Creating Custom Color with Americana® Decor™Chalky Finish Paint

Sometimes it's hard to find just the right shade for your project. Today, I will be talking about mixing a custom color as well as showing you a new paint, Americana® Decor™ Chalky Finish. This paint requires no stripping or prepping just like other furniture paints I have used before on Pretty Distressed. You can paint right over your existing finish. The most exciting thing about this paint is that it is really easy to find. It is sold on Amazon.com as well as in your local Hobby Lobby and other craft and hardware stores.

Right now, I am in the thick of finishing up my gender neutral nursery before baby arrives in the upcoming month. I am reusing and repurposing most of the items I had for my daughter's nursery to save some money. This little nightstand is the perfect companion to sit next to my oversized plush rocker. I will be spending lots of time in this thing day and night, so it is a must to have a nightstand to hold my water and Amazon Kindle Fire for late night binge watching while I feed baby. Downton Abbey got me through my last baby.

A couple of years back, my mother refinished this sweet little nightstand we found at Target with some spray paint and acrylic paint when I had my daughter. With the pink highlights, I knew this needed a makeover for my little foxes nursery. It is hard to paint something that has nothing wrong with it, but it is also nice to save the cash by repurposing it and not having to buy brand new. This little project only cost me about $20 in paint, and I have a lot left over for future projects.

Duck Egg Blue Love

It's my favorite kind of day here at Pretty Distressed- a reveal day. I recently got to refinish this roll top desk and was totally grateful that my client let me come shoot it in her home.

I have been wanting to refinish a desk for a long time, and I literally jumped for joy when she selected Duck Egg Blue (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®) as her color. I have done accent pieces in this color all over my house, but have never been brave enough to paint an entire piece with it. I used Old White on the back of the desk to provide a little contrast and didn't wax it so it has a nice chalky look. The hardware was also painted with Old White and finished with Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

Modern Chairs to Aged Beauties

This week I finished up a set of chairs to go with my recent antique kitchen table I completed for a client. Another great thing about painting furniture is that you don't have to have a complete matching dining or kitchen set. These chairs are originally from Pier 1 Imports and had a black finish with red distressing coming through. I painted them with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Coco to match the table.

Chalk Paint® Quick Tip - Painting a Decorative Leg

I have had a very busy weekend. After a long break from painting, I now have three client pieces sitting in my workshop, aka my garage. So, I will have lots of reveals coming down the pike soon, and it feels so good to be painting again!

One of these pieces is an antique table with some great detailed carving on the apron and legs that I am painting in Coco. I was inspired to pick up the camera and show all of you how I paint a piece with beautiful detail like this when I am using Chalk Paint®. This stuff is so amazing with detail, but there is a little trick for making the it really stand out.

If you are new to painting, I have some more in depth tutorial videos for working with Chalk Paint decorative paint by Annie Sloan. I am hoping to do some more of these "quick tips" as I get inspired. If there is anything you would like me to cover, leave a comment below or shoot me a note. Happy Painting!

Using a Polycrylic Sealer with Chalk Paint®

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Update: I recently filmed a video comparing wax and General Finishes High Performance Top Coat that is comparable to Polycrylic. Check it out. 

I have another client reveal to share with you today. This is the second job I have completed for her, and again she brought me a gorgeous family heirloom. She grew up eating at this table. Now, she gets to gather around it with her own little ones and make some new memories.

Like I mentioned, this table has already lived a long life. So, the top was pretty beat up, and its finish was peeling in spots. Normally, I don't sand before painting, but I wanted the paint to go on smoothly since I was using white and it is a table top. I got my orbital sander out and used a medium sandpaper, 80 grit, to smooth it out.

The client selected Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Old White which I know you see a lot of on my site, but it truly goes with anything. It has so much more depth than your average pure white, and also really helps dark wood shine through when you are distressing.

Dining Room - Before & After

It is reflection time again. I have shied away from sharing a before and after of my dining room because it is incomplete in my eyes. I still need some window treatments, wall hangings, a rug perhaps. But I am sick of waiting, and I want to share it with you because it is my happy place. Seriously, I sometimes just sit in my front room and stare at the dining room because it is so pretty and peaceful. 

Pin-spired: Antiqued Flower Pots Just in Time for Summer

Pinterest strikes again. I was Pin-spired last week to give my old flower pots a makeover just in time for some summer flowers. I learned about using petroleum jelly to distress with spray paint from Holly over at Down to Earth Style. I followed her instructions exactly, so head over to see how it is done. Her project is with a frame but the process is the same no matter what you are painting.

Grandma's Tables Upcycled

These beautiful end tables were dropped off to me by a client several weeks ago. They belonged to her late grandmother who she spoke very fondly of and remembered her always loving the way she decorated. She wanted to pay homage to her by having these tables in her home, but their current finish wasn't meshing well with the rest of her decor. 

Cottage Inspired Dining Hutch - Before & After

I know I owe you one more video tutorial on dark wax to complete our dresser makeover we have been working on for a couple of weeks now, but I have lots of other things I have been painting that I have been dying to share with you. So today, I am excited to reveal my cottage inspired dining hutch.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® Video Tutorial #4 - Clear Wax

Here is the next installment in my Chalk Paint video tutorial series, clear wax. This is the trickiest step in my opinion. There is a learning curve with the waxing process, but I love the finish it creates. It is a lot prettier than a poly which can make your furniture look plastic coated.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® Video Tutorial #3 - Distressing

In today's video, I am talking all about distressing. This step is one of my favorites, so much so I named my blog after it. Distressing really brings out the character of a piece. Instead of looking like something that was sprayed or dipped with some paint, it gives it depth and texture. Check out my tips on how to make your piece pretty distressed. 

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® Video Tutorial #2 - 2nd Coat of Paint

In today's video, I am showing you how to paint your second coat of paint when refinishing a piece with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®. It was a really windy day, so I hope you can hear me.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® Video Tutorial #1 - Prepping and 1st Coat

Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to share several videos that will document the refinishing process I use for furniture from start to finish. Today, I will cover prepping a piece along with painting the first coat.

The Making of a Makeover

In my last post, I revealed my recent sideboard upcycle. There were simply too many details to share with you in one post, so today, I am going to give you the nitty gritty on this makeover. 

This piece arrived via a client and is something that I typically wouldn't gravitate toward refinishing on my own. The client didn't really have a vision of how she wanted it to look and gave me free reign to let my creative juices flow.

Sideboard w/ Leaves - Before & After

After a brief painting hiatus, I am back. I just completed another piece for a client this weekend. And I must confess, I was very scared when this piece was dropped off at my house. It was blonde oak, brass and in really rough shape. I don't know why I have such an aversion to brass, but it really makes me shudder.

Bathroom Vanity Makeover with Latex Paint

Our master bath has been a pretty big eye sore since we moved in. It is your standard builder grade bathroom with no upgrades. It is going to be a long time before we have the funds to remodel this puppy, so I decided to do my best to make it more to my liking the DIY way.

At Last, the Dining Hutch Reveal Has Come Along

Happy Monday! The dining hutch reveal is finally here. For those who have been following the blog for a while, you know that I have been working on this piece for quite some time now. I inherited a dining set in early February, and as they say, the best things come to those who wait.

Officially in Business - Pedestal Table Before & After

While I am super excited to tell you I have completed my hutch upcycle, today is all about this beautiful pedestal table. I was graciously given the opportunity to work on this table as my first commissioned piece. I handed it off to its owner this morning, and she is quite pleased.

When starting this project, I must admit I was quite nervous this being the first piece I have painted that wasn't my own, but this little table was just screaming to be white, shabby and chic. The transformation is stunning.

Work in Progress...Still

The hutch I am refinishing has become my life. And, yes, it is still a work in progress. My little J-man turned four this week so I have been busy planning an epic birthday party and day for him. I hope to jump back into the swing of things and knock this piece out this week.

As you may have seen in my last hutch post, I decided to go with a first coat of Paris Grey. After doing some research on washing, I decided to go with an Old White wash on top. Here is a little sneak peek. 

Don't Lose It, Reuse It - Mirror Refinish

I believe whole heartedly these days that you shouldn't donate or throw out any decor until you try to reimagine it. This iron mirror is a prime example of this. It was one of my favorite pieces in our black and white kitchen in Minnesota, but now that we have a main level with cool grays and whites, it just seemed too dark.

Not just for wood, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint can be used on metal, glass or even outside on pots and garden decorations. This was a really quick transformation that my mom helped me with. She was watching me paint and had to get her hands on some Annie Sloan.