My New Obsession: Annie Sloan® Graphite

I have a new color obsession to share with you- Annie Sloan®'s Graphite. Any fans of PrettyDistressed™ know I love me some Old White, Paris Grey, French Linen and an occasional Duck Egg Blue in her Chalk Paint™ line. In the past, I have shied away from using Graphite. It is the darkest color in the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® pallet, and I had heard it can be tricky to work with. But let me tell you now that I have used it, I am dying to paint something in my house with this color. It's so rich and unique. Then once you put the wax on, it comes to life!

I am so grateful for my clients, and the way they push me out of my comfort zone. She selected Graphite for this dresser I was refinishing for her son's room. She has an amazing old century home and has a lot of antique brass throughout the home, so we knew we wanted to do a brass cup pull on the dresser. I selected the Martha Stewart Bedford Brass Canopy Cup Pull from HomeDepot.com. Graphite is really the ultimate complement to the antique brass. The cool thing about it is it's not a true black but more of a slate like a chalkboard.

My client only wanted mild distressing, so I went with a different technique than I usually use. Instead of making big brush strokes in every direction, I kept my strokes smooth and in one direction. I did two coats and really covered the wood. Then I took a 400 grit sandpaper and smoothed the entire piece down. This technique exposed just a smidge of the original finish on the edges of the drawers and corners. I finished it off with Annie Sloan clear wax.

I am really excited about working with Graphite more. I need it in my house somewhere! Trust me, you have to check it out for yourself. I've got some more projects in cue right now and can't wait to share more reveals with you soon. Happy painting!