I appreciate your tips, as this is my first chalk painting project in several years. Hi Connie, thanks for stopping by! For prep, my favorite method is to lightly sand I love just using a medium sanding block followed by a fine block, super easy , wipe off dust and then prime.
I do a coat of that I actually usually do two for extra security, but up to you! You will still see the texture of grain through the paint. Alternatively, if you just want to dive in, simply clean your piece well and start chalk painting. The downside to this method is if there is any bleed-through you will just have to start back at the beginning with the first method I outlined.
If you use a water-based polycrylic which I love! The problems usually happen when mixing oil-based on top of water-based or vice versa. I want the cabinet to be a low-key white. Hi Catey Ann, so sorry for the delay in response!
Once you paint with chalk paint, you would still need to sand to remove it…ruining the original finish. I wonder if you could find a small piece of something similar like a tray or artwork or something for cheap or free maybe on Facebook Marketplace?
But, I can tell you that chalk paint is very opaque and while the actual texture of a piece may still be present though perhaps not as obvious , it generally will cover original colors quite well.
What do you suggest for primer? I bought Behr chalk paint and Wax. I did the drawer front, let it dry and applied wax.. Not especially impressed. Thanks for your input. Hi there Alice, thanks for stopping by!
That stuff is strong! Also, how many coats did you paint? I find with chalk paint that I need at least two coats to get things looking good. Would love to hear how things go! Thank you for this information. In answer to your question, I sanded the piece down to bare wood and applied one coat.
Yes, priming sounds great then. I usually just sand lightly to give the surface a bit of grip and take care of anything that could use a little smoothing out sometimes I have to fill holes etc. Haha, refinishing furniture can be a finicky business!
I just used Annie Sloan chalk paint and used the Rustoleum Matte Clear as the topcoat for an armoire but the top coat has completely ruined the color of the chalk paint! It looks all streaky and even took off some of the underlying paint. I did three coats of the Annie Sloan paint. Have you ever run into this issue? Any suggestions would be helpful! Hi Nicole! That is really disappointing. I am thinking about it, and I have used over primarily very light colors white, cream, duck egg blue.
Does your piece happen to be a dark color? I wonder if that would make a difference? A couple more thoughts: 1. Paint should be very dry before applying a top coat. I noticed on the Rust-Oleum Matte Clear label it does suggest 8 hrs of dry time before coating paint with Matte Clear.
I did some research before I responded and I found a few cases of others encountering some streakiness with the brush-on poly and it was suggested to use a spray top coat instead. I have not tried that myself, but it seemed logical. If you go this route, I would try it in an inconspicuous spot if you can!
Sometimes the original finish of the piece can affect the final look too. Chalk painting can be a bit of a guessing game, that is for sure! If you have used wax previously and like the finish, I think that your thought of applying more chalk paint and then finishing with wax could work. However, my inclination taking into account that the top coat actually peeled up some of the paint is to wonder if the coats were completely dry…It might be best to even let the piece dry out a full day or two and then see how it looks and go from there.
Feel free to send me an email ellenATbellewoodcottageDOTcom too if you want to send any pics over and any additional questions. Hopefully we can get this piece looking the way you want! My daughter likes the nice farm style in her house. She has dark wood cabinets in her kitchen.
The instructions state only one coat is needed. And I will still have to add a protective coat or two. My advice is to try chalk paint on a very small project first. I know that can be extremely frustrating. How is the project going now? I think your advice is right-on.
After the 1st coat all you could see was brush marks. So I tried lightly sanding the 1st coat. Then on to coat no. I let it set overnight with the hopes of polyurethane get it the next day. However, to my surprise the oak grazing now showed through he 2 coats.
Next day there was the oak grains showing through. At this point it is 4 days into this easy no primer, no sanding approach. So day no. Well lesson learned. Will use latex the next time.
Unfortunately, sanding is always necessary. Thank you for stopping by and let me know if I can help any way on this project or others. Feel your pain. There is no such thing as no prep. Clean, sand, clean again, prime, paint and seal. Sounds like you may have had some bleed through. Great tips in this article and the comments.
I have come across a great product from Benjamin Moore called Cabinet Coat. It works great on high traffic items such as kitchen cabinets and can be tinted. My favorite color currently is Maritime White. I liked it so well on my cabinets that I have used it on kitchen table and chairs projects as well.
I am on the latex bandwagon as well. I like the color options and the durability. Great tip Janet! I am going to have to paint my kitchen cabinets soon so I will definitely look into that! Heirloom tradition chalk paint said all you do is degloss, scrub, wipe down and paint.
No sanding, priming. Just clean and paint. I have an area how, but then I run across post like this and it makes me second guess myself. Totally confused.
This is a great question Shelby. And then, redoing the project will be over twice the work. Please let me know if you have any other questions Shelby!
Great question Nikki. You could absolutely use matte if you wanted. It might not be quite as durable but it would be more of a chalk paint look. I make my chalk paint with unsanded grout. I do not like the wax finish so I always use poly over my pieces.
I have never had any problems with my projects, and I have done many. I personally would not use it on kitchen cupboards but I have used it in my bathrooms with much luck , and I did it about 2 years ago. I personally find the difference between chalk paint, always ASCP, and latex to be like night and day. The workability of ASCP is magnificent and I have been able to create pieces with layers that were not possible with latex, per my experience.
I have done my entire kitchen with ASCP and waxed it with three coats. Most people make the mistake of using too much wax at a time. This is an interesting take on the contrasts with the paints. I guess it comes down to preference, overall style desired, and technique used. For my kitchen, I used graphite on the lowers and even doing three coats for added durability, I still have one-third of the quart left.
The uppers were done in old white and I used the entire quart. For the wax, I used clear and I still have about a quarter of the container remaining. I have painted with latex before, but I find it is better left for either straight line work or single color items. Thanks for the info though. Great food for thought. Boy have I been not reading email for a long time.
Yes, I was saying that. Pick up the paint base for the darkest of paints. It goes on cloudy to actually white, but dries beautifully clear. No sheen, just beautiful wood. I highly recommend this as an option! You can remove wax with Mineral spirits or ammonia. Think Windex! And is this going to cause me to have to let it cure for several weeks? So sorry about your chalk paint experience. That must have been so frustrating. Go to this post and use the instructions on how I use the glaze to simulate the look of dark wax.
Let me know if you have any questions at all! Great post, and your pieces are beautiful. I just chalk painted a cherry wood standing jewelry armoire.
I painted my piece yesterday — 2 coats — and I think it looks pretty good. Any tips? Just keep waxing? It seems to just soak it right up. I had painted my bathroom medicine cabinet with regular white paint I think it was Behr, but not certain , over primer, and now, several years later, the pain is chipping badly.
I only use regular household latex paint to paint my inside furniture. I use thin coats of paint and it looks great. Did my kitchen cabinets 6 years ago and they are as white as they were the day I painted them. I have a large ornate fireplace mantel that is coated with 4 layers of Bri-wax dark mahogany.
Is there any way to prime or coat it so that I can paint it? Any suggestions will be deeply appreciated. After doing research, I see I should have led with latex, but oh well. I have since gone to the store to buy Behr urethan alkyd semi-gloss. Should I sand my previous work down a bit before using this? Would you still recommend Varathane poly water based when complete? Hope this helps. Any suggestions? Was wondering if you have ever have distressed using a latex paint before.
I prefer to use a latex paint but would like to distress a bit, would like your input? Thank you. When using Behr Marquee for your furniture projects, have you scuffed edges to antique like you can with chalk paint or does it chip? Just use a really high grit sandpaper to avoid peeling. Thanks Lori! What would you recommend for someone who wants to decorate with painted furniture, but has a lung disease and cannot use any paint or sealer with an odor?
I also will not use the masks that are recommended. They are too large and heavy. I painted my kitchen cabinets with chalk Paint and then used dark wax over. I love the look and they turned out awesome! However , can I add a coat of anything to protect them and seal them really good?
I want a matte look but since they are obviously used daily I want the little bit of extra protection. Thanks Lisa. Thanks Lisa! You said you use Kiltz primer, but do you use it for the cabinets? I have two kids boys and is rough in here, we also spend lots of time in the kitchen area. So I am looking for durability and resistance. Thanks for sharing! It has a little bit of a smell but you really want an oil-based primer for cabinets. I am redoing my cabinets in January so I will have a full post then with lots of details!
Thanks Carmen! Hi Karin, I am planning to use your latex paint method to paint a bookcase. The piece is veneer or laminate not sure which and has one of those cardboard back panels that is held on with tack nails. Any advise is much appreciated! Let me know if you have any other questions. I want to refinish an antique dinning room set and I am torn as to which direction to go. Please help.? The SW paint of Behr paint that you use — is it flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss or high-gloss?
Thanks — definately will check out more of your sites. Hey Wendy, Great question! I usually use Satin no matter what type of paint. If you want a shinier look you could also go with semi-gloss paint. They should have samples of the different sheens at the paint counter to help you decide. Thanks Wendy! I have been using latex paint on most of my furniture. I redid my whole bedroom suite. It was that old dark walnut water bed furniture. I did sand down a lot of it and then applied a primer.
Only one coat, then painted it a matte latex. Which I lightly sanded between coats. Which 2 was only needed. Then I put a furniture wax. I love your son!! Feeling the same way in Pittsburgh, Pa. Remember it well. Used flocked red paper to line the drawers. Always used in a bedroom, master right now. Only thing I might want to try would be a transfer on the top like you see on The Graphics Fairy site. When I was little I thought my child size rocking chair was just dirty.
So I scrubbed off that stain and proudly showed my mother. Wood filler or wood putty can be found in the paint aisle. Thanks for posting this. I prefer latex paint as will and I prefer the flat. Your experience s with chalk paint, compared to what I always considered using in the first place using latex, etc.
Thanks again! I loved reading this! Your honesty is so appreciated. I whole heartedly agree with you. For a while I was second-guessing myself and thinking I was doing the whole chalk paint thing wrong!! I actually like the chalk paint finish, but I like other finishes just as well.
Currently painting the five drawers of a chest with chalk paint and making a mess of it. Even took a class. The expense of the chalk paint is a huge factor for me. Thanks for your informative blog. I believe if you do not prep prior to chalk painting You simply did noy to the job right. With chalk paint blending or layering is beautiful. Just call it shabby chic and you get away with details that normally would be a reason for a really heavy price reduction… I stil think some distressed items you see on the web, esp.
But I guess we all have our own preferences. I like clean lines with a little distressing. I agree with using Latex paint. You get a beautifully rich looking piece of furniture. If you want the shabby chic look, you can then sand the corners and edges. This technique will last a very long time! I did sand a few rough spots before I used the Behr paint.
But this is the 3rd time I painted this piece so it was sealed well!! Happy painting! I do not refinish furniture like many of you do, walls, yes. I just found this site because a young friend purchased her first home and mentioned not using chalk paint on her baseboards because of the expense and I wondered what chalk paint was. I so have to agree with Patti about Behr paint.
I paint walls using Behr Satin finish. Our entire house, well almost. It is washable , and has a nice glow. To me chalk paint sounds like cheap paint at an overly inflated price.
I am enjoying the reading and will learn from everyone. I dont agree. Destressing and chipping furniture takes a lot more time of work! Knowledge from the painter has to be wide as well so…. Your comment was snarky and condensing, which I think was uncalled for, given the tone of her post, and the lengths she went to in order to emphasize that it was her OPINION, and there is no right or wrong way to refinish furniture.
I loved this article!! You answered my questions as they popped into my head…I want to redo my kitchen cabinets…maybe we can talk or direct me to a link if you have done? I have literally tried every specialty paint out there and I mean every one!
Not sure why we as American Consumers have allowed us to be sold junk as acceptable, when in Europe or the UK their value furniture is in the last solid pine! Fusion is amazing paint and has finish built in, made by Homestead house in Canada they also make miss mustard seed paint Suggest you buy online via eBay or etsy.
General Finishes milk paint is also amazing and great for cabinetry! Oh and fusion and general finishes are both self leveling like oil bad paints!
This means no brush marks! I agree latex is great but those looking for less toxic options there you have it! Those last two are best to achieve the professional outcomes of oil without the mess and horrible smells!
Hope this helps. Thanks so much for your in-depth info re: paints! I am definitely going out today to look for Fusion Paint!! Thank you for your informative writing, I have a better understanding of the process now. I love the matte look of the chalk paint but have doubted the endurance of the finished product. I shop in a lot of antique stores and see many chalk painted pieces.
I also wonder at the number of these pieces that are sold alongside pristine antique pieces. In my mind, these two are not on an equal level but that is another story. I also am over the shabby-chic, overly distressed look. Like most styles that were once unique, it has been overused.
I agree, shabby chic just looks cheap and in my personal opinion shabby, no chic to be found. If I refinish a piece of furniture I want it to look pristine not like I was too dumb to know how to paint properly. Again, just my opinion. It just seems ignorant to me to claim it as an opinion but throw slander on to the person who enjoys the look of chalk paint. Again, just my opinion…. Get thee to a safe space. Jayne, I so agree. We need to grow up, seriously.
The best reason for reading this article really is to seek knowledge! I love this! People go a little too far with the distressed look these days. I have a hundred year old trunk that looks better than some of the new pieces I see in stores and online. What the….? On the corners, on the areas around drawer pulls, on the high spots of carvings and moldings. The stuff I see called distressed these days is more like traumatized, and it hurts my eyes to see it.
There is no implication of age and use and care of a piece, it just looks arbitrary. The whole point of distressing a piece is to make it look aged, and so many miss the mark these days. Regardless of which kind of paint and what kind of top coat is used, I will always prefer either a pristine piece or one that shows the careful art of true distressing. Thank you! It really is a maintenance nightmare in my opinion. Give me an enamel any old day!
And yay to prepping! Who decided that hard work on a piece was our of fashion, lol!? I love the idea of prepping as well. One of the things I struggle with because a muscle problem is finding the endurance, Any suggestions for easy sanding and prepping? Having used chalk paint on a few projects, I agree with you. I was very disappointed in the durability after all the work of waxing. Now I know, and so do all of your followers! Thanks for sharing this article.
I am so pleased that I am not the only one who thinks chalk paint is the be all and end all of paining furniture. I painted my dining table with black chalk paint and you are right. What do you suggest I do now? Do I have to sand it all off and start over? Please help. You should be able to spray paint over it, or you can use a couple of coats of clear varnish over the entire piece this should help. Other route, lightly sand and use a more durable paint for your table. Sand it just lightly, brush on a coat of Zinsser primer, which makes everything adhere nicely, and repaint it with Latex paint.
You should be fine. Or peelstop…the problem with chalk paint is that it is a problem…like peeling and alligatoring. It just isnt a sound surface. Nothing sticks.
I am just who I am. But I would like to say that it pleases me that someone else things the way I do. I grew up with a love for fine wood. My father taught me how to refinish furniture and I love ever step of it. I remember an heirloom oak table that I have now passed on to my oldest daughter. My father and I spent many hours and many days restoring it from the black patina it had acquired over the years. We sanded wiped and sanded again.
Then we applied three coats of shellac, and then three coats of varnish. It is still beautiful to this day. There ya go! Wood should be painted it as a last resort. I read several blogs and chalk paint is raved about. I am like you, I want my stuff to be crisp and clean when I am done with it. Chips, and scratches on painted furniture cause me to lose sleep. Just an aside regarding stripping, staining, sanding, etc of real antique furniture.
I watch antique shows, read articles, etc. I much prefer the kind of result you get with your refinishing projects. Your post on this was very informative. As usual I learn something new everyday from you! I often wonder if the shabby look will be around much longer. Maybe in a year or two I will be buying them at yard sales and putting solid finishes on them. Thank you for your post. It was well written and in no way turned me against Chalk Paint.
So my experiences may differ slightly. I do like the ease of distressing with it and I do like the flat look for certain projects. I would much rather use glaze. And most of the time I do both. Its therapeutic for me! Thanks so much for the information. The same goes for milk paint…. Nothing like reinventing the wheel.. I tried to distress my dish cabinet…and it looked exactly like it fell off the back of our truck!
Too bad you had to spend half of that post appeasing the people that would attack you for sharing your opinion. I agree. I love your blog. Thank you for the inspiration. I intend to paint kitchen cabinets and want to learn all I can about all methods available out there, you know learn from yours and others mistakes in the hope of cutting down some on making my own LOL!!
The only reason I will use chalk paint for some things is because I have come late to the game of all this furniture painting frenzy. My mother painted furniture when I was a little girl and I often wondered what was wrong with it in the first place.
Plus I am old and tired 76 and all that sanding and carrying on is just too much for me so I take the easy way out sometimes. But I just painted my kitchen with latex in a vibrant pink!
My house, my choice right? Thanks for this interesting article. Glad not every one in the world is in love with chalk paint. You go, Mary B!!!! Granny has taste! You are so right! I can always tell when a new company is making the rounds with the DIY bloggers and it makes me roll my eyes. So very true! I have been an amateur interior decorator for years for myself, family and special friends, and was aghast when chipped paint became The New Look; or ripped blue jeans were sold as chic; or hideous new concrete buildings awarded for their architectural design.
I could never have said it so eloquently, but I am SO with you on this!!!! I have quit reading a lot of blogs, because they are STUCK on this stuff and in my opinion, everything they paint looks like it came from the dump!! Thank you especially for this post!!! Blessings, J. As someone who enjoys chalk paint I was not at all offended or turned off by your post. I love reading your opinions and insights. In my home I do not have a single piece of distressed or chalk painted furniture.
BUT my clients love it, and I love using it. I do not care for Annie Sloan. I also love wax, but use poly for durability too. Love following your page, thanks for sharing your insight!! Great blog! Each has its special qualities and purpose. I use poly for a durable finish if I need it. Some pieces works well with the chalk and distressed, while others need a finer finish.
I also work with stains on my antiques that need preserved. I think people who like the distressed look often like primitive antiques.
I love taking a piece of furniture and turning it into an showstopper. I use chalk paint, as well as all other paint…. I love distressed and non distressed… Depends on the piece. I understand why…. Thank you!! I do not like it at all. I do not like taking a beautiful piece of furniture and painting it. So many gorgeous dining sets ruined. And all of the white on white blogs.
So done with that. None of my real life girlfriends have blog homes. They do not read blogs. They have homes that are true to what They love and homes that have been collected over the years. With this said. I am also tired or Pinterest. Everyone with fancy captions reinventing the wheel.
I think wow my grandma did that or my Mom. I am ranting now! Although quite a few of my favorite bloggers tout the wonders of ASCP and love to show what they can create with it, I always wonder, are these pieces actually being used for anything beyond a photo shoot? I need durability I can count on.
And no way could I bring myself to spend that much on it. Thanks Kristi, for all the info. I have been wondering about the chalk paint myself. So I am going to give it a try and see what the hoopla is all about.. I am an oddity I guess, I like the clean crisp look on most things like the style of your living room but a hint of distress on other things..
They are slightly distressed at the normal points of contact. I felt that I had to do it in order to NOT drive myself crazy when the kids did it accidentally and I started noticing dings in my new paint! No one should. Even if they disagree. And most people should understand that. I like your blog and I also follow Miss Mustard Seed…totally different style! That dresser you showed is exactly her style and what she posts about loving.
I love seeing what you are both up to and incorporating a little from both styles and making my own. Keep up the good work. It has truly been overdone and has lost all of its original context. I do love the what I think is authentic antique look you can get with milk paint, though.
I have an old colonial house that works really well with that style. But, like you said, everyone has their own style. As for the whole having to wax on top of all the work up to then…pass, thanks. Probably not. I have a can of un-tinted latex paint in a semi-gloss finish that will go on just fine as a clear coat and give it a lovely sheen.
I like the color, just not the dull finish. I am an absolute novice and am looking forward to painting over an old dresser my mom gave me. My 12 year old daughter lives the idea of chalk paint- but I need the durability to withstand kids. I really love the idea of going over it with a non tint clear latex paint for protection. Thanks for that idea! I use both kinds of paint—latex and chalk.
Not sure why I feel the need to defend it, i just love the product ;. I am cheap, trust me!. In the past, not so much now, I painted primarily chairs—oh the spindles! I do sand out dings and dents, which takes a few minutes compared to an hour plus sanding an entire piece. You do NOT have to have a shabby, distressed look.
You can get a modern, clean, smooth look easily, with no brush strokes. My 76 year old mother did this to her coffee table and end tables.
You do not have to use wax, although it gives it a lovely, smooth like butter finish. You can use any finish you would use over latex—polyacrylic by minwax, a clear spray, or just buffing the paint which is work. The wax does go a long way and is probably the cheapest way to go for sure—much cheaper than other clear coats. Chalkpaint has allowed me to paint pieces I woulkd have otherwise steered clear of because after a 2 minute wipe down with vinegar or mineral spirirts, the paint sticks beautifully.
For raw wood pieces I still love latex. Not everything has to be chippy. With a piece like that sure latex would work better. I suspect that this will do another medium sized dresser, and normal sized nightstand before the paint is totally gone.
We are talking 6 pieces of furniture here, with 2 coats of paint each. If I have an antique looking coffee table, that has ornate legs, I probably would stick to not distressing it, and letting the cuts in the wood speak for themselves.
However, if I have a nightstand that is plain and needs a little something, then I think distressing is perfect for that. Michelle, I think mostly because for MOST colors, but not all, you only need one coat or one and a half coats a light, watered down second coat. There are always exceptions of course, but it just covers way more than you think.
A good, high quality latex covers well too, but like chalk paint, is much more than a qt of paint at Walmart. No reason for me defend chalkpaint, no personal stake in it, I just love it for furniture. Can you paint over unwaxed chalk paint? Can it work as a primer? We have wooden windows and the grid portion has detail so we can on only lightly sand or we start losing detail and gets uneven. The first window we did 1 of 12 yellow still showed through.
It took us 4 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint to get to an acceptable white. I think perhaps its a combination of the old orangy stain and perhaps a smoker who lived in house a long time before we bought it. What kind of primer are you using? The cookie collects statistical information like how many times the video is displayed and what settings are used for playback.
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