annie sloan Archives

Two weeks ago, I picked up my childhood bed from my parents home and brought it to my house.

I began working on it that day.

Here’s Just a little bit about the process I used to refinish the bed:

First, I cleaned the bedframe, headboard and footboard with soap and water scrubbing lightly with a sponge.

I made sure the bed was dry and then I painted a first coat of old white chalk paint.

The next day I painted a second coat of old white chalk paint. With each additional application I would lightly spray small spritzes of water before painting the second coat.

It helps the chalk paint to last longer and go further.

Once the old white was dry and I was happy with the number of coats, I painted the pink details in Antoinnette chalk paint. For some reason I found the pink to be a lot thinner than the white, but when I would leave the cans sitting out for a little while it would thicken up. Painting the pink details took several days with a couple of coats (spritzing water in between.)

Once it was all dry, it was time to sand. I just rub sandpaper everywhere I want to have a little distressed look.

Then,I took a soft brush vacuum and vacuumed the entire frame before waxing.

Waxing

I waxed with a clear wax first. To wax, you apply a thick amount of wax with a brush and rub it in/off with cheese cloth or an old Tshirt material. I personally work faster and prefer the Tshirt. I waxed the entire bed in clear wax before using any of the dark wax.

I mixed the clear wax with a touch of the dark wax and it worked really well. I would blot it on and wipe as much away as I wanted. I love how it darkened the pink just enough. It’s perfect.

Before…

After…

El Momma is so happy! And, Trinity is too. For now, the mattress is sitting directly on slats, but we are going to get a box spring mattress to raise it up.

So, what do you think? Have you tried Annie Sloan Chalkpaint? I’m in love.

Xoxo,

El Momma

Some projects are reserved for spring. Some for summer. Some for when we (I am) are ready.

This project was one that took me months to start.

I debated (mainly with myself) whether or not I should ever start this project.

THE PROJECT: My childhood bed.

It’s beautiful and belonged to my cousin before my parents bought it for me sometime in the 80’s.

I thought it would be a beautiful heirloom for our daughter, Trinity. I would need to convince her. Not that she totally controls what happens with her room decor, but she is a pretty strong personality and I would like her on board if I am going to take the leap and refinish and repaint the bed. I also want her room to be a happy place for her, filled with memories and things she loves.

1st big challenge, besides convincing Trinity, which I thought I could do once I actually have the bed in my possession:
Get the bed from my parents’ home and move it to my house.
Seems simple enough, but we would also need to get rid of the mattresses. My SUV is full of carseats, so I would need to remove those, put the seats down and drive out to get the bed while the kids are occupied with something else.

Okay, so I made the leap yesterday…here is the before:

Four poster bed. Painted in soft yellow/cream with green accents

One of the biggest challenges for me in taking on a project like this, is that it is a multiple day project. I like to start something and finish it right away. It’s one way I am sure I can get it done. But, I love chalk paint. (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint pictured below) In fact, when considering whether or not I would paint this bed for Trinity, I invested in 4 cans of chalk paint and worked on other projects. Our family room countertop. The large mirror above the fireplace. A table top of a living room side table. Two side tables in our bedroom. And, the wooden rocking chair my mom used to rock all of her babies. I’ve only used the colors “Old White” and “Paris Grey” so far. These are pretty small cans and a little paint really does go a long way.

However, now that I’ve done several single day chalk paint projects, I wasn’t sure I could handle the details on this one or the fact that it would take a few days. Patience is a virtue.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White

But, I decided to jump in and get started. I rebuilt the bed, because I don’t really have the space in my garage to paint. And, having it stand up while painting, seemed to be a good solution. It is super easy to build and take down. (thank you to my mom’s neighbor for showing us how to do that!) It just has metals sides that fit in grooves of the headboard and footboard.

So, here it is after applying the first coat.

The second coat will provide additional coverage and then I will add some detail in a pink color (Antoinette) before sanding and waxing.

A closer picture.

Trinity was ecstatic! So, yay for that blessing. Once the second coat dries and I add the little bit of pink parts, it will be time to lightly sand and then wax.

I will post more updates as we finish.

Until then…another July post is coming tomorrow as we continue 31 days of blogging in July! #elmomma31

Tag: annie sloan

Oh Happy Day! Our biggest chalkpaint project yet! Princess bed!

Summer project- Heirloom Four Poster Bed