First stab at Annie Sloan’s chalk paint and wax
The mistake was called ‘De Wint’, a very bright lime green, and I painted the sitting room in it in our first house in Wokingham. It was awful. Somehow the fact that it was only supplied in small tins had not given me the hint that it was intended for a feature wall, not the whole room.
These days, with the ‘arrogantly shabby look’ in mind, I love painting things and distressing them. (Bill reckons that most of our house is in agony, not just distressed!) The little blue table in the picture was £40 from an antique market and opens out into a reasonable size round table. I used Annie Sloan’s chalk paint, which is dead flat and very easy to use, then stencilled the little grapes with some Goldfinger wax and finished the whole thing with clear wax to seal it. I promise to tell you about my stencil collection another day…
Now to the sideboard in the kitchen. I just know I took a picture of this before painting but can I find it? I think my mother is responsible because I know that she would be speechless if she knew I had painted a solid oak piece of furniture. So here it is wearing its new livery of Farrow & Ball Eggshell in ‘String’. And better proportioned knobs for the doors and drawers. I just love the new version and I am going to have fun planning what goes on the top – perhaps more pictures when suitably sorted…
The newly decorated sideboard 
Just started rubbing in some wear marks
