Chalk-style paint gives furniture pizzazz

Giving an old piece of furniture a new life can be both satisfying and economical. Now that chalk-style paint is widely available in a range of colors and prices, the process also is easier than ever.

Chalk Paint was introduced by Annie Sloan in 1990, and her company trademarked the name. With a fine arts background, Sloan created Chalk Paint as a flexible, versatile and easy way to revitalize furniture — and other items. Not to be confused with chalkboard paint, all chalk-style paints (the generic term) have a chalky, velvety matte finish.

Chalk-style paint can be used on just about any surface. It requires little prep work: Cleaning with mineral spirits or TSP and a light sanding usually suffices. It can be applied with a brush or cloth, full strength or thinned a bit with water. It can be finished with a variety of top coats or waxes.

Iliana Clark is a local furniture restorer who often uses chalk-style paint in her business, Pretty in Paint. She finds pieces to transform at thrift stores, estate sales and resale shops.

“My friends know I am always looking for pieces to work on,” she says. “They will text me when they see a potential piece at the curb or in the alley.”

She started painting and restoring furniture several years ago as a hobby, working in the garage-turned-workshop in back of the house that she and her husband own in Bay View. Having left her job in sales, she finds that transforming furniture as a business gives her the flexibility she needs to also care for their two young sons.

“I try to do a piece a week,” she says. She sells the finished products on her Facebook page, through Facebook resale group listings and other social media.

“I like to give nasty old furniture a second chance,” she says, laughing.

She works with all types of paint, stain and top coats and has tried many brands of chalk-style paint. Her favorite is the General Finishes chalk brand, made in East Troy. It’s affordable, covers well and comes in 20 attractive colors.

Clark sometimes makes her own chalk-style paint, too. “It’s made of calcium carbonate, plaster of Paris, latex paint and water,” she says. “I found the recipe online.”

Pat Oberdries prefers Chalk Country brand paint and uses it on the pieces she paints and sells at The Chalk Studio, her shop at 16060 W. National Ave. in New Berlin (paintedfurnituremilwaukee.com). She and her daughter-in-law Dawn Schmeling, who is co-owner, also teach classes in chalk painting.

“There are many types of paint and many ways to use it,” she says. “Just like Annie Sloan paint, Chalk Country is clay/mineral based, which means it dries harder, distresses well and takes wax better. Two coats of paint, one coat of wax and you’re done.”

She became interested in chalk painting after taking a class about 10 years ago. That interest grew into her business. She estimates she has painted and sold about 1,200 pieces, with dressers, buffets and desks among the most popular pieces.

“We get most of our furniture one piece at a time, from auctions, estate sales, secondhand stores, Craigslist, and we have a few people that clean out homes when someone moves to assisted living and they watch for pieces for us,” she says. “My son, daughter and grandkids also are always on the lookout for pieces for us, so it’s sort of a family affair.”

She says finding good-quality pieces is a constant challenge.

“Where it used to be possible to find pieces for under $50, now we pay over $100 more often than not,” she says. She then prices the finished pieces from $200 to about $450 for ornate vintage pieces with fancy finishes.

She and Schmeling enjoy experimenting with different techniques and often blend their own colors. She also does custom work.

“It’s so versatile and easy to work with,” she says of chalk-style paint. “I’ve had hundreds of people take our classes and we enjoy sharing a few of our secrets with them. Then they take it from there and the sky is the limit.”

Furniture painting tips

Iliana Clark of Bay View offers some tips on getting the best results when painting furniture.

• Even though chalk-style paint doesn’t require lots of prep work, results are best if you at least clean the piece with mineral spirits to remove grease and grime. “That’s the minimum,” she says. “A light sanding helps, too.”
• To make a piece look its best, choose an appropriate color for the style and era. “That way the style and color work together and you won’t get sick of the piece.”
• The hardware you choose to complete the piece is important. “I find mine at thrift stores, hardware stores and craft shops,” she says. “Hardware provides a distinctive finishing touch.”
• Try different top coats and protective finishes. “I’ve used wax, varnish, polycrylic and polyurethane,” she says. “My favorites are varnish and polycrylic. Polyurethane tends to yellow on white and light colors and, to me, wax is the most difficult.”
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. “I’ve figured out how to do my own repairs, have combined staining and painting in the same piece and have mixed and blended my own colors,” she says. “Sometimes figuring it out the hard way leads to the best results.”

Iliana Clark can be reached through her Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/PrettyinPaint2/. She takes custom orders as well.

More about chalk-style paint

What makes chalk-style paint different? Founder Annie Sloan answered some questions (via email) about her specific product and the genre.

Q. Why is Chalk Paint so innovative?

A. It very rarely requires any preparation, such as priming, and can be used indoors or outside, on just about any surface — wood, metal, plastic, cement, bricks, etc. It’s easy and fun and makes amazing results accessible to everyone. We have 35 colors and more on the way.

Q. Are there varieties of finishes or top coats and how are they applied?

A. Because the paint is so versatile and because we have different waxes and brushes, you can create different textures and a variety of effects with the paint — from a more contemporary and smooth finish to a textured, aged look.

Q. Is it suitable for beginning do-it-yourselfers?

A. Yes, it was created for its ease of use. The best way to get comfortable is by experimenting and playing around with the paint.

Q. How is it applied?

A. There are endless options and techniques. It can be applied directly with a brush, watered down and with a cloth, or you can use your fingers if you don’t mind getting messy. It takes an hour or two to dry, depending on the temperature.

Q. Do you have other tips on how to apply it?

A. It depends what look you're going for. One of my signature techniques is what I call the “two-color distress.” This is where you paint on two different coordinated colors as first and second coats. Once they have dried, you remove areas of the paint using sandpaper.

I recommend “distressing” areas of the piece that would naturally wear and age to give an authentic look. You also can do this with just one color and sand back to reveal the original surface.

To learn more about Chalk Paint techniques, consider reading some of Sloan’s many books on decorative painting.