Primer Red Chalk Paint® Kitchen Cabinets

We were recently hired to paint some outdated, blonde wood cabinets.  The homeowners replaced their countertops with granite and decided to have their cabinets painted, rather than replaced with new.

The kitchen looked drab before and needed to be refreshed.  

Our clients chose Primer Red Chalk Paint® for the cabinets, which added a vibrant warmth to the, once dull kitchen.  We sealed the Chalk Paint® with a coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

The homeowners decided to have us paint the wall adjoining the countertop because they could not find a backsplash they liked and they wanted to keep it simple. 

We painted the backsplash and the wall above the cabinets with a custom mix of half Chateau Grey and half Old White Chalk Paint®. The pretty, pale green is a nice contrast against the Primer Red and both colors enliven the kitchen.

This home is in the forest and, despite the skylights, tends to be a little dark.  To counteract this, I recommended that they find a window and have it made into a mirror for above the sink.  They found the perfect size, old window on ebay. Besides reflecting light into the space, the mirror also allows them to see the outside, through the reflection of the doors on the opposite wall, while they do the dishes.

The Painted Sofa

Nancy and I just painted the upholstery on this gorgeous chesterfield sofa in the same home that we transformed a dining set, that you can see here.  Our clients recently purchsed this brand new, home and decided to reuse the furniture they had, so they hired us to make their pieces fit in their stylish, new space.

The shape and tufting of this chesterfield sofa are lovely and we were happy that they wanted to salvage it, rather than purchase a new couch.  

The microfiber upholstery was well-worn and stained from years of use by three small children.

The beige upholstery looked drab against the pale grey walls and they wanted a richer color.  We mixed Primer Red, Graphite, and Florence Chalk Paint® together to create this deep plum hue. 

The key to painting upholstery with Chalk Paint® is to first, mist the fabric lighty with water. It also helps to thin the paint with water before applying it and letting it dry thoroughly between coats. This ensures that you get even coverage that will soak into the fabric itself and not the material below it.  Thinning the paint with water also prevents thick coats that dry crusty.  

It took us at least three watered-down coats of paint to get this perfect coverage.  This is what the sofa looked like after the paint and before we applied the wax.

Annie Sloan's Clear Wax really gave the upholstery a polished look and deepened the color.

The fabric now has the look and feel of a soft, supple leather.

This chesterfield looks luscious in the new, deep, chocolate-purple color.  It is the perfect complement against the cocoa-colored hardwood floors and the pale, grey walls.

Check back next week to see their daughters' bedroom transformations!

Chalk Painted Madonna

Chalk Paint is not just for furniture.  I forget this sometimes because I am always painting away trying to get through my ever-multiplying container of furniture.  It was refreshing to take a little time to relax and work on something small again.

I found this ceramic, Madonna statue at a local antique shop for a great price.  I wanted to make it look like an antique, wooden statue with an aged patina.

I brought out several cans of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, sat at one of our dining tables at Loot, and started painting my Madonna statue.

I painted her garments Old White and Graphite and chose Country Gray for her skin tone.  Her hair is Coco, of course, and I painted her tiny cheeks with Scandinavian Pink. The base is Primer Red and last, but not least, she has lovely, Louis Blue eyelids.

After the paints dried, I applied clear and dark wax which helped add the aged patina.

The Chalk Paint really transformed this lifeless Madonna statue.  I think she is beautiful now with her old world colors and a little bit of Chalk Paint makeup :)  

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