Book Review: Annie Sloan's Color Recipes for Painted Furniture

It seems that Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint™ is quickly becoming the brand of choice for many DIY enthusiasts, so when I was offered a chance to review her book, Color Recipes for Painted Furniture, I welcomed the opportunity.

The one thing that kept me from trying Chalk Paint™ is that until I went looking for modern projects using Annie's brand of paint, I had seen a lot of DIY bloggers using it to create a distressed or antique finish, which can be really pretty but just isn't the look I'm going for.  Annie Sloan's book covers 40 different projects and has something for everyone's aesthetic, including some really innovative ideas (and instructions to do them properly!).  The book is organized into styles - French Style, Boho Chic, Swedish Style, Country and Modern Contemporary.  Some of my favorite projects include a very Scandinavian-looking painted floor:

A shiny black bureau with a bright red interior (although in her sketches, she contemplated teal as well):

A stunning striped dresser, topped with a piece of marble (I love this idea for a larger dresser used as a sideboard in a dining room):

This is my favorite idea - using her Chalk Paint™ to dye fabric:

Each project has gloriously large, full colour "after" shots, including a series of how-to photos with extensive instructions and tips.  The book is very personal and chronicles the renovation and decoration of Annie's farmhouse in France (drool), making it feel like a fast-tracked version of some of my favorite DIY decorating blogs.

Annie recommends her paint brand (which sounds fabulous: no priming, no sanding, and a lovely matte finish!), but explains that you can use her ideas with your paint of choice as well.  But this book has definitely made me want to try her Chalk Paint™.  She begins with pages of tips for mixing paint and understanding the colour wheel, which is key to producing custom colours (I love that idea)!  And the fact that Chalk Paint™ is good for dying fabric, painting floors, painting furniture - she even paints a vintage tub! - makes it sound so enticing.  I found a stockist in Ottawa and I'm thinking Annie's "Provence" might be perfect for my turquoise kitchen cupboard plans!  It's very similar to the turquoise shades I short-listed (I'm trying to match my turquoise Pyrex!).  I'm going to see a sample in-store this weekend.

Projects from: Sand & Sisal, Southern Hospitality, and Malenka Originals

Although every project has a ton of photos, I love the little sketches included.  I have some ideas for furniture projects for the lakehouse and I've been making similar little sketches every time an idea strikes - using hydro bills, my research notes and receipts to quickly sketch out a plan or jot down an idea!



I was provided a copy for review but not prompted or paid to write a positive review.  Nor was I encouraged to write about or try Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint™ - that's my own curiosity at play!  If you're interested, the book is vailable online at CICO Books, on Amazon, in bookstores, and through stockists.  You can also follow Annie on Pinterest or take a peek at her blog and video tutorials.

How to Paint a Brass Bar Cart Glossy White

This bar cart makeover has been a long time coming.  Because I found a great dining room cabinet right after buying this for the dining room, I decided to use the cart in the hall in lieu of the chevron useless table:

Because the hall has beige and dusty teal tiles, I thought the bright colour I originally planned would look weird.  My Mom concurred and suggested a glossy white, which we also thought wouldn't look too offensive with the grey smoked glass. 

Although the brass was a hit with some folks, the finish was worn in a lot of spots, and the finials had to go:

Luckily, the finials unscrewed easily, but then there was a weird, welded on frame to hold them in place inside the frame of the cart.  We replaced the finials with slices of wood dowel, which we glued in.  But then, paint was necessary to hide our hack:

Here's one last look at the cart in its gold glory (which actually could have been pretty):

Here it is, all shiny and new.  I used Rust-Oleum Universal Primer and Paint in one, in gloss white.

Alright . . . let me level with you folks: it's lovely and it complements the white embroidery on grey silk down the hall.  It doesn't scream for attention, which is good, because this is a busy part of the house with views to the kitchen, half bath, living room and more.  But if I were keeping this, I think I might fiddle more.  Something about it looks . . . not right.  I am thinking charcoal grey would be pretty!  Or maybe that greyish mint I used on the table?  I won't be fiddling, though, because (conveniently), the colour Mom helped me pick out will look perfect in her sewing room and there's no place for this in the lakehouse.  So convenient.

Look how nicely the little wooden dowel caps are hidden with paint on Mom's new cart:

For now I'm using it, and I love the practicality of the two shelves compared to our previous useless table because I've got little nicknacks on the bottom (a piggy bank for loose pocket change, a small Hungarian dish to store the iPod I grab when I go for a walk, a teak tray from Denmark that I snagged at VV), but the top is cleared for landing!  I plonk my purse there the minute I get home . . .

. . . and it's a super spot for the townhouse features sheet so people can grab one right away during showings or open houses.

Whether or not I like it, or get to keep it, it feels good that it is finally done!

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I'm Kind of a Big Deal

I feel like kind of a big deal today, as in I have many leather-bound books and my apartment townhouse smells of rich mahogany . . . ;)

I occasionally submit things to Apartment Therapy and occasionally something I submit is featured, but it was a total surprise to have something I didn't submit featured!!  Without any prompting from me, Apartment Therapy featured my laundry room curtains and painted floor:

Do you know what this means?  Someone from Apartment Therapy just found my project on their own!  I just had to pop in today (even though it's a Tuesday and I'm supposed to be working on my dissertation) to share my glee.  Okay, back to work for me.  My chapters (even the un-written ones) all have to be handed in to my supervisor tomorrow.  I got a little sweaty just typing that.  Don't worry about me, you keep chilling, maybe check out this sweet turquoise door and tell me if it's the right shade for the lakehouse kitchen cupboards, given my plan . . .

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Paint a Basement Door Mint and Create a Handy Message Centre

After we spruced up the basement landing/stairwell . . .

. . . the door to the basement remained sadly un-spruced.

It had been painted white and given new brushed silver hinges and door knob like all of our other interior doors, but it had been painted quickly and there were spots where the old grey-ish paint could be seen on the inside (that's my Mom above, Vanna White-ing it to show you where).  We had also started using it as a place to store vital information, like the garbage day schedule, but we had been using painter's tape to stick stuff up there.  I didn't have any white paint left, but I had my trusty free gallon of mint paint.  I decided a little colour would be fun, especially because it's just the inside of the door (the outside and edges stayed white).

I taped off the edges and the door knob, removed the papers and unscrewed the white bag holder.  Two coats of paint later, I had a fresh new minty door.  I grabbed a set of cork trivets from Ikea and affixed them to the door with construction adhesive, holding them in place while the adhesive dried with painter's tape.  And voila - much tidier!  Plus the mint looks sweet with the framed brooches in the stairwell.



We re-hung the holder for random plastic bags (on the rare occasion we get them from a store, I hang on to them and re-use them).  The cork trivets tidied up our important info.  We purposefully installed them in a vertical row, with one at kid-height, so if future owners have kids they can pin up their school stuff.  I would have liked to have painted these a fun colour, or done a whole grid (like this) but I was short on both time and money.  The natural cork looks cute against the brick when the door is open, anyway, and three tiles means we only have so much room to clutter up!

I'm really enjoying painting things mint . . .

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My Embroidery, Now a Pillow!

Did you spot it when I showed you the bedroom switcheroo?  The embroidery that almost killed me and took a thousand years to complete has morphed from a scrap of fabric to a cute throw pillow no one is allowed to ever touch.  Marvel from a safe distance.  Over there. 

Farther.

If you remember, I finished this at midnight, with only one day to spare in my four month stay in Hungary.  Like the knitting clock I was smitten with, I love how this is a tangible account of just how much time I spent abroad.  It also makes me feel more connected to my family and heritage, because embroidery is a traditional craft in Hungary, and my grandmother's cousin (who made us this amazing piece I had framed) even did this professionally at one time.  My talented Mom is who whipped this into pillow-shape.  Now that I'm moving closer to her, expect more sewing tutorials.   

I haven't really talked about this before, but for months after I returned from Budapest I was really sad about being back home.  Deeply disappointed.  I would have dreams all night of ordinary days there.  I had certainly missed home (and Hubby!), but it took me a strangely long time to readjust.  Of course Hungary is beautiful and special, and surely anyone would miss it even after a short stay, but I really missed it.  I longed to be back.  I was angry I wasn't.  I don't know why, but I think it had something to do with having fewer responsibilities and interruptions there (it was blissful), feeling disconnected from my life in Canada after four months away, but also because I was made to feel special each day.  Speaking Hungarian, I could navigate like locals but my accent gave me away.  Not a day went by, though, that a Hungarian didn't tell me how amazing it is that I speak Hungarian and what a treasure I am.  I was embraced as a lost Hungarian, because my grandparents had emigrated.  I was welcomed "home".  It's so embarrassing . . . but a daily dose of being told how special I am felt so good (coupled with the sugar high we got from eating pastry literally every day).  I'm mostly over it now, which is good, because I can look at this and be happy!! 



I need to start another project so I can post an embroidery tutorial.

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How to Stage Bedrooms for Sale

As you've seen, we made some changes to get the townhouse ready for sale.  The laundry room was finally finished  with curtains and fun turquoise floors.  The main floor powder room was freshened up and a few cosmetic concerns were fixed.  The living room was decluttered.  There's a few more things to show you, but today let's talk about the bedrooms!  If you remember from the townhouse tour, we actually use the master bedroom as a guest room.  It's large enough for a chair so guests can escape from me under the pretense of catching up on some reading, and the attached powder room is convenient and private.  We, in turn, took a smaller bedroom that actually has bigger windows and a superior view of our lovely treed backyard (complete with lilacs).  But our king size bed dwarfed the room, so we swapped them back.

Our bedroom looked like this . . .

. . . but now it has the guest bed (a queen) and armoire in it.

A smaller teak side table and the thrifted lamp (with a simple drum shade from HomeSense) do their best to balance out my giant armoire.  Frankly, I hate it.  I never loved the layout of the guest room and I could never make that maple armoire work.  As much as I love the piece, it definitely won't fit in the lake house, so it is finally going to be sold (I swear).  This room is plainer now, but that's not a bad thing for selling, especially because I took some liberties with turquoise floors and walls elsewhere.  It shows that a queen bed, mammoth storage unit and table fit in here with plenty of room to spare.  If this was for us, I'd hang paintings over the bed again or make a fun headboard but the realtor says it shows well because it's bright, spacious and fresh (and not too nutty that it would turn off Plain Janes).  Plus, my DIY triptych is still opposite the bed, adding a little colour and interest.

The former guest room looked like this . . .

. . . but now our king size bed tucks in nicely with our side tables.  Our bed and tables are huge but look proportionate in here.  It's evident that if someone has a queen, there's oodles more room.  Under the windows we kept the minty chair and table but removed the lamp and clutter for a more stream-lined look.  The next owner can see that a dresser would fit easily there too. 

We had an open house on the weekend and have two very interested potential folks, but they both need to sort things out with the sale of their homes first, so we'll see how that unfolds!  Everyone think "bidding war!" ;)

My tips for staging a bedroom for sale?

• De-clutter personal items, but leave a little bit of colour
• Make sure bedrooms showcase the space - avoid furniture that is the wrong scale
• Adding lighting if you don't have it, so every room has overhead and softer accent lighting
• White bedding looks crisp, clean and hotel-like, plus it makes a space seem larger!
• Open windows, wash linens and floors for a fresh, clean feeling and smell

P.S. Here are the photos taken by our realtor's photographer for the listing - I seriously want a wide-angle camera for blog photos!!

I've removed this armoire since the photographer took these photos - it just looked odd.

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