Saturday was spent transforming a pretty ordinary pot cupboard into something significantly chic'er. Painted Country hold workshops on upcycling unloved furniture using Annie Sloane paint. I took along a pretty battered piece, with dodgey legs and a saggy bottom to practice on. The end results were pretty pleasing for a first try and with a little more practice I felt I could produce some very saleable pieces.
Annie Sloane paint is wonderfully thick and luscious. It will adhere to practically any surface, making the job a whole lot easier as the surface does not have to be sanded or treated before painting.
Time was spent choosing a base colour from the extensive range. This was was then applied in a thick textured layer. This was allowed to dry and then touched up, where areas had been missed.
While we waited for the furniture to dry, Steve has us work on smaller areas on board to give some ideas of how different effects might work.
We tried layering two colours and then waxing and rubbing back. A motif was drawn on one section. A method easily implemented on to furniture to give a rustic look. An area that just had a dark glaze added on top, producing a leather like effect. Lastly a section where the paint was applied in a thicker layer and then dried with a hair dryer to process a cracked effect.
The last application was a layer of wax which produces a patina, giving 'age' to the piece.
A second layer of paint was applied to the cupboard. In my case I chose a lovely French Linen colour. Wax applied and then a light rubbing back with sand paper to show through the layer of paint underneath. I quite like a little of the wood to show through too.
A dark wax was the final layer, giving a worn look. This final wax can be polished to give a really hard wearing and glossy finish.
Lovely.
I hope when I am in Gozo I will be in a position to continue with this. I absolutely love the idea of upcycling pieces that someone has thrown out.
