This cute little entry bench was slated to be an aqua blue, but as I looked at the photos of the interior of the clients home, which was tastefully decorated in taupes, creams, and aquas, it was the rusty orange accent pillows that caught my eye. After making the suggestion that the piece match those pillows, we headed to the studio and came up with this lovely warm hue! A fine example of the limitless color you can achieve with Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan! Colors used to achieve this rusty orange were Primer Red, Barcelona Orange, and Scandinavian Pink! 

I figured since the distressed little yellow table went so well, I'd take it a step further and not only age with distressing, I'd hit the piece with some dark wax! Scary undiscovered country! Once again, prep was a non-issue! Lather, rinse, repeat! Ok, not much lather to vinegar, but you catch my drift! So the table was a gorgeous little curvy antique made of mahogany that was assembled with standard screws. It got 2 coats of ASCP Old White that was distressed before applying a Clear Wax seal. (Just a little note... This is the same quart of paint I started with a tall table and 2 nightstands ago. (ASCP goes a LONG way! So when you think you're spending an awful lot of money on such a tiny can of paint just remember, you'll be getting a lot of bang for your buck!) So once the clear wax was wiped off sufficiently, I went straight into applying the dark wax! Dark wax was intimidating at first. I knew I wanted to put it in the nooks and crannies, but I also knew that I couldn't antique just parts of it. With the fresh coat of clear wax, you have a lot of control with just how much antiquing you'd like on your piece. I think this turned out just right! (From May, 2104)

The clean lines of this little vintage sewing cabinet were just begging for something new and exiting, and I was all about finding some new color! I mixed up a rich deep navy with Napoleonic Blue and Graphite Chalk Paint® by @Annie Sloan, and the bright coral was concocted with Barcelona Orange, Scandinavian Pink, Emperor's Silk, and Old White! I added Pure White into the chevron pattern on the top and also a bit on the front for a fresh modern look!!

This was the 4th piece I did! "OK! Time to broaden my horizon! I've never really been into distressed or "Shabby Chic" furniture or decor, but it was time to see how the other half live. I got this side table on the FB yard sale site. It was your typical stained wood table, but I love the curvy legs! I was definitely ready for color! After much contemplation, I picked up 2 new quarts! For this project, I chose ASCP Arles which is a wonderful golden yellow! I got 2 coats on and took the table and my trusty sanding block out front and started knocking paint off. Now, I have very strong feelings about distressing. I guess we all have our own opinion on what looks good. For me, if the distressed area does not get bumped or rubbed against on a day to day basis, it has no business losing paint in that area, does it? Not in my opinion! So I hit the areas I thought would take the most wear and tear over time! The chunky parts of her legs and feet, and the edges. I also marred a few strategic spots on top because you simply can't have distressing everywhere but the top! That just doesn't make sense! "
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The granddaughter of a client of mine took notice of my ratty little commissions binder when she and her grandmother came in to arrange for a very unique restyle on an armoire I had available in the shop. Today when my client arrived to finalize the design, she brought me a very special gift! Thank you Mykenzy SO much for this thoughtful gift!! Inside was a lovely card, and a copy of "The Butterfly Effect" by Andy Andrews which undoubtably will remain a part of the shop from here on out!! Stay tuned for this remarkable armoire!! grin emoticon

This was one tall cool table! I bought this on one of the local FB yard sale sites. When I got this piece, it had a different top. It was one of those tile tops, and it seemed too wide, and out of proportion for those lovely long legs! So I jumped online and found a nice piece of butcher block and screwed it in place. The 1.5" thickness and 11" length and width were perfect! I went for the ASCP Old White, and covered the entire table with it and sealed with clear wax. BORRRRRRING!!! I wasn't feeling it, so I opened the Graphite and painted the butcher block top. It's exactly what it needed! Except a little plant to doll it up! 

Last week was all about the small tables, and I really love this way this one came out! I was given this tiered pie crust by a friend. I did have to repair a small section of "crust" on the lower tier, but aside from that, it was in pretty good shape. The colors I chose for this project are Aubusson Blue and Country Grey. The legs, stem, and crusts are in Aubusson Blue, and the table tops and a few details are in Country Grey. I sealed the table with Annie Sloan Clear wax, and antiqued as well as did the stencil work on the top tier with Dark Wax.