Chalk paint ventures.

A couple of items needed a makeover recently in our home. One was an old door that we traded for another old door from a friend a few years back. Due to lack of time it had been left in the shed until now, when it has been transformed into a stylish and original bathroom door. We love recycling and changing furniture and fixtures, creating something useful from something old. The door is perfect for our bathroom and thanks to the glass panels it lets in lots of lovely natural light to the kitchen.

The other item is an ex display shelf that we bought as a second from a furniture store a few years back. We decided that it would be perfect as a kitchen storage unit. We have a slight addiction to Kilner jars and this shelf gives us an overview and easy access to all our ingredients for cooking.

We love a slightly worn look and chalk paint is perfect for creating a sense of times gone by. To make your pieces look naturally worn apply several coats of paint, wax once and sand down areas where wear would naturally occur. Wax again and polish the next day if you like a durable shiny surface. We like to use the Annie Sloan brand because the colours are just gorgeous.

For the door we started with two coats of Amsterdam Green.  We added Antibes Green and a lovely turquoise called Provence to the beading around the glass panels. For the flat wood we chose a lovely, warm light green called Lem Lem. This paint was inspired by the 1950s and the door might be from the early 1960s so we think it is quite suitable.

The door before we started.

When sanded back, the darker green becomes visible along with a bit of the original white paint and the wood underneath. We think it looks lovely and as if the door has been in use for a very long time.

We polished the old original handles with steel wool.

For the shelf we used a Duck Egg Blue for the inside and the shelves. This paint was bought in Aldi. For the outside we used Lem Lem again to match the bathroom door. There are several colours of Annie Sloan wax you can use including white, dark and black as well as the usual clear. For the shelf we went for white and applied it sparingly with a cloth. We added two coats and polished all surfaces the next day.

We are delighted to have the extra light and storage. It cost us very little to trasform these items as the paint and wax goes a long way.  If you have never painted with chalk paint we would encourage you to give it a try. It is fun, easy and very rewarding.