Painting furniture
Sealing Milk and Chalk Paint Wax. Adding a layer of wax over milk or chalk paint adds depth and luster and offers light protection to make a piece suitable for everyday use. The piece here is painted in Annie Sloan’s graphite color and sealed in wax. Surfaces will need to be periodically rewaxed. Paint manufacturers make both clear and antiquing wax, which has a sepia tone added. Antiquing wax is ideal for settling into the nooks and crannies of carved ornamentation but can also look stunning rubbed over the entire piece. However, note that antiquing wax will change the color, so do a test first. It may be too dramatic and can look dirty.
Bonding agent or not? No, not James Bond. A bonding agent added to the first coat of milk or chalk paint will make it adhere to a surface that’s slick or previously painted or varnished. Add a bonding agent only if you want a uniform painted appearance without flakes and chips. Milk paint and chalk paint dealers both sell bonding agents.
Kelly Millspaugh Thompson of Stylish Patina Interiors in Falls Church, Virginia, considers chalk paint her go-to paint for most projects. She likes that you don’t need to mix the paint and can just “pop open the top of the can and start painting,” she says. Although Thompson likes the chippy look of milk paint for some projects, she tends to prefers the more consistent look of chalk paint, as seen on this sleek dresser painted in Annie Sloan’s Aubusson Blue. She notes that she has also used chalk paint on brass lamps and even fabric and sees it as an easy way to update and refresh dated items.
Lacquer or oil-based paint: The old-school option is oil paint, which provides an amazingly professional finish when the surface is properly prepped and sprayed. But this is not a DIY-friendly job as it involves long drying times and a strong odor that lingers for days. This option is best when painting expensive kitchen cabinetry or built-ins where a high-end look is desired.
Mud paint: This option is relatively new among furniture paints and is best for antiquing and distressing, offering a flat, smooth finish with great coverage and adhesion that typically doesn’t require a primer. Premixed, it tends to be creamier than milk paint, providing opaque coverage. To enhance the final look, use a furniture wax. A final clear-coat sealer isn’t necessary, but if additional protection is desired, choose a water-based polycrylic one.
Milk paint: This paint comes as a powder to be mixed with water, providing a whitewashed or distressed look, and some people are mixing it themselves with ingredients found at the hardware store. Search online for “milk paint recipe” to try mixing up a batch, or look for the beautiful range of colors available through several vendors. Milk paint has been described as stain-like in consistency, though it can be thicker depending on how much water is added. It leaves a chippy or flaking surface, particularly when applied on previously finished pieces. Waxes and water-based sealers can be applied after painting.
Chalk paint: Annie Sloan chalk paint is a popular line that requires no primer and little to no sanding before painting, depending on the condition of the surface. The finish you’ll achieve with this paint is consistent, with less flaking and chipping than milk paint. Wax can be applied as an alternative to sealer, in clear or antique, depending on the look desired.
Latex paint: If you’re looking for a smooth, durable finish similar to what might be found on a factory-finished piece, latex paint is a good option. Consider Sherwin-Williams Pro Classic, a paint for furniture and cabinets with characteristics similar to oil paint but without the mess and difficult application. A coat of primer is suggested prior to painting for maximum adhesion. Latex paint comes in a variety of sheens, each providing a distinct look — flat, eggshell, satin, semigloss or high-gloss — so choose accordingly.
Hemp or tung oil. Hemp oil and tung oil soak into the surface to provide water resistance and also protect against daily wear and tear. Surfaces will periodically need to be reoiled. Acrylic varnish. Acrylic varnish offers more even durability for often-used pieces, like coffee tables. Acrylic varnish won’t yellow like other varnishes and lacquers. Thompson notes that because milk paint is porous, she seals cabinet surfaces painted with milk paint with a professional sealer for durability.
Q