Alert the media. A blogger has used chalk paint!
I repeat.
A BLOGGER HAS USED CHALK PAINT!
OK, so I may be a little late to the ballgame with this one, but when I see a bunch of bloggers touting the heck out of a product, I normally run the other way.
I guess it's my rebellious side showing. I don't like to jump on a bandwagon unless it's going to a Bruce Springsteen concert and even then I might just walk alongside the wagon.
But I have been curious about some of the paints I have been seeing out there on the internet.
Chalk paint being one of them.
This is a cabinet door that I bought at a barn sale in the fall. One side is a yummy old paneled wood look, prefect as a photo backdrop or just leaning against a wall (I had a boxwood wreath on it at Christmastime).
The other side is a yucky varnished wood look. Although this is the side that was made to be shown, it was just too ugly and shiny for me.
Yummy.
Not so yummy.
A lot of bloggers have used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, but the local retailer for that brand is all the way in downtown Columbus, so I trekked a few small towns over to grab a little jar of American Paint Company's Clay/Chalk/Mineral Base Paint.
LOVE it!
The color I chose is Nana's Cupboard. A delightful green color about halfway between the infamous avocado green from the 70's and a cottage apple green.
I did nothing to the cabinet door prior to painting besides dusting it. Then I slathered on the paint. Two coats. And then distressed it with a wet washcloth.
The easiest distressing known to man. No sandpaper needed. Just grab a washcloth, wet it and go to town.
I loved how I could pick and choose where and how much to distress it.
And now I have the one side painted green and the other side still its original wooden look. Like two doors for the price of one.
Since I had so much fun with that paint, I went back to the same store and picked up a little jelly jar of Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint to try it out. For all you milk paint virgins, milk paint comes in a powder and you just add water.
Milk paint has been around for decades. Maybe even centuries.
I used it back in the 80's (please don't make me feel old and tell me you weren't even born yet), but back then we used it to paint unfinished wooden pieces. And cave walls. Makes a mean mastodon drawing.
But I had never used it on pre-painted wood. In this case, a pre-varnished toolbox that I had bought at a thrift store last year.
Just like the chalk like paint, I did nothing to the toolbox before painting it.
The color I used was Kitchen Scale. Online examples I could find of it were pretty.
In person, I can't help thinking of that 80's blue color often found with some country ducks nearby. The lovely and talented Laurie at the blog Vin'yet Etc reminded me on Instagram that it was called Wedgewood Blue.
So the color isn't exactly what I thought it would be, but I blame that more on my eyes rather than any fault of the milk paint makers 🙂
Now, my biggest gripe about this paint, and it's not really a complaint as much as an observation, is that when it chips (and it's meant to chip and flake) it isn't necessarily where you would want it to chip. You have absolutely no control over where it distresses itself.
I guess if I were a fly by the seat of my pants sort of girl, then I could be down with that. But I am a little bit of a control freak, so I am thinking that the chalk like paints work better for my anxiety ridden personality.
So there you have it. My extremely late to the game personal opinion on the trials and tribulations of internet paints. You really can't go wrong with either type of paint. It's just whether you want to control your distressing or not.
FYI, none of the paint companies mentioned in this post are sponsors of this blog nor do they know who the heck I am 🙂 Just giving you my opinion in case you want to try out some different types of paint and jump on that bandwagon with me and Bruce.
Linking with Wow Us Wednesday, Be Inspired, Inspire Me Tuesday
Laura Kuhlmann
Gorgeous finished pieces, Pam! Looks like you're already a chalk paint expert! 🙂
marty (A Stroll Thru Life)
I havn't tried either, so this was a great post to read. I love the green and I even like the blue, but I think I would want to control the flaking and cracking too. Hugs, Marty
Kari at A Grace Full Life
I have a feeling you might live near or in the same town as my brother.
I love this, by the way.
The color, the texture, everything.
I don't mess with blogger trends until AFTER they are trendy.
It makes us stand out, dontcha think?
No?
Yeah.
Laurel@ChippingwithCharm
I haven't tried either type of paint...shame on me 🙂 Thanks for the reviews...maybe someday...
Andrea Ostapovitch
I have no idea about chalk paint or what makes it special, but I love the way that cabinet door turned out. I've never tried milk paint out either, may have to look into it. Thanks
Vickie @ Ranger 911
Now that is one yummy shade of green chalk paint, Pam! I love the way your door turned out.
I had to laugh at your comparison of the blue milk paint to the blue of the 80's! When I recently painted my armoire blue, I kept having flashbacks to my 1980's Wedgewood blue kitchen! I believe there were a few geese inhabiting the room.
Vidya @ Whats Ur Home Story
Love that green. It is perfect shade. Pinning it for later reference.
Anonymous
I used chalk pain once and liked it. But I mainly am commenting on the Bruce Springsteen idea. I hope you DVR'd him on Jimmy Fallon last night. I heard his new CD and it is good, not great but very good.
Susan
Pam Kessler
I saw it on the Today Show this morning and am kicking myself that I didn't DVR it last night. I bet someone has it on Youtube though. Bruce looks good for a 60-some year old guy!
Susan @ Rustic ReDiscovered
Great post, I haven't tried chalk or milk paint yet either but it is on my DO LIST for 2014 and can't wait. Love how your pieces turned out!
Susan
Robin Johnson
I still haven't tried chalk or mild paint yet! Guess that's makes me the person walking behind the wagon. LOL.
Denise Stain
You're too funny with the cave walls comment, Pam! Made me giggle. I love using American Paint Company chalk paints and that color is gorgeous! I may have to try it now 🙂
Liz Marie @ Liz Marie Blog
The cabinet door is beautiful!!! I love it!! xx Liz Marie
lynda
I thinkk the milk paint does better on bare wood...have used it a lot on unfinished wood and it absorbs well and does not flake...
Have not tried the chalk paint yet.
Shabby chic Sandy
You make be laugh--you are late to the game but at least the game isn't over. I love your opinions being a paint virgin and all.You did an awesome job with the milk paint--I love the colors you chose. I need to do something cool with milk paint. Did it come in the jar? When I got it it was just in an envelope. Enjoyed your post!
Pam Kessler
They carried tiny little clear plastic bags of samples, then this jelly jar size and then larger pouch of her paint. I used about 1/2 of the jelly jar size for that toolbox (2 coats).
P.
You crack me up. Nice paint jobs! I am going to sleep after this because in my so-tired-I'm-not-thinking-straight mode, I was wondering when you were going to show a picture of writing on that chalk paint. And also I didn't realize it came in green. Wait, that's chalkBOARD paint. Bedtime for me!
Christine Vandormolen
GORGEOUS..Christine from Little Brags