Monday, January 27, 2014

Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint



I am so excited to share a new paint line with you today!  I am also going to include a step by step tutorial on how I painted the Sweet Coral Dipped Chest with these fun paint products.


The new Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint is currently available online at Home Depot and will be coming to the stores soon. You can have it shipped straight to your front door, or have it delivered to your local Home Depot and pick it up to avoid shipping charges! 
Be sure to visit the DecoArt Chalky Finish website for more information.
I started with this beautiful antique chest of drawers.  It was in great condition considering how old it is and had all the original hardware in tact.

There is no prep work needed when using Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint.  No sanding...no priming!   Just start PAINTING!  How awesome is that?!

If you have ever painted a piece of furniture and had old stain or knotty wood bleed through, you know how frustrating it can be.  That is why the Stain Blocker Sealer product is a dream come true.  This is not a necessary step for most furniture you paint, but there were some places on this old chest that I knew would probably bleed through.  Just brush some of this sealer on (follow drying and curing times on bottle) and then you are good to go.


I decided to mix 2 colors together to get the right shade of gray.  Yesteryear & Relic are both stunning colors on their own, but mixing them gave me just the right shade.  You can mix any of the Americana Decor Chalky Paint colors together.  I use really sophisticated supplies to mix the paint... a plastic food container and some straws that happened to be laying close by. :)


I like to add a tiny bit of water to my paint (give or take a tablespoon) to thin it out a little.  Then I apply thin coats of paint with a good quality brush.  This helps to avoid paint stroke lines and gives a more professional appearance.  This paint covers great and I got it done in 2 quick coats!


I wanted to highlight some of the details of this piece and thought my hand was steady enough to paint the intricate places...I was wrong! :)  I was using a tiny little paintbrush but still could not get the detail work to look clean and nice.  Then I discovered a method that was much easier and actually worked. 

1.  Slop the white paint  (Chalky Finish in Lace) into the recessed areas and wait about 1 minute...NO LONGER!  Trust me. 

2.  Take a wet rag and wipe over the area using some gentle pressure.  

The excess paint will wipe away, but it will stay in the recessed parts. AHHHHH...so much easier.

I thought the legs of the chest would look cute with a POP of color.  I used some Frog Tape to tape off the legs. There is no other tape in my book, FROG TAPE is hands down the BEST! I decided to use the color SMITTEN for the POP.  Oh how I LOVE this sweet color.


I let the paint dry on everything, which does not take long at all.  I lightly distressed the edges and certain areas with a fine grit sanding sponge and cleaned all the dust off.  I use my leaf blower to blow all the dust off because I am classy like that.  Remember the straws I mixed my paint with?  Classy.



Now we are ready for the final step to make her all smooth and shiny!  The Americana Decor Creme Wax is amazing.  It is more of a liquid and very easy to apply with the waxing brush.

Once the wax is dry, you will want to buff it to a shine of your choice.  The more you buff...the shinier it will be.  I usually use a lint free dish rag to buff and I hate every second of it.   But that was before I discovered this LIFE CHANGING tool!  I will be sharing it with you in the very near future.  Promise.

Here she is!  All finished and lookin good.  Now go get some Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint and let me know what you think.






11 comments:

Amanda said...

How does it compare to Annie Sloan? And is it cheaper?

Funky Junk said...

Amanda - this is a similar product to Annie Sloan. I love Annie Sloan and will still use it from time to time, along with other paint brands. Each brand offers something different with finishes and colors. It just depends on the piece you are painting and the final look and color you want to achieve. Americana Decor is a little less expensive and offers some unique and trendy colors. The wax for Annie Sloan and Americana Decor are completely different. Annie Sloan is more of a solid and A.D. is a liquid. Both are equally fabulous. :)

Anonymous said...

Is the Carbon color a true Black? The Annie Sloan graphite color is a bit grayish... thanks!!!
Jen

Funky Junk said...

The Carbon color is a very true black. If you check out the black buffet dresser I posted on Jan 31st, you can see the results of Americana Decor in Carbon.

Home decorating guide said...

post is the best,,I liked

Unknown said...

Completely off this topic but....have you ever painted glass? I am wanting to paint "amber color" inside a liquor bottle but I dont know what to use.

Unknown said...

Do you have to use wax after you paint

Allison said...

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jade said...

Some chairs feature painted desert scenes on the backrest, which can add flare to your Mexican decor. Others might be a solid color - blue, orange, demir leather

Eugene A. Price said...

it's important that you understand how leather is prepared and finished. Most aniline leather furniture consists of wrinkles, giving it a more natural look; no other dyes or finishes are applied to aniline leather except for aniline dye. Buyers beware: Manufacturers will sometimes put wrinkles in leather to give it a distinct and unique appearance, when it has actually undergone extensive processing. Some leather furniture is coated--- to Know more details go to this link http://www.demirleather.com/

Crafty Christy said...

Quick question... I chalk painted (2 coats) on a trunk and then did the clear wax. It looks "smeared" in some places. I think I need to reprint, at least the top. Can I paint over the Americana Decor clear wax?