CHALK PAINTED MIRROR "ART NOUVEAU LOOK"

We have had a white and gold, large oval mirror for a number of years, it came from Bob's mum.  It's been in the back of my mind for years to give it some colour.  This was so easy!  It literally only took a few minutes with little drying time.  And I LOVE it!

You can see the original finish, I'm using Annie Sloan's "Antibes" in a thin wash over the top of the original finish.  No prep except to dust it off!

Yes I had a moment!  But I knew I could change it up if this turned out bad :)

On goes the "Dark" wax (Annie Sloan) with my wax brush barely moist with paint thinner, I call this a wax wash.  It is so easy to take this down with a soft cloth and repeat until you get the look that speaks to you!

I rubbed and buffed the wax wash and it was finished.  I'm tickled with the outcome!  The colours and textures bring to mind "Art Nouveau".

"BEACHY LOOK" CHALK PAINTED VINTAGE LINGERIE CHEST

Bob pulled this little lingerie chest out of his stash, he thought it might be useful for me to store my beading and jewelry supplies in.  Perfect!  I was really excited about this little treasure.  Vintage mid-thirties to mid-forties, finely crafted of limed oak veneer with bent cedar constructed drawers.  There are several Canada Cabinets and Furniture labels and a Wilson Furnishings stamp all which I have left.

Character building traits included a few stains on the stop, some small nibbles into the edges of the veneer and several nail holes (?),  A perfect candidate for a chalk painted finish.  I've developed my own technique for this finish, after taking a class using Annie Sloan products at The Attic Door Vintiques in Centralia WA.  I have tried a few other products but have stuck with the Annie Sloan lines.  Minimal prep, minimal drying time - my kind of furniture revival!

To create the "beachy" look I wanted, I used "Cream" for the base, "Provence" for the wash on top of that and a "Dark" wax wash for the final finish.

  

Other than a quick wipe down for dust there is no other prep!  One coat of  "Cream" done with a moist but not dripping brush.  Go over it with a bit more water until you are happy with the look.  It is worth investing in the brushes both for paint and wax, it takes a lot less time and you will be happier with the results.

The second wash, using the same moist brush technique, in "Provence" has been done on top of the "Cream" wash.  I waited 30 minutes between the first two washes.  For the "Dark" wax wash I dip a wax brush into a bit of paint thinner, tamp most of that out with a soft cloth and pick up some of the wax.  Brush onto the surface and wipe back with a dry soft cloth.  I could have "Clear" waxed over the first two steps and that would have been fine but I wanted a more beach worn look.  The paint thinner creates a bit more texture in the layers, not a crackle exactly but more like fine wrinkles.  As with all of the washes it is easy to repeat the steps until the result is as light, dark or grainy as you want.

A peek at the drawers, which I am in love with!  I nourished the cedar with "Feed-N-Wax" by Howard.  Love that stuff and use it on everything :)