During the summer I attended a workshop at the Falaknaz Warehouse – an introduction to the “Annie Sloan Method”. This workshop covered the basics of what you’d need to know when attempting your first foray into the world of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

It is called chalk paint because of its beautiful velvety, matt finish. The magic of this paint is that it rarely requires any prep work (because honestly, prep work is enough to put anyone off their DIY) and can be used indoors, outdoors and on just about any surface. Like, literally ANY surface – old and new wood, metal, plastic, cement, bricks and even fabric! You can mix your own blend of colours without them becoming gross or muddy. And because it’s a water-based paint, you can add water to make it smoother or leave the lid off to make it thicker. Magic indeed! The remarkable versatility and impressive colour range make excellent results achievable for the DIY enthusiast as well as the professional painter. It’s user-friendly and eco-friendly.

Feeling enthusiastic, I set out to paint an old wooden cabinet that I’ve had for a few years. It was in good need of a new beginning. The job was as easy as applying two coats of paint in my self-mixed light shade of grey, followed by two coats of Annie Sloan Soft Wax. The Soft Wax seals and protects and is the perfect complement for Chalk Paint – but be warned, the wax on – wax off bit took a fair bit of elbow grease and left me feeling like I’d had a real martial arts workout (see what I did there?). It compensated for the painting bit that seemed way too easy to be true, but was well worth the effort in the end.

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The old wardrobe is now being used for toy storage in my daughter’s room and I’ve fallen in love with it again.

I really love the soft pastel colours in the Chalk Paint palette. The armchair below has been painted in Chalk Paint in Antoinette and recovered in Scandinavian Pink and Provence fabric from the Annie Sloan Coloured Linens collection. Aren’t that lovely?

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Image source: Annie Sloan Inspiration

Chalk Paint may have been developed for furniture, but there are so many creative ways to use it. The possibilities are endless. If you would like to learn more on painting techniques, visit the Falaknaz Warehouse to get yourself booked onto one of their workshops.