I found some good ideas on the Annie Sloan site, she has some beautiful pieces there.

Good. Once you have tried it, let us know what you think. I am contemplating doing a piece of old furniture that is not worth the price of a professional refinisher but worth saving.

I am in the process of painting some dining room chairs with chalk paint. I had no experience with chalk paint and am very happy with the outcome. So far, I have one completed and 2 painted, but not waxed. The painting part of the project is the easy part. It's the waxing that is the tricky part. I found quite a few tutorials on line to help guide me through the waxing step. I would recommend watching a bunch of videos before you start. I am using Vintage Market & Design Furniture Paint because it's sold at a shop in town. Annie Sloan is probably most well known. but the closest shop that sells AS is about an hour from me. There are also 'recipes' to make your own chalk paint.

Oh, you asked about painting over a dark piece of furniture. My chairs are fairly dark and I'm having no problem, but I happen to be using black paint, which, BTW is not available in AS. The closest in that line is called charcoal which is not a true black.

Here's a link to the thread about my DR chairs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chalk painted DR chairs

That black chair looks FABULOUS!!

I looked at Vintage Market paints, and I've looked at Annie Sloan, and there are a couple Ebay vendors as well.
Plus there are various recipes that tell you how to make your own.

Is there a big difference in quality between the vendors?

I wish I could answer that question for you, lucille, but I only have the one paint I've used to report on. I do know, from all the time I've spent on line, that there are countless videos on youtube and various websites on painting. Have you googled chalk paint reviews? That might be a starting point. Good luck.

I am doing a lot of reading. Maybe having some second thoughts after I read this thread, I don't know

Here is a link that might be useful: livid

I think OakleyOKs issues have been resolved but I will allow her to discuss that. Just read a lot!!!!!!

After more reading, it seems as if making this kind of paint is not complicated, I'm going to try it.
I have a smaller piece I want to paint also, so I'm going to mix the paint, try it on a scrap piece of wood, then paint the smaller piece (a different color) and finally the china cabinet.
The 'furniture soft wax' seems to be just beeswax mixed with carnauba, both easily and inexpensively available.

I've made the paint w/everything under the sun..
I like the calcium carbonate the best (I get mine from amazon)

The china cabinet is a excellent candidate for chalk paint..

Is waxing mandatory? What about applying it is so difficult?

I painted a dark piece of furniture with chalk paint just last summer. I had bought it at a yard sale for not much money, so I figured why not try chalk paint on it.

I made the home-made version using calcium carbonate from Amazon, and flat paint.

I then waxed it with three coats of Johnsons paste wax. I thought it came out pretty cute in the end.

Now, the next post will show the finished table, seeing as I still don't know how to put more than one picture in a post, lol !

The finished product!

From what I've read, waxing is not mandatory, but the chalk paint alone is very flat. Other finishes like a polyurethane can be used, but I don't know if you get the same look as the buffed wax finish. Applying the wax is not difficult. Knowing how much to use is the difficult part and then I've found that buffing takes some effort. Then again, I'm only a beginner, so I'm still learning.

AS paint color can change dramatically with the dark wax. I had a blue turn very green. Even if the color stays same it looks quite different after dark wax. Much more depth. I struggle a little in that I seem to use more than they say and then I have to buff forever. The light wax is nice also.

The trick to using the dark wax is to first use the clear wax then apply the dark over that.

I painted the china cabinet this morning, chalk paint is so velvety and chalkalicious!!
I'm not 100% sure I'm going to leave it this way but I saw some pictures where the inside upper cabinet was painted white or a light color, and so I painted it white (the rest of the cabinet is a green/turquoise. The inside of my cabinets are not lit, so I'm thinking the white might make the stuff inside the cabinet easier to see?

I'd love to see your project!

This is my most recent chalk painted piece:

Edit to add: I would normally never paint over a piece like this, I love wood finishes, but it was beyond repair. My fiance had to nearly completely rebuild it.

This post was edited by Miz_M on Sun, May 11, 14 at 20:04

MizM, do you mind sharing the paint brand and colors that you used and give us a few pointers. I have seen the lovely work lucille has done and I have a piece very similar to yours that I want to take in this same direction.

P.S. Lucille we are awaiting the pictures of turquoise piece. ;-)

lucille - chalk paint is very velvety, isn't it? Did you end up making your own chalk paint? Would love to see pictures of your project.

I did make my own chalk paint, and I got some beeswax and an making my own soft wax. Will try to get a picture up after it is waxed, but I'm going to wait a day or two to wax it.
Patricia, I do not recall ever posting photos of painted pieces here.

Lucille, I am sorry. I know that now. I was confusing you with someone else (bac717) whose work is beautiful as I know yours is. I want to see the turquoise piece. I am anxious to see it. I know you did not. I was just thinking about black chairs and a turquoise piece together, and intellectually I knew they were not yours but emotionally was putting it all together. Forgive me but we do want to see your piece of artwork as it is.

This post was edited by patricia43 on Sun, May 11, 14 at 15:06

bac717, please tell me what you used for wax and how you did it and did you buff/wax/wax on/wax off? Would you wax if you were doing polyurethane coat? I am probably going to be doing a piece to use in my bathroom, so I want it to be able to handle temperature changes. My bath is spa-like and can have high humidity and in the overnight in winter, can get very cold and dry because I have a large window although covered with shutters, still cold.....

Patricia, I'm mobile, but will post my recipe when I can. I use Plaster of Paris, and latex paint (usually satin). I've used Valspar most, but have also used BM and Glidden.

I wax with Johnson's Paste Wax, but am wanting to experiment with others. Most pieces, we use a matte poly on the tabletops for better wear.

A little chalk paint goes a long way! I can do an entire piece with one cup of mixture.

Meant to add: never use wax with poly on top. Just one or the other.

Thank you all for these words of experience. I look forward to all you girls have to offer before I dive in headlong and err.

Here is a 'before wax' picture, the cabinet needs to be touched up and waxed still. I'm an amateur, this is my first piece, so don't be too hard on me.

This post was edited by lucille on Mon, May 12, 14 at 5:33

Lucille, That is a lovely piece. I like the interior white. I agree that your china will show better that way.

Oh, wow. You made me smile. Yes, your China should show up well. If you don't have a light, get some white Christmas lights with a battery and run them along the back side. ;-)

I thought about putting in lights but it is pretty bright right now.
I'm thinking I might try to do several coats of wax. I dust pretty often, I have 5 dogs and they shed and bring in dust on their fur. I don't know if one is supposed to just dust with a Swiffer or use spray furniture wax when dusting these pieces.

Patricia, my recipe:

2 cups latex paint
5 tbsp Plaster of Paris
2 tbsp water.

I mix warm water with the PoP, until creamy, then add to paint.

Lucille, your hutch looks great! For dusting, I just use a very lightly dampened rag.

This is a table we decided not to sell, and we poly'ed the top (waxed the rest). It's in my entry now.

Thank y'all for your kind comments.
Miz M that table is beautiful!! What kind of poly do you use?

This post was edited by lucille on Sun, May 11, 14 at 18:52

Thanks, Lucille! We use Minwax (matte finish).

lucille - Thanks for the picture. I love that turquoise color with the white interior!

patricia - The wax I used was from the same company as the paint I used, Vintage Market & Design Furniture Paint. The technique I used was in the tutorial in the link I am including. The only difference is that the wax I used never really dried like the wax used in the video, but I still have a nice, satiny finish. She used Fiddes Supreme Wax. I am tempted to order some and give it a try.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to wax and buff painted furniture

i'm a homemade paint girl myself, and i use plaster of paris in mine as well, only because it was easier to access than the calcium carbonate and has served me well! i noticed there's one key tip missing from this thread and wanted to throw it out there.

if you're painting mahogany, particularly old mahogany, especially old mahogany with that cherry red stain color... you'll want to seal the entire piece first, else the wood will bleed into the paint. it sounds like a lot of work and it sounds like it takes away the benefit of no prep work with chalk paint, but it's a miracle worker. i use zinsser shellac, and after experimenting with both, i prefer the clear formula - it's less gloppy. again, not primer, but SEALER. it keeps the stains and who knows what from bleeding through into the paint. it would bleed through any type of paint, not just "chalk" paint.

and i've not ventured into the fancy waxes yet. i usually finish with water based poly. Varathane Matte stays really really matte. otherwise if you don't mind more of a satin finish, i like minwax polycryllic.

Doin' the Paste Wax Boogie

I decided to get started on the waxing. Didn't have one of those high dollar wax brushes, so I started out with a section of old t shirt. OK, but not great.

Then I decided to make a change- I put some energizing music on (Best of Aretha Franklin) and put a bit of paste wax in the palm of my hand and kind of mooshed it around, and the heat softened it.
I applied it to the china cabinet just like I would put suntan lotion on someone's shoulders at the beach (male and handsome of course.)

It is going on smooth and even, and fun. The Paste Wax Boogie. :)

omg lucille! i just snorted out loud at your last post. now THAT's the kinda fun you're supposed to be having on these projects! :)

Lucille - which wax did you end up using? Everyone raves about Annie Sloan wax, so its good to know of alternatives...