Why does everyone love chalk paint?

[Whaeanui]

I just wanted to know if anyone else isn’t quite as in love with it as me! I think that people love it because it’s easy to use, no prep etc right? But that’s only with certain furniture. I also notice everyone uses wax, to keep the look of the chalk paint I guess. But that needs reapplying every 6 months. Who is doing that? I don’t like that idea so with furniture I’m experimenting with, I’m trying to use polyurethane varnish etc but that’s not simple either and you do that with other paint. What am I missing? Why is everyone so into it? I have noticed that it’s good to blend and create nice effects with, but you still need a top coat.

I was just going to ask this.

I’ll try and do this later this week! I picked up some ikea storage type furniture for free, to store my DIY craft etc things in. So once I have hardware on I’ll post a pic! Don’t judge, I’m not amazing- yet 😂

Frenchic is very hit and miss, and you can't say anything less than positive about it in their FB group. I used it on my kitchen cupboards and it took 6 coats! One of the tables in the garden that I did last year has big patches flaking off already.

I've used Annie Sloan on some kitchen chairs, wax on top and they are still perfect 7 years on.

Dixie Belle Silk is fantastic stuff, paints like a dream and has top coat built in so no need for wax or anything afterwards.

Interesting @Southwest12 I have heard both positive and negative things about Annie Sloan. How regularly do you wax your kitchen chairs?
I have Dixie Bell on my to-try list! Thanks for that.

I waxed them when I painted them and that was it. They've held up so well.

Really? Oh that’s interesting because it was really putting me off chalk paint, thinking it would involve lots of reapplication. Thank you.

I’ve never reapplied wax? But we’ve only ever painted wood? Perhaps if you were wiping it a lot it might need reapplication I guess?

We do sand very well to start then hoover/wipe to remove all dust, then several coats of paint. Than wax, and buff extensively. Seems to do the trick. Used AS, RO, Aldi own brand.

The wax eventually comes off and doesn’t seal it against knocks and things apparently, every brand I looked at recommended reapplying every 6-12 months. I’m going to search this! To see what most people are doing.

This thread has been very helpful, I'm about to try and paint a unit having never attempted anything like this before.

Would love to see you're finished work op.

@JadedTeal oh great glad it’s helped. I’m waiting for mine to cure because I want to put the hardware on before I take a photo! This is the hardest bit! I can probably do that part this weekend.

Thanks, I look forward to seeing it. I think I'll make a start on mine next weekend, still trying to decide which paint to use, I had planned on Wilko's own brand but I think probably Frenchic now.

I’m trying a few different ones myself since I have a lot of projects @JadedTeal but I liked the first tin of Frenchic I tried at least. I used a roller instead of a brush and that is definitely better for me.

Good to know. I think I'll use a roller too for application and then feather with a brush to remove the "dimples."

Okay so hopefully these photos are ok. We got ikea storage items free, drawers and a shelf and tried firstly the rust oleum which I didn’t like- ( had sanded and BIN primer first ). Sanded that attempt down and tried with Frenchic Loof Lazy Range, which is in the after photo. Two coats. It looks good to me, I’m not a hugely experienced painter and it was good to work with. Quick drying. Pretty decent finish with a few newbie errors. But I don’t know if it’s because it’s black or not, but it did get scuff marks easily. Wiped away with a cloth fine but a bit annoying. They’re used for diy storage so we aren’t bothered too much but undecided on if I’ll try Frenchic again in a different colour.

I tried the rust oleum chalk paint on a stool I’m using as a plant stand- ( I want a trailing plaint but tried it with this! ) I used littlefairs walnut stain on the top. I used birtax to wax. It looks good, no brush strokes on this one. But I’ll wait and see in a month after curing and then using it, how it actually works out. The console table behind is also stained in the same thing, but sealed with the littlefairs titan topcoat so I can see what works best on wood stain, although this is supposed to be about chalk paint!

Briwax, not birtax?!

I've tried the Annie Sloan and really didn't get on with it at all. I did a massive bookcase in the hallway and it looks shit. Thankfully the worst of it is hidden under books and other crap.

Having said that, we had a client at work bring in a gorgeous writing desk that they had had professionally painted and the difference was night and day. But they had charged her an absolute fortune to do so as it's apparently very labour intensive to get right.

@Bluebells1970

Did you sand it down extensively before painting? We sand everything to an inch of its life!

Love that stool OP.

It’s the ikea stuff you can’t overly sand, so you use a special primer with it as well as light sanding. Other furniture I’ll sand a lot but not this time with the ikea veneer type furniture. The Frenchic has turned out ok, except it scuffs easily but that does wipe away too.

Thanks!

I’m planning to paint my kallax just with normal lick paint, with a primer first. Not convinced about frenchic and weirdly I can’t find a colour I like !

Thanks for updating with the photos. Love the black on the drawers but my favorite is the stool, it's gorgeous and you've given me an idea.

I still haven't started yet, painting doors and radiators right now ....ugh!!!

@JadedTeal thank you! Yes the stool looks great and hopefully wax will be enough protection since it will be used as a plant stand. Good luck with yours!