I used Martha Stewart vintage decor paint on an old bureau

Clare Byrne
by Clare Byrne
I loved how easy the paint was to apply. Unfortunately after I applied the Martha Stewart vintage decor wax all these pink and orange dots came through. I don't know how to fix it because I have already applied the wax. I will probably have to repaint it but I don't think you can paint over the wax. I followed all the directions and I don't know what went wrong. Everything was fine until I applied the clear wax. Also I used the correct Martha Stewart brush and alot of the bristles came out onto the painted surface. Please help the original bureau was a medium brown color.
  11 answers
  • @Clare Byrne ....sometimes its the wood or the product that is being painted is where the issues are., due to the color of the previous wood finish being " pulled up ' through the paint , once you wax it. If you cleaned ti first ( mild cleaner and non- lint sponge or cleaning cloth) ...and did you use two coats, one drying in between ? I know that Annie Sloan Chalk paint is something that CAN be used over an existing wax finish, but its the only product I know of that can be used for that.
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    • @Clare Byrne ....You dont have to remove the wax, if you use Annie Sloan Chalk paint, it CAN be used over already waxed pieces, as stated prior, but it IS the only product that I know of that you can do this with. You can also lightly sand it if you wish. The method I use is to clean my piece first, wipe down, then I put down a base coat, then a second coat - I use primer ONLY if the surface needs it, say ...if it has too much red in the wood, which WILL sometimes ' lift' and surface when painted. - some woods will do this , depending on the grain,( such as oak and mahogany).....; and then I wax , and distress. You dont need to let it dry for a week, I do it the same day or next day. You do have to let the wax dry between coats, if you wish to have another coat of wax on your piece. ...this is about 24 hours between coats of wax.
  • ..I also agree with Susies comment. ...you might ask why this occurred , and what they can do about it for you.
  • Judy Parkey Judy Parkey on Mar 06, 2015
    A latex primer with Plaster of Paris will prevent this bleed thru. 2 tbsp POP 2 tbsp warm water. Stir. Add POP or water until sour cream consistency. Add to latex paint and stir well. The bleed thru is a wood resin. There's another name for it but I can't think of it right now. You would then need to repaint with Martha's product or prime it in a color you like and see if that will do. Add clear wax and/or poly-acrylic.
  • MaryStLouis MaryStLouis on Mar 06, 2015
    If you don't get resolution from the manufacturer you can paint over wax with chalk paint. Get the real deal, though, since some homemade mixes don't work as well.
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    • Judy Parkey Judy Parkey on Mar 07, 2015
      @MaryStLouis ASCP will have tannin bleed, too. They recommend spraying with Zinsser Shellac to prevent it. Plaster of Paster mixed with your latex paint will make chalk paint and result in no bleed.
  • Shari Shari on Mar 07, 2015
    It is probably not the product you used. I know just how you feel because I had a "bleed through" problem with chalk paint...the expensive Annie Sloan brand! With some furniture, yellow or pink stains can appear when painting over pieces previously finished with a non-colorfast stain (typically found on older pieces from the 1930’s and 1940’s) or certain woods with open grain, such as oak and mahogany, especially when you are using a light color like white. The Annie Sloan website says to spray or paint those spots with clear shellac. In your case, I think you will need to sand off as much of the wax as you can, use the shellac, and then repaint. However, beware because the clear shellac causes another problem. On the desk I did that had bleed through, I made the mistake of just spraying the areas that had bleed through instead of using shellac on the whole desk. Now I have spots of shiny shellac showing through the chalk paint, even though I used at least 3 coats of paint (I lost count!) after the Shellac! Grrrrrr. I just need to start completely over but I put so much work into this desk, I just don't have it in me to deal with it now. I so wish I had just used regular latex paint like I do on all my furniture. I've painted over 35 pieces of furniture with latex primer and paint and NEVER had a bleed through problem before. I HATE chalk paint! So much time and money wasted. :(
  • Country Design Home Country Design Home on Mar 07, 2015
    Hi Clare! Such a frustrating experience! This recently happened to me with a project I was working on, only it was water stains, not pink dots. I would add another coat of chalk paint and it would bleed right through. I finally roughed up the wax finish with some steel wool, then added a coat of Kilz Hide-All which was designed to go over any surface and seal in any marks. Worked perfectly! Then I just repainted and added the finish to the table.
  • Linda Lemiere-Zile Linda Lemiere-Zile on Mar 07, 2015
    I don't have lots of experience using chalk paint but I am guessing that since you used the chalk paint and sanded it the natural oil in the furniture in the paint came thru when you applied the wax coating. I would suggest that you sand it and paint over it in again and not try and make it see thru or if you want a see thru color use a brown and then apply the end color and sand it. You need to seal the wood completely so the oil won't bleed through. Good luck. PS I don't think it is the product, I think it is the wood but don't be afraid to contact them and see what they say.
  • Shari Shari on Mar 07, 2015
    I forgot to add in my previous comment that when I had the bleed through problem, I first tried several coats of Zinsser stain blocking primer and the pink was still bleeding through it! That's when I went to the Annie Sloan site and found their recommendation to use the clear shellac. Keep in mind though, I had not waxed yet but you will need to remove the wax in order for the shellac to stick. I also remember I saw a post here on HT from a member who used chalk paint on her kitchen cabinets. She hated it and wanted to remove it and the wax so she could use regular latex paint. She found a product called "Awesome" she bought at one of the dollar stores removed the wax.
  • Christine Christine on Mar 07, 2015
    Is this piece oak? If so, oak stores its tannins in the grain, and they are what cause bleed thru. Also, pieces from the 1930's-1940's are notorious for bleed through because the stains were not colorfast. Remove the wax and do at least two coats of clear shellac before repainting and waxing. Follow the directions on shellac for drying time. Good luck!
  • Cynthia Nelson Morianti Cynthia Nelson Morianti on Mar 08, 2015
    I've learned the hard way on kitchen cabinets, TANNIN BLEED THRU on MOST woods, NOT just red and mahogany stains. It happens on light Oak too! ...."the 11 COMMANDMENT" Thou shall always use Zinssers SHELLAC with Any painted surface. White is the worst color that shows tannins. Lisa DeSantigo was spot on😉
  • Judy Parkey Judy Parkey on Mar 09, 2015
    @Clare Byrne - I think we all gave you the same opinion and advice.