinking ‘what about the cost?‘ I’ll be honest, on the surface of it Annie Sloan Chalk Paint probably feels a little on the expensive side, however when you consider the amount of coverage that you get from each can (around 50% more coverage per litre/quart) than a similar latex paint, it actually works out to be pretty reasonable.

In fact here in the UK it costs around £17 (around$27) for a litre (Quart) of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. If you consider that I can paint around 4 average sized cupboards with that one can it breaks down to around £4.25 (just under $7) per cupboard. Now considering the time I’ve saved on prep and clean-up I’d say that’s pretty darn good!

In fact the only downside to using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint may be that it can be a little hard to get hold of if you’re not in the UK. In the UK, chances are there will be a stockist not too far from you, but in the USA and other countries this may not be the case.

You see the thing is that once you switch over to using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, you really won’t want to go back to using anything else and if it’s difficult to get hold of this will be pretty annoying! However, that said, mail order is widely available from most stockists so getting your Annie Sloan Chalk Paint fix needn’t be too painful. Give it a go, you won’t regret it, and when you fall in love with using, it remember who told you about it You can buy Annie Sloan Chalk Paint here.

If you enjoyed this article about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint then please leave a comment in the box below and share this article with your friends.

Quick update:

I just had to post this response to this post from Annie Sloan herself. It’s so nice to get such positive feedback!
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Response.

75 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for the information contained within, I will take it all on board. It is packed with hints and tips, very useful for a novice like me!! I have done a few pieces in ASCP, and love the finish, but it was very interesting to see that it best to use car body sandpaper, I will certainly do this. Thanks again for the information, and here’s to many hours of doing it properly!! 🙂 x

    • Hi Jill,
      Glad you enjoyed the post! It’s little tips I find save me the most time, and I’m so happy to pass on to you all, any time saved is a huge bonus for me 🙂
      Thanks for stopping by & sharing your thoughts, really appreciate it!
      Take care hun,
      Sam x

    • Hi, although I liked the product, I found it works fine on soft wood, pine dresser etc but not good at all on hardwood

    • Hi Tracy, Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the post. I love helping everyone, and I love writing, so it’s great for me to be able to share this with you all!
      Take care,
      Sam x

  2. Hi Sam Many thanks for above info on AS paint. I have found it very helpful and am now desperate to try AS paint. I believe there is a stockist in Gloucestershire. It’s half term here in Gloucester, so I’m off to google direction now, for my trip to buy some Annie Sloane. Thanks again Jan x http://www.facebook.com/therosetree

    • Hi Jan, Thanks for your lovely comments, glad my blog was of some use! I hope you manage to find your local stockist! Mine is at least half an hour away, but worth the drive! I’m going to pop over to your Facebook page now & ‘Love’ it! (I think the should add a ‘love’ button lol! Sam x

  3. Hi Sam
    Many thanks for the above info, I have found it very helpful, that I must try AS paint. A believe there is a stockist in
    Gloucestershire. It’s half term here in Gloucester, so will google for directions, for my trip to buy some Annie Sloan.
    Thanks Jan x http://www.facebook.com/therosetree

  4. Sam…..Great review of AS paint and the benefits of using it and sealing with waxes, either clear or dark!! Always good to reread every once in awhile, too!! Thanks, Rhonda

  5. I love ASCP and now prefer not to use anything else at Shabitatt to Shabby Chic. I also agree that Annie’s own waxes are the best for her paint as they are the perfect consistency. I have also found that if you wax your piece just before it’s completely dry then the wax will help achieve a very natural ‘shab’ to the edges.

    • Hi Caroline, Thanks for that tip! I will be giving that a go! I usually wait until it’s compeltely dry, but I love learning new things, so will be giving it a whirl this week, I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, I’m off to search you out on Facebook to add you 🙂 Sam x

  6. Hello Sweet, Well done hun! I love your blog! I haven’t looked back since I started using ASCP this time last year!! All started off as me re-purposing my own furniture as I couldn’t afford shabby chic and now it’s a full time business for me! I can totally relate to the points you’ve made! I love that we don’t have to prep really, only occasionally and the amount of tine & money saved on those products alone makes her paints so worth every penny and it goes a LONG way!! Keep up the great work my lovely!! XXX

    • Hola Sam! Tu post sobre la pintura es muy interesante. Realmente creo que a veces nos resulta complicado entender las posibles aplicaciones de la misma. En España esta pintura es muy difícil de conseguir. Muchas veces nos tenemos que conformar con recetas caseras. Muchas gracias por tus explicaciones. Blanca

      • Hola Blanca! Muchas gracias por sus comentarios. He vivido en España desde hace casi 4 años, así que sé lo difícil que es conseguir marcas como Annie Sloan pintura por ahí, muy difícil! Hay aquí una receta casera que muchos de mis seguidores en mi página han utilizado y han gustado mucho. Espero que sea de utilidad. Gracias de nuevo por venir! Reciba un cordial saludo, Sam

    • Hi Sam

      Your article on AS paint is brilliant. Very informative and very useful. Shall be heading to mu local stockist next week to buy some

      best wishes
      Alice xx

  7. An interesting article Sam that should inspire others to try it out for themselves. Very informative and helpful.

  8. Nice article…..however, what I find interesting is, when you give an example of what you can accomplish with a quart of ASCP in relation to the price, it doesn’t paint (sorry for the pun) a more accurate picture than if you would have simply compared apples to apples by saying a gallon of Annie Sloan paint cost about $108 a gallon compared to $28 for a great quality latex paint. Regardless of the time it saves someone, the mere fact that most of us feel as thought we’re being robbed at gunpoint for being charged those prices for something that cost the producer no more to produce than the latex companies.is why most of us refuse to use this product.
    To charge a higher price for something because of an obvious advantage is one thing, but to charge almost 400% more is a bit greedy….in typical american fashion!

    • Hi Johnny, Thanks for stopping by! I have to jump to Annie Sloans defence here. I appreciate the paint is, on first glance, dearer than most latex paints. And being in the US, it is slightly more expensive than it is here in the UK, but as this is shipped from the UK, there has to be a little extra to cover these costs. Annie Sloan is not a huge company. She doesn’t have her paint in the major stores, she is commited to helping local, small retailers, and will only stock her paints in these stores. I have tried all types of paints on my projects, and find you really do get what you pay for! I find latex paint always needs an undercoat, possibly 2. It doesn’t distress in the same way that Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint does, and latex paint tends to peel off very easily. If you paint with the chalk paint, clear wax, and allow the wax to thoroughly dry, this finish will go rock hard, and you won’t be able to chip, peel or damage this paint at all! A tin of this paint really does go on forever! It’s amazing just how much coverage you can get from one tin! The lighter colours may need 2 coats, but the darker colours will only need 1 coat, and that is even over the darkest mahogany! (Don’t forget, this doesn’t need any undercoat!) In a normal latex paint, this would usually have taken me 2 coats of undercoat and 2-3 coats of top coat! I have never thought of Annie Sloan as being greedy, I think she has an amazing range of paints, waxes, tools, books & finishes, and you really are buying into her years of developement, knowledge, and best of all, Awesome Paint!! I hope you get the chance to use some of this paint, and would love to hear back from you how you found it compared to your regular brand of latex paint. Always great to get feedback 🙂 Take care, Sam x

  9. Great magical paint,a joy to use. Every piece to date sold. But,when only using clear wax i end up with a smeared look,when on some pieces,ie a table top i would prefer an even finish.Where am i going wrong ?

    • Hi Allan, Thanks for your cooments. Are you allowing enough time for the paint to fully dry? Also, when applying the wax, I would suggest taking a small amount on a brush, then working the brush into the lid, or even better, a paper plate, or something large enough to work the brush in circular motions. This helps break the wax down more evenly on your brush so you don’t put large blobs in just one area. Once it is worked in well into the brush, you need to apply in very thin, even coats. Better to have a couple of thin coats than one thick coat. It also helps to warm the wax before using, I pop the tin into a bowl of hot water while I’m working. Keeps it at a lovely consistancy to work well with.
      Please let me know how you get on, If you need any more advice, you can pop a message here, or email me directly at sam@chicmouldings.com Always happy to help!
      Sam x

  10. Is it possible to seal Chalk paint with varnish instead of wax ??
    My idea is to paint kitchen units and would be afraid of wax for health and safety reasons !!
    Any info would be appreciated.

    • Hi There, Yes, If you want to use varnish to give some extra protection, this will be OK. I use a water based varnish, as a solvent based one would yellow over time. I can also highly reccomend Polyvine varnish too. Check out their website, they have lots of varnishes for different projects! Kindest Regards, Sam x

      • Hi,
        Thanks for the great tips! I’ve just completed my first couple of AS pieces and I’ve loved using it!
        I’ve done a dining table and have done one layer of wax so far and leaving it to dry before applying a second and third coat, just wondered will 24 hrs In between be enough or should I leave it longer? Also I’m worried about the top so wondering if varnish would be better? Can I varnish over the wax if I do decide to do that?
        Thanks,
        Laura

  11. Hi Sam

    This site has been so helpful thank you. I am about to start my first project and would like to know exactly what type of brushes I should be using with this paint on wooden furniture?

    Regards Zoe

    • Hi Zoe, any good quality synthetic bristled brush will work fine for acrylic paint. The Annie Sloan brushes are excellent quality but if they’re not available I try to find the best quality brush I can as I have picking out bristles. Hamilton, Wooster and Alpha are some of my faves.
      Happy painting.
      Regards
      Sam

  12. Hi Sam, thank you so much for posting these guide to painting ASCP. I have absolutely zero experience decorating but totally love shabby chic furniture. It is far too expensive to buy over here (London) but after reading your post it’s given me the confidence to try renovating old furniture myself. So this weekend I am going to attempt to paint an old cabinet of mine. Will let you know how it goes…!
    x

  13. Hi sam.Wow! Very happy i came across this.full of hints and tips and very in depth.ill be starting my first project next week

  14. Hi Sam, great article. I want to paint my staircase, skirting boards and doors… previously varnished with in a pine stain, now horrible orange. I cant face the prep that would be required!! Would ASCP be any good to use in an area that’s going to get quite a bit of traffic?

    • Hi Angela, thanks for the comment. I would say that the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint would be fab for using on the staircase but you might want to top it off with something a little more hardwearing than the wax.
      Maybe a clear varnish would be better. If you buy a matt finish it looks very similar to the wax but will stand up to the heavy traffic even better.
      Annie Sloan recently introduced a varnish for floors that could work just as well on high traffic areas.
      I hope this helps.
      Sam X

      • Thank you so much… I’m actually looking forward to starting it now and I’ve been dreading and putting it off for 2 years!!! Will let you know how I get on over the summer.

  15. Thank you for this interesting article, I’ve been ummming and aarring about this product and to be honest, I haven’t heard a bad thing said about it. I’m ready to paint my old chair!

  16. Excellent post and tips – thank you!

    Now, I’m about to start a big project with ASCP – painting bare mdf fitted bedroom cupboards! I’ve painted and waxed a few picture frames and propped them up in the room to see which colour is the best. Colour chosen, I am now worrying about where to start! Everything I’ve read says no prepping required, but is this really true for bare mdf (yes, I know wood may have been better, but we saved on the materials and used a top notch carpenter for a great fit around the eaves in a 200 year old cottage)?

    I have lightly sealed the cut edges with car filler to stop them ‘puffing up’ when moisture from the paint touches them (as recommended by the carpenter), but I’m nervous about where to start – will I really not need to seal it or put some kind of base before I start painting?

    Also, as I have 9 doors and a lot of flat surfaces to do, should I use a roller and, if yes, which type? And how can I ensure the paint comes from the same batch?

    A lot of questions but, judging from your answers above, I bet you’ll guide me in the right direction – just hope it’s not “Don’t do it!”!

    • Hi Paula,
      You can certainly paint the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint straight on to MDF, if you are really worried then you can always use an MDF primer first but it shouldn’t be necessary. Personally if I didn’t have access to a sprayer I would use a mini roller to cover such a large flat area, depending on the finish you are after either a foam one or one designed for emulsion paint.
      You certainly should seal the raw edges of MDF as they are very porous, I have found that PVA glue painted on is effective for this as it dries to a water tight surface.
      I’m pretty sure all ASCP paint is batch marked on the cans so you should be able to get all your paint from the same batch if you specifically ask for it.

      Good luck with your project.

      Best regards
      Sam

      • Thanks so much for all the tips and encouragement – I’m now excited to get going and may even send you a pic if it looks half decent! Could get access to a sprayer, but as the furniture is fitted I’m worried about whether a fine mist of paint may end up on the walls and ceilings too!

        • Great article! I’m just about to start a similar project. I’m planning to paint some custom made MDF shelves in the alcoves in my dining room. I hadn’t previously considered waxing until I read this piece. ISP would you recommend that I sand then apply wax? Thanks.

          • Hi Emma, You can sand before applying wax but if you do, you will find that it creates a lot more dust that way. If sanding post waxing, remember to re-apply some wax over the sanded areas for protection. I hope this helps.
            Sam.

  17. This is a brilliant article, thank you. I am putting a link on my blog to this page it literally tells you everything you need to know about ASCP. (hopefully-I am a blogging novice so it may take a while!) Verity x

  18. just used annie sloane paint on 2 pine bedside cabinets,dreadful result,looks like artex.ive wasted £25 on paint and wax
    and ruined 2 cabinets.
    ps i followed all instructions

    • Oh Julie, I’m so sorry to hear this!I have found some of Annie’s paint is much thicker than others. The darker colours, especially Graphite, is very thick & needs water added to make it flow much more smoothly. I recently had a tin of Original, which, again, needed watering down as it was very thick. Sorry you have had this experiance. It may be worth trying some other tester pots of paint of different makers to get a brand you are happy to work with. Wickes sell tester post of their chalky flatt matt, and I know Farrow & Ball have small pots too. It’s all about finsing a product you are happy working with. Sam x

    • God Julie I’m glad I read this as I thought is it just me! We have just redecorated our bedroom after soooo long and it is really lovely but we have an expensive pine chest of drawers which now looks out of place with the colour scheme. Thought I’d get AS paint for it, which I did yesterday. Thank God I tried it first on something smaller in pine and am so disappointed with the results. Glad I didn’t ruin my chest of drawers. Back to the drawing board for me I’m afraid. Can’t see what all the fuss is about the paint. The only advantage to me is that you don’t have to rub down, prime etc. But the finish I do not like.

      • We always suggest to experiment with different paints. What may work for 1 person, may not work for someone else. Buy some testers & practice 🙂

    • Do you know how you managed to get the artex look? I might like to try it on some battered wood?

  19. Having painted furniture for well over 25 years (long before the “shabby chic craze took hold) I will pass on the one piece of information, it matters not what paint you use, it’s the prep that matters, remove the old finish, yes it can be hard work, then use your choice of paint, I always use emulsion (matt), fine denibing pad on the final coat, and then your choice of wax, this will give a lovely silky finish. Expensive paints/emulsions, forget them. Do the hard work first, the rest is so easy.

  20. Thanks for this. Gonna start my very first project and use Annie Sloan Duck Egg for a nest of tables!

    Here goes!!

  21. Just been reading through the article and comments. I have worked with Annie’s products to build a business in Tynemouth and now sell furniture customised with these paints. I love them, shame it took so long to discover them. I have had not one problem with any of my purchases and recommend to everyone. I am going to look into the spray gun option. This could be a huge time saver for me but I do like the items with texture the most. Off to buy more paint right now, I have ran out already, but you are right, a little chalk paint goes a very long way!!!

  22. Great article! I’m just about to start a similar project. I’m planning to paint some custom made MDF shelves in the alcoves in my dining room. I hadn’t previously considered waxing until I read this piece. ISP would you recommend that I sand then apply wax? Thanks.

  23. Hi
    I used Annie Sloan chalk paint on resin mouldings. Can I wax these? When I tried the paint came off.
    Any advice would be appreciated
    Thank you

    • Hi There,
      Aren you allowing the paint to fully dry before applying the wax? Are you just trying to clear wax over the paint?
      If the paint is fully dry, I would suggest warming the wax a little so you can almost paint it on, this should prevent any paint pulling off. This isn’t a problem I have come across before, so I would be grateful if you could let me know if it works OK.
      Kindest Regards, Sam

  24. Hi – love your site. Just recently took a ASCP class here in So Cal. The instructor, who has used ASCP for many years and does incredible furniture, suggested using Shellac if you have a piece that is either bleeding through, has knot holes or you aren’t sure where the piece is from (evidently new pieces now coming to the US from Asia have a different type of laminate and the paint is not sticking)

    Hope this helps some more.

  25. Have found this article so helpful!!

    I have a few items I am looking to paint so this has definitely given me some pointers especially as I am a novice at this! And I have managed to find a stockist only 10 minutes down the road from me! Even better!

    Found it very helpful on the guide of how far the paint goes as I was unsure on how much I was going to need and thought it was going to set me back quite a lot!

    Cannot wait to join the annie club!

    Thank you soooo much!!! X

  26. I have recently painted kitchen chairs with AS paint and I’m not sure that I like the overall effect – I used the white and found it went a yellowish colour after applying the wax. Before moving on to do the table I wondered if it is possible to overpaint with a satin wood or gloss?

    • Hi,
      I would say that once you have waxed it’s not advisable to paint over with a latex paint as it’s unlikely that the paint will adhere. If you’re really unhappy with the finish probably the best thing is to re-coat with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint as it will adhere to the waxed surface better (sorry i know that means a ton more work!) and then either apply a much thinner coat of wax. Or alternatively apply a coat of the Polyvine wax finish varnish as I find it is much less prone to affect the final colour of your project and offers superior protection for high traffic items such as chairs.
      I hope this helps.
      Sam

  27. Very good post! We are linking to this great content on our site.
    Keep up the great writing.

  28. hi can I use the paint on my parquet floor, it gets a lot of stick and now looks grubby

    • Hi Tricia, Yes, you can use Annie Sloan paint on floors. You will need to protect it an very tough varnish. Annie Sloan does sell an extra strong varnish especially for floors. We don’t actualy stock it, but we can order it in for you.
      Kind regards, Sam x

  29. Hi sorry if I’m repeating if anyone has asked but can I use Annie Sloan paint on skirtings ???

    • Hi, Yes, you could, You would need to wax or varnish them after. The wax would take around 3 weeks to harden, Polyvine varnish would take around 3-4 days to harden fully. Or you could try Annie’s Laquer.

  30. Hi Sam,
    Spot on about ASCP. The best thing since sliced bread.
    I hail from South Africa and used to make my own chalk paint. It was slightly better than latex, acrylic or duco,
    Then I had a paint intervention performed on me. My daughter who is a great upcycler and shabbychicker found
    a local supplier and bought some for us to try. It costs an arm and both legs in South Africa (exchange rate is about R18 for each pound)
    But worth every penny. It saves so much time in prep.
    We are both dedicated followers of ASCP.

  31. So sorry for the late reply! Please feel free to share our blogs! (Your post got buried amongst our spam comments!)

  32. Hello
    I’ve been hearing such great things about ASCP. I live in a gorgeous cottage, but the previous owners decided to stain every window frame, door and staircase the most awful orange pine. My partner thinks it will be a momentous task to change these as the stain comes through white gloss etc and he says it will make it look worse. I am convinced ASCP is the answer. Will we be able to paint the woodwork white without any orange stain seeping through.
    Any advice from anyone who has actually done this will be greatly appreciated

    • Hi Claire,
      This is a tricky one as it’s really impossible to say without seeing the wood that you are painting in the flesh. The usual problem with wood dye is that people don’t seal it properly. if the wood is properly varnished then you shouldn’t get any bleed at all through your paint. Usually though bit’s get missed and the stain comes pouring through. Oil paint has a tendency to make this appear worse as it can pull the stain through the finish. You should be able to paint over dyed pine with no problems but I would probably make a point of either sealing it with a good quality varnish or primer before putting on my top coat of paint. If it is sealed resist the urge to sand it back as you will likely remove the varnish and allow the stain to come through.
      I hope this helps.
      Sam

    • Hi Claire

      I did a similar job for a friend of mine who had a barn conversion with stained pine skirting, architraves and window frames. I used a Zinsser Primer/Stain killer and it worked a treat. This is probably the best stuff on the market for guaranteeing a blocking of the stain. See http://www.zinsseruk.com/product-category/stain-blocking-primers/. It’s expensive but it works. I then went over it with some farrow and ball to get a nice clean consistent block of colour. See my other post as you won’t achive that outcome with the ASCP, it will look patchy (maybe that’s what you’re looking for) and particularly if it is going to be subject to wear (eg skitings, frames and balustrades) will require a coat (or 2) of lacquer otherwise it will be simply rubbed off.

  33. My favorite colors are olive ones. My dad painted the ceiling with them. It is nice and pleasant. I am going to ask him to paint the walls with Barcelona Orange. Think it is a good idea. Best regards!

  34. I was very disappointed overall with the Annie Sloan chalk paint. I applied this to a a poplar table that I built. I used three coats of wax and at first was liking the way it looked. I have young children and found that things would easily absorb into the wax and into the paint and stain the paint underneath. I tried to wash it out and was shocked to find how easily I was able to wash off the wax and the chalk paint leaving the exposed wood underneath. I finished this projected about a month ago and so I definately doubt its long term durability. Furthermore one of the reasons I chose to use the Annie Sloan chalk paint was because I could match the table with the used chairs much more easily. I washed down all of the chiar before applying any paint but even still it took several coats of paint to cover up all the exsisting paint. One the first chair I tried to wax I noticed that some of the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint would rub right off while trying to apply the wax leaveing large areas that were now not covered with paint. This paint did not at all live up to the hype that it would easily adhere to surfaces. After that I sanded the chairs to give them more texture and although this helped it did not resolve the problem completely. A lot of the paint would rub off as I applied the wax. Additionally I feel that this product is very expensive especially considering my dissapointment over living up to its hype. The time and effort I have put into my project are now over priced and wasted due to the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I would NOT recommend this product to anyone.

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  36. I’m still learning from you, while I’m making my way to the top as well. I certainly enjoy reading everything that is written on your site.Keep the information coming. I liked it!

  37. I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thank you, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your web site?

  38. should I add PVA to my final coat of paint, I’M sure that ive read this somewhere. and if so will the wax go on O.K.

    Thanks Everyone

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