Annie Sloan Paints FLORENCE

arrived on my doorstep yesterday...

late in the day, in fact

and yet here is a finished project...or TWO!

Needless to say,

I couldn't dip into it fast enough!

The table top was TRASHED...

so dark and gunky,

you couldn't even see the beautiful pattern

The marquetry kept me from painting over it

and boy am I glad I didn't!

Just look at that gorgeous detailing!

I won't say it was easy...

just that it was worth it

What color could possibly hold it's own against 

that glorious table top?

Florence, of course!

Florence is a pretty spectacular color

and I wanted a bit more impact for the table

Viola, a mirror!

Heavily detailed

lots of dark wax

Yum. Just yum. 

I envision this loveliness

in a foyer or hall...

perhaps tucked into an underused nook...

Wherever it ends up, it will certainly steal the show!
Available in our Etsy shop

Seeing Stars

Another piece from the Americana Collection

inspired by relaxed country living and

 American farmhouse style

 I've been wanting to do a piece using

Annie Sloan's Emperors Silk

and was inspired by the upcoming

Independence Day holiday...

 I wanted to avoid anything with too much of a "theme"

as I tend to tire of those pieces quickly

in my own home

but I loved the idea of a little hidden "something"

to make a special piece even more so...

 The red is so deep and rich...

I only used dark wax on this piece...

right over the paint...

(if you're going to try this, I encourage you to test first!)

 When we purchased this piece, it had issues.

many, many issues...

 now, the repairs all seem worth every second they took...

Wondering about that gorgeous navy blue 

on the drawers?

I custom mixed that color using Annie Sloan Paint

(click the link to find your local stockist)

Curious about mixing colors?

Miss Annie has a charming blog

all about color theory...

This piece is available in our Etsy Shop

Craqueleur and Gilding Wax

ASCP, Craqueleur, and Gilding Wax, OH MY!

I decided to try a few new things this week
slightly thickening my paint
Gilding Wax
and Craqueleur

Because I am lazy
I decided to do all three
on one piece...

Something very Old World
and European...
oh, who am I kidding...
Old World and FRENCH!

(these open door pics always
remind me of a flasher...!)
To thicken the paint
we just left the top off for about 45 minutes
(we only thickened the white...)

The Craqueleur was very easy to use...
just wait for your paint to dry
brush on #1 in an even coat

Allow #1 to dry, then brush on #2
As you can see, I used random strokes
and I went heavier in some places
lighter in others

Although you could use a dryer
or heat gun on low
Because we live in Florida
and it's hot
I opted to simply let them dry outside
in the sunshine...

The Craqueleur acts as a barrier
for the dark wax
so there is no need to clear wax
areas that have the Craqueleur applied

The gilding wax is also so easy...
just brush or rub it on.
That's it.
So simple.
It's the consistency of soft butter
and spreads just as easily

We're quite pleased with the outcome
of this little experiment...
we hope you enjoy it, as well!

You can find these products
on Annie Sloan's site
or contact your local ASCP retailer!

Ochre.

A large amount of furniture
passes through my hands
and usually I admire, revamp, and move on...

Sometimes, it's hard...
like this piece, for example

I'm a sucker for anything
made by White Brothers
as the quality and detail
is always fabulous

And then, I go and paint it
EXACTLY
the way I would paint if
it it were for
ME

In the lovely Old Ochre
with a mottled wax technique
that makes it look
really old
and worn
and charming distressing
sigh...

did I mention
my dining room chairs
are Ochre?

Laminate Cabinets and ASCP

I've had these hideous cabinets
in my "Master" bathroom
since we moved into our house
11 years ago

But they are actually c. 1971,
when the house was built
considering their age
and the fact that they are
crappy laminate
they've held up pretty well...

One day, about 9 years ago, we got creative
and did a tile mosaic on the countertop
I can't say that I love it...
but I know this whole unit is coming out,
and an antique dresser is going in
with a vessel sink

so I had this great idea...
How would Chalk Paint hold up
on laminate?
and not just ANY laminate
OLD laminate
IN A BATHROOM

My bathroom is mostly shades of cafe au lait
also known, in less creative circles
as tan...dark tan, light tan, creamy tan
you get the idea

This PB shower curtain is really the only color
so I mixed up a custom color to bring out the blue..
it's a lovely color

and I might even repaint the
eventual dresser replacement
in the same shade
(maybe I should have written down what I mixed!)

Anyway, it goes against everything I know
not to sand these, prime then, and seal them with poly
but I need to know how it will hold up
with a family using them daily

wish me luck!
The paint is drying as I type...
two coats...wax is up next!

Let Them Eat CAKE

I finally finished the pink dresser...
I feared it would be too "frou frou"
in pink and white...

So I distressed with a heavy hand
and also went heavy with the dark wax

Don't you love the crackle along the edge
with a bit of pink showing through?

The hardware is original
Painting it seemed too "precious"
and I think the patina on the metal
is a nice contradiction
to the girly choice of color

It's such a pretty, curvy dresser...
I had a VERY hard time not painting
Grey or Coco...
I even considered white...

I sanded the top to bare wood
and stained it dark, rich brown

I swear, she's smiling!

Time is NOT on my side!

We've been working on the loveliest dresser...
I wanted a slightly cartoonish feel...
like Tim Burton designed it

I decided I wanted a phrase,
in French, across the top...

My husband, being Type A,
dragged out the overhead
and painstakingly traced the words
on the dresser

He then started painting...
he got through only two words
before I noticed he had the dresser on its' back
and was painting the words as you'd read them
while the dresser was on it's back

which, unfortunately,
is upside down and backwards
when the dresser is right-side-up!

I am lobbying to just hand paint the words myself...
I think I might actually win this one!

I SHUTTER to think...

These poor little shutters...
well, as my husband pointed out,
they aren't shutters,
"those are saloon doors, you know that, right?"

Irrelevant, say I.
They were coated in icky latex

I scraped and stripped and scrubbed...

Then I washed them in a custom mixed ASCP color

I didn't have a plan for them,
and I was just sorta playing around
with different techniques

But they add a nice little bit of texture
and color to our space at
Summer House Marketplace