I've discovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Last weekend I attended the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint workshop in Leesburg, Virginia. For those of you who are new to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, as I was just a few months ago, it's this very popular brand of paint used to give new life to furniture.

I discovered the paint while doing online research, as I was going to attempt my first furniture refinish job in over 10 years. That's right - year's ago I dabbled in refinishing old furniture. I'd go to auctions and buy old stuff, then strip it, and paint it. The only piece I still have today is this TV armoire. It was a hunter green piece from Ikea that lacked any character. So, I painted it black, decoupaged the door insets, and added new handles. I've always loved how it turned out and get tons of compliments from people who visit. But now that I know about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I might be tempted to refresh this baby! (If I could get it into the garage - it weighs a ton!)

Two months ago I decided to redo a filing cabinet. It was purchased from Home Decorators about 3 years ago and had lots of life left in her. Except it was black (like so much of my furniture purchased during the "black is mod and cool" phase). My new office is a white-wash oak. So, I figured I would strip this puppy and give it a wash. I wanted it to look like this piece I scored at HomeGoods.

Well, after hours of stripping, sanding and white-washing, here's how it turned out. I'm less than thrilled. Too much grey. It will go back to the drawing board and get the Annie Sloan treatment.

So, this experience of trial and error helped me find the light! I learned of the Annie Sloan American Tour in Leesburg, which just happens to be about a 30-minute drive from my home. I registered and the rest is history! Now I feel so much more confident about painting furniture. I've already started a sample piece, and will share that with you too in a post to come.

In my next post, I will show you what I discovered at the ASCP workshop!