My First Experience with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

But definitely not my last. I love this stuff. I have read about it quite a bit over the last year, especially on blogs like Savvy Southern Style and Miss Mustard Seed. I love those blogs!

But when it comes to decorating, I’m a big weenie. So I had a few qualms about painting the hutch at our cabin. What if it looks terrible? What if I hate it? I’m painting over stained wood here – there’s no going back once that first stroke is made.

Pulls and knobs removed.

Regardless of my fears, I decided to tackle the hutch this summer, after years of thinking about it. Armed with ASCP in Old White and a tin of her soft wax in clear (oh, and a paint brush), I went to work.

First I wiped down the entire piece with a damp cloth and let it dry. Then I removed all the knobs and drawer pulls. I left all the doors on and simply painted over the hinges. For a seamless look, you know. Also, I didn’t want to deal with removing doors and hinges. I can be lazy that way.

ASCP’s wonderful formulation allows you to skip all prep work. No sanding or priming was necessary. However, my project did require two coats, and I ran out of paint before I completely finished. There are only three ASCP stockists in Maine, and I don't have time to visit one of them. So I'll just bring paint with me next summer to finish up!

One coat.

After the paint was to my liking, I went over the entire piece with the soft wax and an old t-shirt, buffing it to a nice, smooth shine. I also washed and painted the drawer pulls and knobs. Miss Priss was drawn to Rust-Oleum’s Hammered spray paint in dark bronze. One coat of that did the trick.

Soft Wax in Clear.

Hammered, in dark bronze.

I’m excited about how it turned out. Now my Fiestaware and other colored plates really stand out against the white so much better than they did the dark stained wood. Note the two ceramic knobs on the doors. My sister gave me those years ago. They are hand painted and feature lighthouses.

Yay!

In fact, I’ve decided to use ASCP on the kitchen cabinets in our new house. But for that project, I think I’ll use a dark glaze or dark wax to really bring out the details and give a nice, antique look to the cabinets. So look for more details on the cabinets later this fall!