The recipe I used came from How To Distress Furniture. I chose this site because I liked how they compared different ways of making chalk paint - and it looked like they knew what they were doing with it. I opted for the Plaster of Paris version:
1 cup latex paint
2.5 TBSP Plaster of Paris
For the paint, I purchased an 8 oz. sample of Behr flat interior paint from Home Depot for $2.94. The color is Behr S470-6 "Shipwreck", and it's very similar to Annie Sloan's Aubusson. I mixed everything in a quart Mason jar, and just used the paint right out of that.
I wasn't sure what to expect. Would that paint be lumpy? Would it be thick and difficult to apply? Would it dry quickly or take forever? Well, there was no reason to worry. The paint was smooth, with a consistency that really wasn't much different than before I added the plaster and water.
The nightstand I used was given to Lulu by my mom. I think she picked it up at a yard sale. I'm not sure if she spraypainted it white or if she bought it that way, but whoever did it, didn't do it well - plus there were dents, nicks, and flaking paint.
I decided not to prep the nightstand in any way other than to wipe it down to make sure it was clean, since that's what you're supposed to do with chalk paint. I felt my DIY chalk paint was easier to apply than regular Behr paint (which is my favorite paint) - and it dried very quickly. Within an hour, I was able to apply a second coat (I probably could've done it sooner, but I wanted to play it safe). Honestly, if I had been a little more generous with the first coat, I don't think a second coat would have been needed at all.
I decided not to prep the nightstand in any way other than to wipe it down to make sure it was clean, since that's what you're supposed to do with chalk paint. I felt my DIY chalk paint was easier to apply than regular Behr paint (which is my favorite paint) - and it dried very quickly. Within an hour, I was able to apply a second coat (I probably could've done it sooner, but I wanted to play it safe). Honestly, if I had been a little more generous with the first coat, I don't think a second coat would have been needed at all.
As you can see, the paint dries to a matte, almost chalky finish.
I had some paste wax left over from when I used a Venetian plaster technique on the first floor half bath, so I used that to wax the nightstand. Then I used sandpaper to rough-up the edges a little. This was my first attempt at "distressing" anything, so I admit that I was pretty timid with the sandpaper.
And this is the part "that almost didn't happen". I hated it. I was so disappointed. I thought it was going to be this pretty project that I would love and want to do over and over again. Not so much. So I left it in the garage for several weeks.
Then, a few days ago, Gus asked me what I wanted to do with the nightstand. I was still pretty disgusted with it, so I told him he could just sand it and repaint it. Since it's so cold in the garage, he did the sanding in the garage, and then brought it up to the guest bathroom on the second floor so he could paint it where it was warm.
But before he could paint it, I took one look at it and fell in love! Apparently, Gus has the knack for just the right amount of sanding to make it look good. He had no clue what he was doing - was just sanding it to prep it for paint - and it looked awesome!! I wiped it down, put a little more wax on it, and now it's on display in the guest bedroom.
Gus is now in charge of all sanding. Except for patching walls. He sucks at that. :-)
What do you think? Have you tried chalk paint yet? Did you make your own? How did it turn out?
What do you think? Have you tried chalk paint yet? Did you make your own? How did it turn out?
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