Painting over Mahogany by Janene Buchler

Posted on 11/10/2015 by Tricia

Lookie, lookie at what our customer Janene Buchler painted using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in the colors Old White and French Linen!

Janene Buchler The Purple Painted Lady AFTER Old White French Linen picmonkey

It is a 1950’s shield mirror dresser that she painted using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in the colors Old White and French Linen.

DESCRIPTION OF COLORS USED:

Old White is more of a soft cream color. There is the slightest hue of yellow in it. This “top hat” dresser below shows the color nicely. It does play well with almost every other color in Annie’s suite. But in case you want to read a post that describes Annie’s other “whites” and light colors comparing them to Old White, click HERE.

Old White dresser close up on top Craigslist

French Linen in a sophisticated color! To me it rivals a piece from Pottery Barn. It is a timeless & classic color. It is a taupe color with a bit of grey to it. When compared to a similar Chalk Paint® color, Coco. I describe Coco as being more of a warmer color…a light brown. Almost like a latte color. But French Linen is a slight cool color and it can appear grey in photos. For kitchen cabinets – depending on your counter tops – I love painting French Linen on the base and Old White on the upper cabinets!

If you want to read a post comparing French Linen to other “greys” in Annie’s suite, click HERE.

French Linen with both Clear and Dark Wax Sample Board

PREP:

Janene just used some water, but The Purple Painted Lady always recommends cleaning your piece using some Mineral Spirits and then doing, a clean water rinse. Janene also likes to take all the drawers out of their cavities and then vacuum inside the body and the drawers of the piece. She said she has found way too many spiders inside old pieces of furniture.

Janene Buchler The Purple Painted Lady BEFORE Old White French Linen

BLEED THRU / SHELLAC:

Janene began painting, but because the piece is Mahogany, she had a little bleed through that was only on the corners of the piece and the corners of each of the drawers. She easily remedied that by applying a coat of Zinsser Bullseye Shellac over the entire dresser. She already painted a coat of paint, but that is okay, since the shellac can go straight over the Chalk Paint®. To read more about Shellac, click HERE.

JANENE’S PAINTING TIP:
I use painters tape anywhere I don’t want paint to get. i.e. around the drawers any clean lines I want to create. Then I start painting the drawers then the body and then do a second coat on the drawers then body, then I lightly sand with a fine grit sanding block, wipe down the piece, then I (apply clear) wax.BRUSHES USED:

I use Annie Sloan paint brushes for painting. Click HERE to see brush options.

WAX BRUSH USED BY JANENE:

I use the ultimate waxing brush for waxing. I like the flat head of the brush better for waxing then the Annie Sloan waxing brush. When I wax I found that going in one direction/section at a time then wipe with a lint free rag gives you a smoother consistent finished look. I remove all of the residual wax with a lint free rag immediately after applying the wax)

Ultimate Wax Brush ruler The Purple Painted Lady

BUFFING:

I also leave the piece to sit for 24 or more hours then use the buffing brush to give it more shine.

AMOUNT OF PAINT USED ON THIS PROJECT:

The amount of paint I used for this project was about 1/4 maybe a little less of a quart of Old White and very little of the French Linen.

MAKE IT SPECIAL!:

Janene also likes to make her pieces unique and always goes that extra mile. For example- she lines her drawers with fabric. She lines the drawer after painting them but before she applies wax to them. She uses adhesive spray to attached the fabric and a utility knife to cut the fabric overhang.

Janene Buchler Lined drawers The Purple Painted Lady

HARDWARE:

The hardware on the piece was original and was dirty and gold so I cleaned the hardware with a vinegar bath then I spray painted them metallic black then a light coat of metallic pearl. Once dry they are the last thing I put on the piece.

Janene Buchler Close up Drawer The Purple Painted Lady

Personally, I think Janene did a fantastic job!!!!!

WANT TO WIN FREE STUFF?:

The Purple Painted Lady LOVES seeing “before & after” photos from her customers! And in fact- we always send a thank you gift if we use your images and story. So, please feel free to share your photos and a little write up by emailing them to Trish at takuntz@rochester.rr.com! Remember to include a few details of your project, any tips/tricks that you like to do that help you, or even something you learned through the process that another person could benefit from!

BUY PRODUCT FROM …..THE PURPLE PAINTED LADY™:

First- if you have a local stockist- go visit them and build a relationship with them. Go to them with your questions and project issues. BUT- if you do not have a local stockist- we invite you to try our customer service!

As for buying any of the products we mentioned earlier in this post- I hope that you select The Purple Painted Lady™ to be your one stop resource! We have two locations in western NY. Check out our Information tab and come and meet us! Otherwise- if you are not located near me- the following information may apply to you. This information is directed to those who do NOT have a local stockist. Because if you do – go and meet them, shop from them and build a relationship with them. The guidance, information and knowledge they share with you – will be invaluable. But, if you are in a location where there is no one selling paint products- and you must buy on-line- consider us. With that said, visit www.anniesloan.com to find a stockist near you.

We are here to help you, our customers! We want you to be successful! And, just so you know, when you place an order with The Purple Painted Lady:

SOME OF THE REASONS WE THINK OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS THE BEST:

* We sell Chalk Paint® for $34.95

* If you order before 3 pm EASTERN TIME any day Monday thru Friday – we will ship out your package that SAME day.

* We ship orders out every since week day all over the US.

* We offer the lowest flat rate UPS shipping cost so if you are one town away or 10 states away- the shipping cost is the same.

* We have awesome follow up customer service, too!

And- it is my paint sales that keep me in business and allow me to be here to help you. (my shameless but honest plug) Here is a link to our on-line shop=> http://shop.thepurplepaintedlady.com/

: ) And I will be here to help you as you progress through your future project! And if I do say so myself- we offer the BEST customer service that you will ever experience!Lastly- if I was helpful to you- ….please consider leaving a positive review on my Facebook business page sharing your positive experience or thoughts about The Purple Painted Lady. Here is a link to my Facebook page=> http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Purple-Painted-Lady/291882785710 This really helps me! (wink, wink!)
XO

Trish

The Purple Painted Lady™ ~ the serial no. is 86/641,416 with the US Trademark Office

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Painting a Harlequin / Diamond Top Piece

Posted on 11/05/2015 by Tricia

One of the best parts of creating my business The Purple Painted Lady, is seeing the proud faces of customers who accomplished a furniture transformation using Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan and how they are excited to share their experience.

In western NY, the popularity of a harlequin, striped or diamond pattern is strong. Some love a checkerboard too. Either way- both require a little pre-thought, planning and layout. I hope this post helps you if you are interested in trying a whimsical design. Below are a few photos of some pieces I did years ago.

And here is a lay out shown by Karen Meadows.

Karen is an artist and lives in Maine. She wrote me the nicest email with some photos, and I thought I would share them with you regarding this piece she completed with a black and white harlequin top.

“HOW TO” INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING A HARLEQUIN TOP:

Karen used Graphite, Pure White and Provence on this piece.

*** On a side note- HERE is a post to explains the differences in Annie’s “white” Chalk Paint®.

*** On a side note- HERE is a post that shows the difference between Provence and Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint®.

She referenced our post with HERE that is all about HOW TO CREATE A DIAMOND PATTERN TOP. It has detailed instructions on how to create this harlequin pattern also.

LETTER FROM KAREN:

I have recently turned my focus towards furniture and Annie Sloan paint and waxes from the Purple Painted Lady namely Trish!
The piece shown below was found in a garage sale. She said it was $20 and the challenge was on. Well… First challenge was to stuff said bureau into my beetle!

I cleaned it with a warm damp cloth. I fixed the drawer ‘ gliders and I was on my way. There is a picture when the Harlequin design penciled on and painters tape on the diamonds that I won’t paint. The easiest way I have found to paint a Harlequin design is to mark a large X from corners to corners. Then just draw lines parallel to those original lines, remembering the smaller the space between your parallel lines the smaller your diamonds. These diamonds are made with 3 inch spread.

At this point I have already remove the drawers and apply two coats of old white to the entire Bureau. The diamonds are painted with Annie Sloan old white and graphite. There are two coats. I found a small flat angled brush works best.

On the side I use painters tape for the stripes. The teal color is the Annie Sloan Provence. I love it!

On the hardware I used my dry stencil brush with a tiny bit of old white. Thank you for looking. I hope you enjoyed it as much as the new owner of the piece. XO Karen