Repainted Storage Console + Annie Sloan Brush Review
My obsession with garage sale shopping began about two years ago when my husband and I moved into our house. We previously lived in a one-bedroom apartment and didn’t own much furniture, so I had to get creative in order to decorate on a budget. I’ve enjoyed most of this process – searching out vintage shops, finding unique pieces that cost next to nothing and turning “junk” into something beautiful. The downside, however, comes when I have a decorating vision but can’t (immediately) find a wallet-friendly way to carry it out.
This part of the process continues to teach me patience. I’ve been working on my living room one piece at a time for quite a while, and I’ve begrudgingly learned the secret to decorating on a budget: being patient.
Not everything in my house needs to be done yesterday. As I’ve practiced patience, I’ve noticed that what actually does end up in my house is more cost effective, unique and generally something I’m truly proud of. I’ve perused quite a few sales and walked away from items that weren’t the right price, but eventually the waiting paid off.
The most recent addition to my living room is this storage console that I found at a garage sale for $10. Yup, $10. It’s pretty heavy-duty and sturdy, and judging by how much trouble I had moving it, it’s not going anywhere for a while.
Using Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan, I painted the outside of this console in Old White. I didn’t even bother to remove the hardware – I simply painted right over it. I also didn’t sand or prime, which is one of the best things about using Chalk Paint®. The paint adheres to almost any surface, and sanding and priming isn’t necessary. The only thing you should do is wipe off any dust and dirt before you get started…although, true confession, I didn’t even do that for this piece.
For the inside, I blended 1 part English Yellow with 1 part Olive to create an avocado color that works really well with the rest of the furniture I have in my living room. As I painted the sides where the white and avocado colors met, I used masking tape to create a clean edge.
After the paint dried (which only takes about 15-20 minutes), I finished both the inside and outside with Clear Wax. I then sanded a few spots to distress it and rubbed a little more wax over those sanded parts for extra protection.
To see these steps in action, check out
Annie Sloan Brush Review
This was the first time I painted with a brush from Annie Sloan, and I will definitely be using it for all of my furniture painting from here on. The round shape makes it easy to paint the nooks and crannies of a piece like the one in this post. The brush also holds more paint than the one I had been using and the bristles spread out really well, allowing for more coverage with each stroke. Basically, all that adds up to the paint process going much faster than when I had used my old brush.
If you’re only going to be painting furniture once in a blue moon, a regular paintbrush works just fine. However, if you’ve got a few projects lined up or plan to make this into a regular hobby, it’s worth investing in one or two of these brushes – one for paint and one for wax. (If you’re going to be painting even more or doing this as a business, I’d suggest having a separate brush for Clear Wax and one for Dark Wax.)
These brushes are clearly designed to work really well with Chalk Paint®. The paint goes on smoothly and evenly, and in my opinion, it makes furniture painting easier and faster.
To purchase Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan, check out their list of retailers and stockists in your area. Have questions about Annie Sloan products? Visit Annie Sloan Unfolded, check out their FAQs page or ask me in the comments below!
The Chalk Paint® and brush featured in this post were provided for me by Annie Sloan. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own. When I feature products, I thoroughly test them and only post about those items I really love.
