Annie Sloan Chalk Paint China Cabinet Makeover-Reduce, Re-Use, Re-Cycle

This post has nothing to do with food, but just my lifestyle in general.  My friends know I like to reduce, re-use, recycle :D I like to go to garage sales and I like the shabby chic style.  My mamaw passed away 3 years ago and my papaw passed away in Feb.  They kept and saved everything.  They are the people that taught our family this lifestyle and healthy eating and gardening and working for what you have.  Since they passed away, I have been trying to re-use their things.  I have used a lot of old things in pictures for my photography business.  I recently went to retrieve one of the many old pieces of furniture that was hers and give it a face lift and bring it in to my home. 

If you don't know what Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is, let me introduce you to AMAZING! WHY?? No priming, no sanding, you JUST PAINT!!! I have repainted and painted furniture before, and this is like no other! It cover completely in one stroke of a brush with very little paint that you can put in a bowl and water down to make it go even farther.  I used less than half a quart on this project.  They have amazing old world colors:

It retails for about $35 a can..plus you need the wax is $25 ..you have to have both, but you can paint multiple projects with this!  A lot of people are painting their kitchen cabinets with this.    It's amazing! After you paint it, you wax it (their brushes also amazing and worth it).  The wax bonds with and seals the paint and you buff for a low sheen.  So it looks shabby, but it very durable! I am going to do my kitchen tables and chairs next and a buffet!
You can buy the paint locally in Johnson City at the Sparrow's Nest or Greeneville Tn at Greeneville Antique Market.  It is only available in specialty stores.  There is a recipe to make your own chalk paint on pinterest..but I haven't tried myself.  I may try that someday on a piece that is not my grandmother's antique china cabinet. 

I washed the furniture (it was in a basement for a long time).  I used Murphy's oil soap, but it was stained with mold and mildew stains.  I googled it and found you rub it down with white vinegar and let sit over night. GONE the next day..Yah! So next, I just started painting away.  After painting, I waxed it, let the wax dry, distressed the edges with a little sand paper, and then I waxed over the distressed areas again, let it dry, buffed it and done!

I used duck egg blue on the inside back of the cabinet and for accents and pure white for the rest.  Here are the before and after pics!

Before

After with my mamaw's china

I distressed all the edges and details with a little sand paper after clear wax

I painted the details and accents with duck egg blue

From the Website for the paint:

Applications:

• BEST paint on the market for painting furniture
• Paint can be use on any surface - literally!
• Use on walls- for a soft matte effect or wax it for a polished plaster effect
• Can even use paint floors
• Paint can be applied to interior or exterior surfaces and furnishings

Techniques:

• Use one color or layer colors
• Distress and apply waxes to create an old world patina
• Can be used as a wash-dilute with water so when you apply paint it shows the wood grain
• You can use it as an impasto (thickly), just leave the lid off to thicken
• Very little black is used so the colors can be mixed in any combination

Ease of Use:

• No need to prime or prepare
• The colors are mixed intelligently
• Paint is flexible so you can be creative and change you mind

Go Green:

• Paint has extremely low VOCs and has little to no odor