Chalk painting/distressing furniture

Cheryl
by Cheryl
What am I doing wrong? I don't seem to be achieving the look I want(as seen on other posts) do I paint the piece totally? Or "dry brush" so the original shows through then sand. Did an old door for pantry seems too patterned. Determined to "master" this technique. I am not a novice at painting or refinishing.Any tips appreciated!
  16 answers
  • Annette C Annette C on Nov 18, 2013
    what I did was; paint the flats of the door moderate to thick, less paint on normal ware arias like edges & around hand holds, then took a soft sanding block & in places grill screen to remove paint in those spots. then when over every thing with a clear polly after I was satisfied. your photo looks like you have white washed with a thin layer of paint. I tried to white wash the trim in my bathroom & ended up having to just paint it normal because I couldn't get the look I wanted either.
  • Debbie Harris Debbie Harris on Nov 18, 2013
    Paint the whole door like normal, then sand the raised edges until you get the desired look. Matte finish if high traffic or usage or wax finish to antique or keep original look.
  • Tammy Kerr Sides Tammy Kerr Sides on Nov 18, 2013
    Go to you tube and type in chalk painting and there are quite a few videos.
  • Debbi W Debbi W on Nov 18, 2013
    sorry, but it looks perfect to me, love the crackle look, I say just wax and leave it just like it is. Good job!
  • Cheryl Cheryl on Nov 18, 2013
    thanks for the feedback! I'm doing a smaller one too hopefully to match!i did do 2 coats of dark wax. I think the crackle look is just from scraping the loose original paint off( with a mask in the garage of course) just seems to me it looks too sanded although I didn't do much. and what grit should be used? Thanks again!
    • Julie Moyna Julie Moyna on Nov 19, 2013
      @Cheryl that could be a problem...going straight to dark wax on a light paint. #ascp is on hometalk. They are wonderful and get back to you right away with any questions or issues you might have. I was loosely taught and by trials and errors that the lighter the color you are using, you get a better finish if you use clear then dark. Here is a great beginning tutorial by Annie herself...hope this helps! BTW, it looks good like it is but I know how you feel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_EaaCZVYv8
  • PPC Designs PPC Designs on Nov 19, 2013
    I think your door looks great. Just from a different perspective and as an owner of a "chalk" paint line, I would never wax a door. You would be better off and have better results if you paint, glaze with a color of your choice, and then topcoat. Doors get heavy use and you will find that you will be waxing every few weeks, plus if one side is on the exterior of the home you will end up with failure from the elements and have to redo the door.
  • Cheryl Cheryl on Nov 19, 2013
    It is an exterior door, but I made it fit an interior closet(pantry) and used tin mesh panels instead of glass
  • Maine Country Home Maine Country Home on Nov 19, 2013
    Cheryl, did you put clear wax on first?
  • Karyn Lisk Karyn Lisk on Nov 19, 2013
    I think it would help if you had a look of something you were going for to see how you can model that piece. My experience with chalk paint...I love...is to see what I want the desired effect to be then I know how to do it. I have done all my kitchen cabinets as well as many other pieces and they all have different look.
  • Cheryl Cheryl on Nov 19, 2013
    I did not use clear wax(didn't have any) and I really didn't use much in fact I should do more but was hesitant.wasn't sure how it would affect the result. maybe I'm not applying enough paint but wanted the chippy original to show through
  • Vicki O Vicki O on Nov 20, 2013
    when I chalk paint, I like to cover the whole thing,then sand down areas I like to see the old come through. I have heard if applying Vaseline first to the areas u don't want paint to cover but have never tried it. I like to sand before I wax but it is messier. then apply wax in clear. after u could wax with a darker color to give it an even grungier look. hope this helped.. best thing is u can paint over anything
  • Elaine Simmons Elaine Simmons on Nov 20, 2013
    From everything I have read on blogs, you should put on the clear wax before the dark wax and that the dark wax is sometimes kind of tricky to use. I have only used the light wax.
  • Grandma Lorna's Attic Grandma Lorna's Attic on Nov 20, 2013
    Cheryl, you will want to paint the entire door, if you are wanting a different color to show through, (as though it is layered from years of painting) paint whatever color you want to show through first, then the color you want on top of that. Once they dry, take 220 grit sandpaper and sand the high spots and areas where the item would normally distress over time. I would then seal it with either Johnson's Paste Wax or rub on polyurethane. You can visit my page for examples of my "distressed" pieces. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. :) Have a great day, Judy @Grandma Lorna's Attic
  • Tobey McCool Tobey McCool on Nov 20, 2013
    To get a look where you want the grain to show through it is best to water the paint down and put it on in thin coat. You can use a wet sponge or scrubby to distress. Dark wax is tricky and clear wax should be used first and then dark wax just on the areas like the grooves or indentations in the door. By using the clear wax first you can wipe away the dark if it is not the look you want. You can also use more clear wax to tone down the dark. You should never have to use two coats of wax. Wax should be put on very lightly. hope this helps
  • Centrd Centrd on Nov 20, 2013
    I'm doing a piece now and have just read instructions from the Annie Sloan site. She says it's imperative to use clear wax first because the wax and paint combine and if you use dark wax on raw paint, you'll end up staining the paint. I don't know if this applies to all manufacturers products, but is definitely the case with ASCP. If you use clear wax first, then you can control the dark wax effect much better, removing it or making it darker as you wish. But once the paint is stained, the only option you have is to repaint. At least you can paint over wax with this product. Annie Sloan also recommends two to three coats of wax, depending on what you're covering, how much wear it gets, and how hard you want the finish to be.
  • Melissa P. Pittman Melissa P. Pittman on Sep 04, 2014
    I'm NOT an expert on this but I have distressed a few pieces & learned quickly that we aee our own worst critic! I read somewhere that when distressing just imagine what would be the most "worn out" areas of the piece & highlight those areas more so than other areas! U believe that there is no right or wrong way in doing this. Each piece is unique & just as a piece would naturally distress so should our imaginations while doing pieces.