There is an old saying that goes something like this: “the only thing that gets worse with age is a banana”. Dovetails tend to subscribe to this optimistic point of view. We think certain pieces of furniture definitely look better with age providing they receive the right care and attention. We use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes to add a fabulous “aged” finish to cabinets, cupboards, kitchen dressers and chairs, which creates the coveted vintage look. The beautiful one-off pieces in our shop are hand-painted to restore them to their former glory and add quirky individual appeal for trend-savvy shoppers who are looking for furniture that stands head and shoulders above the norm at a fraction of High Street costs.
You can achieve ‘the look’ at home too, with the right furniture and a coat or two of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Look around for tired furniture that needs a facelift (some great tips on where and what to look out for when bargain hunting in the near future!) and have a go with paint and wax—and if you need some step-by-step inspiration (and DIY hand-holding!), Annie Sloan shows how it is done in Quick And Easy Paint Transformations, which is THE book to buy on painting furniture and is available online or in our shop – of course you can always sign up for one of our Paint Workshops to see how it’s done in the flesh.
A quick tip if you are having a go, is to paint quickly and when dry, sand any interesting mouldings lightly to highlight them and then use Clear and Dark Wax to bring out any texture in the paint, which all helps achieve an authentic antiqued look. One of our current favourite colours to work with is Annie Sloan Paris Grey which is a soft and slightly bluish grey that works wonders on dressers and chests to create a super sophisticated vintage French look.
Dark Wax is excellent for giving furniture an aged effect, especially when used in tandem with Annie Sloan Clear Wax. This combo seems to bring out the best in our projects. The vintage trunk pictured was painted in Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue and aged with Clear Wax and Dark Wax which has turned a simple chest into a super feature-piece that would look gorgeous in any room that needs a pop of interest while celebrating chic, understated style.