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Before & After : French Provincial Nightstand

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This week’s transformation comes to us from Pam, who recently took one of our Chalk Paint 101 classes. Pam knew she wanted to freshen up the look of a couple of pieces she had and decided Chalk Paint® was the way to go! Check out her first transformation!


The piece was in great shape, but the original finish didn’t match her new color scheme. She chose Duck Egg on a French Provincial nightstand she had that had a similar finish to this one when she started.

Once the piece was sealed with clear wax, Pam used gilding wax along the edges in Pewter to highlight the beautiful curves and lines on this piece. Doesn’t it look gorgeous?! We can’t wait to see how the matching dresser turns out!

Check out some more masterpieces from our customers, then send us your before and afters so we can feature yours as well! Stop in the store to grab your supplies or purchase them online.

Happy Painting!

 

Before & After: Coffee Table Hand-me-Down

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This week’s Before & After comes to you courtesy of Kathy. Kathy is a busy mother of six, who like so many of us has turned to Chalk Painting and other DIY projects as her creative outlet and way to relax. We always warn our customers that once you get one project under your belt, you’ll be hooked. It truly is so relaxing to do!

Kathy inherited this coffee table from a friend, but it was in rough shape! Though the piece was in good shape structurally, because it was so well-loved, Kathy opted to blend the imperfections into her finish.

Kathy used a blend of colors to achieve this gorgeous distressed look. We see some Coco and Napoleonic Blue in there, which really play up the nautical look Kathy was going for. And it ties in the sweet little knobs! Keep scrolling to check it out up close!

We are loving the layers of color coming through on this piece, it gives it such a natural worn look while also allowing little pops of color to come through. Did we mention we love the on theme little nautical knobs.

What kind of DIY projects have you been working on? Send them to us for a chance to be featured!

Come and see us at our shop in Falls Church Virginia (address here) and talk to us about your project or BUY ONLINE if you are out of state!  We have all your Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan products, wax and so much more!  We have everything you need to complete your project.  Do you have questions email us shop@stylishpatina.com.

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Before+After: Armoire using General Finishes

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White furniture never goes out of style. It takes dark, dreary spaces and turns them bright and airy. This week’s Before + After features this tutorial from Carrie at Thirty Eighth Street, transforming a large armoire into a piece of elegance using General Finishes Milk Paint in Snow White. For those of you that are unfamiliar with General Finishes paint, it is an acrylic, water-based paint that is not a true milk paint.

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The Before

General Finishes paints differ from chalk-type paints in that they are not chalky and do not dry matte. Instead, this paint dries down smooth to the touch and has a flat, eggshell finish.

The General Finishes products Carrie used are:

To start, Carrie prepped the armoire by cleaning the surface using a 50/50 mix of water and denatured alcohol, a product that can be found at any hardware store. This ensures that there’s no old residue that will interfere with the paint. Afterwards, Carrie lightly sanded the piece to help give the surface some “grit”. This helps to make sure the paint will adhere well. This is especially important for pieces that are very shiny!

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It’s very typical when working with any white colored paints that it will take multiple coats– much more than when working with a color that has pigment. However, General Finishes paints have great coverage and it took Carrie just 2.5 coats of paint!

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The armoire had intricate scroll-work on the doors, so Carrie distressed these areas to bring out the detail. There are many ways to distress pieces, the most typical by using sandpaper. Carrie discusses how she distressed this piece in her tutorial.

General Finishes Milk Paints are self-sealing, meaning they don’t necessarily need a topcoat to protect the paint once it has cured. However, pieces that will see every day wear and use should definitely be top coated. To top coat General Finishes paints, their polyurethanes are one of the easiest to use! For this armoire, Carrie used the High Performance Top Coat in Flat.

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Isn’t this piece just gorgeous? Snow White really turned this piece into a stunner!

Feeling inspired? Get started today!

Need some additional guidance? Take one of our workshops to learn about application, distressing, and waxing!

Don’t want to do the work yourself? We also offer custom painting!

Shop Paint and DIY Products / Workshops 

Come see us at the shop in Falls Church City
410 S Maple Ave #114
Falls Church, VA, 22046
703.663.8428 / shop@stylishpatina.com

Open Tuesday-Sunday

Follow us on Instagram + Facebook page!



And then there were shutters!

If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook you know I have been working on the outside of our house. When we bought the house right before the twins were born we focused on the interior – opened walls, gutted kitchen and touched pretty much most other surfaces in the home…but the exterior didn’t get much love except for the yard. If you want to take a look at the interior and the work we did 5 years ago check out this post here.

We did a huge clean up in the back yard and planted 8 trees. Each kiddo we brought home we planned 2 trees for around the house. If that doesn’t make it hard to move I don’t know what does right?!

I recently painted the brick of the house myself (read post here and check out my IG Stories here) and ordered shutters. We had the shutters put up today and I am loving it! Although it just highlights all the other items I need to have done…

  • Paint the upper windows siding (spring 2020)
  • landscaping in the front (spring 2020)
  • fix the stairs and walkway (spring 2020)
  • install split rail fence (spring 2020)
  • install flower window boxes TBD

Needless to say Spring 2020 is going to be a big year for the exterior of the house.! I also have some other plans for the basement…..

After…still a work in progress…..but getting there… Jan 2020
This was right after I painted the house…. October 2019
Before … 5 years ago when we bought it August 2014

Are you doing any house projects? I’d love to hear about them! I’ve got a few more DIY projects I have been tackling and sharing on IG Stories using my new fav paint line Jolie Matte Paint. This is the product we are now carrying instead of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I prefer the colors and it’s much easier to use than the UK formula of Annie Sloan. I sell all the paint lines I use on my website (shop paint) + in the shop (visit us). Come visit us at the shop and be sure to follow along on social media // IG + FB are where I am most active!

On the REALTOR® side of the business I’m checking out a few new houses that are coming on the market soon in Falls Church, Arlington + McLean area. Contact me (kelly@stylishpatina.com) if you are looking to sell or buy! I offer complimentary color consult, design and staging services to my Real Estate Clients!

Jolie Paint Before + After

A month ago, we had a piano in the shop that we painted for custom. It was our first time painting a piano, but it was much easier than a lot of people may think! Of course, it also turned out AMAZING.

I can't believe how simple this piano makeover was! This was my first time using Jolie paint and I am honestly so impressed.

This week, the Before + After we’re featuring is this tutorial from Andrea at Pine and Prospect Home on painting your piano using Jolie Paint. If any of you are feeling bold, take your oak or orange-toned piano and TRANSFORM it!

A before shot of our piano - while the lines of the piano itself were beautiful, the color felt a bit too orange for me.
The Before

Andrea followed the proper steps to prepping her piano before painting it, making sure the surface was clean. Inadequate cleaning of your piece could lead to some disasters if any old residues are left on the piece! She used a 50/50 mix of water and denatured alcohol, a product you can find at any hardware store.

Jolie paint was so wonderful to work with. It's a premium paint so it's a bit more pricey, but the coverage was amazing.

Once the surface was clean, Andrea jumped right into painting! The Jolie Paint products she used were:

I just love how my painted piano turned out. Jolie paint made the whole process so simple.

Once she applied 2 full coats of Linen and touched up areas that were showing the original finish, Andrea went ahead and protected the paint with the Clear Finishing Wax. The Pointed Wax Brush really makes a difference to get into the small areas!

Come see how I transformed this piano using Jolie paint and wax! It was so simple and I am so happy with the results.

Didn’t her piano turn out stunning?! What a difference Jolie Paint can make.

Feeling inspired? Get started today!

Need some additional guidance? Take one of our workshops to learn about application, distressing, and waxing!

Don’t want to do the work yourself? We also offer custom painting!

Shop Paint and DIY Products / Workshops 

Come see us at the shop in Falls Church City
410 S Maple Ave #114
Falls Church, VA, 22046
703.663.8428 / shop@stylishpatina.com

Open Tuesday-Sunday

Follow us on Instagram + Facebook page!

Upcycle Brass Lamps and Chandeliers with Chalk Paint®

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This week’s feature is on Brass Lamps and Chandeliers given new life by using Annie Sloan. Chalk Paint! Goodbye boring old builder grade chandeliers hello fabulous!

This is one of Annie’s favorite projects from her latest book, Annie Sloan Paints Everything. This is the painted chandelier! Annie discusses how she loves old brass lights, and she loved the interesting details on this old French piece.  Look at the triumphant, open-winged eagle at the top and the open-mouthed dolphins head! To add a bit of color to a room and to bring out the fun design Annie painted this piece with Chalk Paint® in Florence.

She shares “I think it’s simply beautiful.”- Annie Sloan 

This project is also shared on Annie Sloan’s Inspirational Page on her website! On her website, she shares that this chandelier was painted to brighten up an all-white living space. Annie painted the chandelier using a Chalk Paint® Brush with Chalk Paint® in Florence, a coppery green that subtly contrasts with the warm hue of brass. While the paint was still wet, she took a damp cloth to the ornate and raised sections of the light fixture, wiping away the paint to reveal the brass beneath. She then finished it off with Clear Chalk Paint Wax.

A full step by step guide to this chandelier up-cycle is in Annie Sloan’s book Annie Sloan Paints Everything.

What DIY projects have you been working on lately? We are dying to see what you have come up with! Don’t forget to tag us in your designs on Instagram using #SPPaintPro for a chance to win new DIY products each month and be featured on our social media + blog.

Send us your Before + After DIY projects at stylishpatinashop.com

And in the meantime, head over to our blog page and check out some of our transformations! Then grab your supplies in-store or on stylishpatinashop.com

Keep watch on our blog to stay updated with our featured paint lines and which paint products are perfect for you!

Come see us at the shop in Falls Church!!

410 S Maple Ave #114

Falls Church, VA, 22046

703.663.8428

Before & After : Driftwood Dresser

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This week’s Before & After comes to us from Jen Green of Green Spruce Designs, whose piece won our Chalk Paint Giveaway for having the most likes on instagram! The very talented Jen used layers of Chalk Paint  to create a gorgeous driftwood look. How beautiful does it look?

The first step in this transformation was to paint a base coat of Graphite . Next, Jen used a dry brushing technique to layer a lightened Honfleur, Paris Grey and French Linen. 

Once those layers had dried, she did a color wash of Paris Grey. She sealed it with Clear Wax for a lasting finish. How beautiful is this effect? Check out the closeup!

Before & After: Dresser Makeover

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This week’s before & after comes to us from Liz, an Arlington gal who fell in love with Chalk Paint® after moving houses and looking for a way to refresh her furniture. Liz’s love for old furniture began  at age ten while working at estate sales with her mom and inspires each of her transformations!

Liz started out with this Pottery Barn piece she had bought, which was super functional for her, but the espresso finish felt tired and didn’t match the new low boy modern dresser she purchased. Being the DIYer she is, she decided to use Chalk Paint to transform her piece and tie the two styles of furniture together.

Her first step was to grab a couple sample boards and play around until she got her desired finish.

After experimenting a bit, Liz landed on using French Linen as her base color and decided to use some Milk Paint she already had to do a wash over top. (You could also use Graphite for a similar look!)

Liz took out her drawers before painting the base coat of her Lingerie chest in French Linen, which took about two coats to accomplish.

As you can see, the French Linen pulled the base tones out of the wood beautifully, but didn’t quite match the look. So liz moved on to doing her color wash. 

As you can see, this added a little extra dimension to the piece and pulled out the dark tones of the grain on the modern piece she was looking to match. Liz isn’t a huge fan of the process of waxing, so she opted to use a water-based Polyurethane top coat in a matte finish for a similar look to wax. If you love the wax like us though, using black wax over clear wax can also help to achieve the look of this wash!

What transformations have you made recently? We want to see!!! Send them to us so we can feature your work too! In the mean time, head over to our Etsy page to check out some of our transformations and then grab your supplies in store or online.

Before & After: French Linen Dresser

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This week’s before and after comes to us from Mary, a Stylish Patina customer and a Chalk Paint® lover! Mary decided to transform her beautiful dresser using Chalk Paint in French  Linen. French linen has quickly become a favorite amongst our customers, because of it’s ability to work with any style of piece imaginable and because it works in any color palette.

As you can see, the piece had gorgeous bones, but needed a little sprucing up. Mary applied two coat of French Linen to achieve a full coverage look. With Chalk Paint, two coats will usually produce a full coverage look, but this can vary depending on which color you choose and how dark your initial surface is.

Mary’s fresh paint job was sealed using Clear Chalk Paint Wax for added protection and durability. Lastly, she reattached the hardware and voilà! How stunning are the results?

What projects have you been working on lately? We are dying to see the results! There is nothing more exciting to us than watching how our amazing customers transform their pieces. So PLEASE, send them to us so we can feature your work too!

And in the mean time, head over to our Etsy page and check out some of our transformations! Then grab your supplies in-store or online

Before & After: Dining Set Makeover

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This week’s Before & After comes to us courtesy of Deanne Brock, from Brock Realty  She combined a couple of painting techniques to achieve a gorgeous finish that completely transforms the look of this dining set. We love how it turned out!

Step one was selecting the fabric for reupholstering the chairs. Deanne selected this striped option with a faded, vintage feel.

Deanne started by painting the base of the table Annie Sloan’s Chalkpaint® in Old white. Chalk Paint is a water-based paint and very low VOC, which means you can paint inside without worrying about the suffocating paint fumes of latex paints.


She used touches of Coco to add depth and dimension to her table and chairs and sealed them both with clear wax and sanded back to allow pops of the original wood finish to come through. How gorgeous do these pieces look?

We love seeing how our talented customers use Chalk Paint to make it their own! And we would love to feature your work too! Peruse through some of our other Before and Afters for some inspiration, then grab your supplies in store or online.

Before & After : Margaret Hutch

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This week’s Transformation Tuesday is the Margaret Hutch, currently for sale in our Falls Church Shop. It was too good not to share!

This piece was structurally in great shape, though their was some damage to the finish that was consistent with the age of the piece. It has beautiful lines and offers a ton of storage, but the dark walnut finish made it a really heavy piece and extra formal.

So we decided to lighten it up using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in French Linen for the outside and Pure White for the inside. The white inside added a little extra contrast and allows all the treasures its future owner fills it with to really pop.

After painting it, Heather, one of our experts, sealed the inside and outside of the piece with clear wax.   and lightly distressed it to allow some of the natural wood tones to come back through. She went back over these areas again with clear wax to seal them. The hardware was original and we loved it so much and it was in such great shape that we knew we had to leave it. The final product is a gorgeous functional piece that has so much character and soul. It’s formal without being stuffy and can just as easily work in a more casual space.

Did we mention this beauty is for sale??!! She’s priced to sell at $895.00 and measures H 75″ x W 19″ x L 62.” Come see her for yourself at our Falls Church Store or check out some more pictures here  before she’s gone!

Considering tackling your first project or looking to learn more about all the looks you can achieve with Chalk Paint? Sign up for one of our upcoming classes online or in-store

Before & After : Tricia’s Drum Table

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This week’s before & after is brought to you by Tricia, one of our staff members who is constantly looking for more paint projects. Check out on of her latest!

I had painted my table in this bright jade green mix on  a whim over the summer and for a while, I loved the color. But, over time I got sick of it and decided I wanted to give it yet another new look. By this point, this table has probably been painted three or four times and is my test piece for new colors I want to try out. 

I ended up mixing some leftover paint I had for this transformation. I mixed together Old White, Aubusson and Burgundy for this mix and love how it turned out! I toned it down a little further with a coat of dark wax over a coat of clear. And to keep things interesting, I sanded back just a little to allow some of the jade color to come through!

How cute is that table?! As Tricia has demonstrated, Chalk Paint gives you so much freedom. Not just in the innumerable finish possibilities, but in your ability to mix it up with a new coat of paint as much, or as little as you want!

Come and see us at our shop in Falls Church Virginia (address here) and talk to us about your project or BUY ONLINE if you are out of state!  We have all your Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan products, wax and so much more!  We have everything you need to complete your project.  Do you have questions email us shop@stylishpatina.com.

Be sure to share your project with us by submitting them on our website so we can feature you on the blog!  Submit your projects here.

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