Distressed Pine Table using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint ArtisphereOnline

Distressed Pine Table

From Quick and Easy Paint Transformations

By Annie Sloan published by CICO Books

Photography by Christopher Drake

Go to www.chalkpaintusa.com to see if there are any available workshop dates.

USING TWO COLORS DISTRESSED

This is a simple, smooth piece of pine furniture and I felt it needed a quiet look so it could be used as a side table.

I decided on Old White and Versailles since these two colors are close in tone. My attitude to painting is to finish it quickly and get the job done, so don’t mess about with little brushes. Use as big a brush as you can cope with and don’t worry if the paint spreads wider than you think you want it to. When you distress pine, the unwanted color can be removed even if it does go back to the wood.

YOU WILL NEED

• Old White Chalk Paint

• 1-inch paintbrush for applying paint

• Versailles Chalk Paint

• Tin of clear wax

• 2-inch paintbrush for applying wax

• Cloth for removing excess wax

• Fine-grade sandpaper

Before

The table’s best features are its legs so I decided to give them more focus by highlighting parts of these and the table edging.

1 Old pine that has been stripped, like this piece of furniture, can be quite a dark yellow or even orange, so it will probably need at least two coats of a light colored paint. I chose to paint the whole table in Old White first, even the parts that will later be painted in Versailles.

2 The indented legs are the highlight of the table. Using a

1-inch wide brush, dab and pull the Versailles paint along the molding. Don’t load the brush up with too much paint or have it too runny, otherwise it will drip. In order to achieve an even finish it’s best to get the right amount of paint on each side of the leg, rather than try to do all four sides at once with the same paint load. Don’t worry if some paint goes on an area you want to remain white—the paint will not be thick so you can leave it and remove it later.

3 The edges of the table top are simple, and it’s tempting to use a really small brush on these narrow parts, but use a slightly larger one to speed things up.

4 Wax the table before smoothing and rubbing with sandpaper to remove some of the paint. I prefer to work by waxing a smallish but defined area, such as the edge of the table or the table top, rather than waxing the whole piece of furniture. After waxing, wipe the area with a cloth to remove any excess wax.

5 Sand the newly waxed area with a piece of fine sandpaper. Rub gently at first to see how much pressure is needed, then press harder in some areas to reveal some of the underlying wood. Although you may have decided how much to distress the piece before starting, this decision is tempered by the way the piece reacts to the paint, wax, and sandpaper. Initially I thought this would be a very lightly distressed piece, but as I worked it seemed more character would look better. Tantalizing glimpses of the wood show through in a few random areas, and the green is rubbed through to the white in places too.

TIP Start the painting with the table turned upside down. If

you paint it the right way up, then you will keep discovering

bits you have missed.

Although we began selling Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the United States in July 2010, Annie is officially launching her Chalk Paint line in the United States with a 16 day, 7-city tour where she will give her “How to Paint Furniture Workshops”, Demonstrations and Book Signings that will take her from New Orleans, Mississippi, Texas, California, North Carolina and finally to New Jersey where she will wrap up her tour with Patty Seaman of Classic Wall Finishes hosting her last two Workshops. Go to www.chalkpaintusa.com to see if there are any available spaces for the March 15^th or March 16^thWorkshop dates.