an ebay bargain gets a makeover with Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan

I loved how my first Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan (TM) turned out (see the laundry basket make over here) and I was very excited to test the paint on a piece of furniture.  I needed clothes storage for the girls room at the cottage, on a budget of course, so I hunted down this lovely ebay bargain.  $57 for a cute dresser with ample drawer storage and a cute mirror as a bonus.  Now it's transformed into a gorgeous dresser which is one of the star's of the room.  With Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan (TM) it was easy.

It didn't start out lovely, it was a tired cream with gold handles and detailing on the mirror.  I was specifically looking for a piece with elaborate detailing to try and get the french provincial furniture look once the piece was finished.  

I chose to mix my own paint colour, equal portions of Old White and Paris Grey.  Paris Grey on its own was a little to dark.  The result is a perfect French grey, cool but not cold, slightly blue but still grey. This is the French grey I have been searching for for years, and wasted countless tester pots on.  I am thrilled with it.  

The paint went on like a dream.  The best thing about Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan (TM) is there is no prep, no sanding back or priming required.  You can get straight onto the fun stuff right away.  Two coats of paint was plenty and the whole piece was fully painted in an afternoon.  I used the Annie Sloan paint brush which is lovely and soft and really gets into the crevices of an old piece like this.  

Getting the distressed look on the drawer handles and mirror detail was also simple to do, see the lovely results below.  After I had painted each drawer I used a soft cloth to gently rub the paint on the handles away.  If I took off to much by mistake I just repainted and did the process again.  Honestly it was easy and the result is very professional.  I love the way the gold glints through the grey.

I finished the dresser with a few coats of clear wax to protect the paint and the furniture.  Don't skip the waxing, it doesn't take long and it definitely is the final step in lifting the project from home painted to professional finish.  I could not be more delighted with my $57 investment.

A word of warning, painting the drawers can make them stick as they pull in and out, it makes them just that little bit thicker than they were before.  To prevent this I sanded the drawer edges back a little before painting, it made them slide better anyway and was worth doing, won't take long with the electric sander.

I highly recommend you give these paints a try.  If you have a piece of furniture around the house that could use being reloved, pick up some Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan (TM) and give it a go.

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shared bedroom on a budget

We went to our little cottage in the country recently, and boy what a tired and dirty little house she is.  Every wall and ceiling was cracked, the painting prep took absolute ages and we went through tens of gap filler tubes.  But finally she is starting to look a little more loved.  The first room we finished was the girls room.  I love the idea of them sharing when we are away on holiday and I was inspired by gorgeous matching beds each with their own reading light.  

See the before below - in this picture the dirty green walls already have their first coat of paint, and that truly ugly pendant!

Everything in this little house is being done on a shoe string budget and this room is no exception.  The bedspreads are from Miss E's room (which is being updated to suit a teen), the curtains are from a long ago bedroom, the carpet was made by my Granny and has been with me for years.

The rest are strictly budget finds: 

• Ikea single beds bought on ebay and headboards upholstered.  With foam, plywood and fabric each bed makeover cost me around $50 and each bed cost only around $90.
• The dresser is a $57 ebay find which I repainted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paints (diy instructions still to come).  It is so pretty in its new soft grey colour and gives the girls plenty of space to pack away their clothes.
• The reading lights are Ikea Ranarp wall lamp at $30 each.  I love them above each bed and it means Miss E can read into the night without disturbing her smaller sister.
• The old velvet cushions I have had for years and updated with blanket stitch detail.

I love the finished product, pretty but not precious, with a lovely mixture of new and old, and best of all pretty easy on the pocket.

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Dipped basket diy with Annie Sloan chalk paint

So pleased with this quick and easy project with Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan (TM), instant gratification diy at its best.  I was sent a can of Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan (TM) chalk paint to try out, and decided to update Miss E's laundry basket with this years must have dipped look.  The paint absolutely lived up to its reputation, went on very easily with no preparation and only needed one coat and half an hour to dry before it was ready to go back in the bathroom.  
I have been wanting to buy a new laundry basket for this space for ages, its never been high on the priority list.  No need any more, I love the finished basket, and looks like I bought it in a high end homeware store.

To do yourself:

• Simply tape an old basket or vase with blue tape (low tac masking tape)
• Paint with Annie Sloan chalk paint, I used Old White
• Top tip: put basket upside down so that you can paint the base easily
• Ta da! You are done

Total time from inspiration to completion 1 hour

My lovely hubby made the incredible shelf mirror above the basin for me last week.  Its also painted with Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan (TM), then buffed with soft wax, giving it a lovely aged look.
A sprig of green vygie from my garden just finished it off.  Its now my favourite bathroom in the house.

This post was not sponsored, I was provided with Annie Sloan chalk paint to test out, but all opinions are as always my own.  Watch our for my next Annie Sloan make over which is taking a little longer but is going to be fabulous too.

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