Chalk Paint 101: We Are BIG Fans!

Interior Decorating Tips

Chalk paint is a quick and simple way to spruce up your furniture and cabinetry, giving them the perfect makeover that will refresh your items and the overall look of your home. At Hope Designs, we love adding a touch of chalk paint to an interior!

This latex-based paint comes in all sorts of different colors to choose from and will leave your furniture with a soft, matte finish.

You can apply chalk paint directly to the piece you’re painting without having to sand or strip the original paint or varnish, making this type of paint super convenient and easy to use, no matter your skill level.

Top Chalk Paint Brands

This is not your average paint, so if you’re looking for the perfect chalk paint to refinish your furniture and cabinets with, you may want to look in another direction compared to traditional paints. When it comes to chalk paint, the following are some of the top brands to look for:

-Rust-Oleum
-Recolor Paints
-Retique it
-Annie Sloan

How to Use Chalk Paint

Chalk paint is applied much like any other type of paint, except there’s typically much less prep work involved. Once you’ve applied your first coat, wait until it’s fully dried before you apply a second.

After the second coat of chalk paint dries, you’ll need to apply a chalk paint wax over top in the same way that you applied the paint itself. When applying the wax, use a brush and apply it in all directions. Work in small sections while removing excess wax with a lint-free cloth as you go. Every square inch of the paint should be waxed.

While it should only take a few hours for the wax to dry, it could take as much as a week or two for it to be entirely hardened. As such, you’ll want to be a little more careful when handling and using the furniture piece you just painted.

Tips For Making the Most of Your Chalk Paint

Consider the following tips when using chalk paint on your furniture:

-Use different brush strokes to achieve different effects
-Use fine sandpaper to achieve a more distressed look
-Use a more delicate sanding approach to create a more sleek appearance by flattening brush strokes
-Thin the chalk paint by adding small amounts of cool water
-Thicken the paint by leaving the lid open, then stirring

If you’re ready to do something different in your home, call on the experts at Hope Designs to help! Book a design consultation today!