Anne Sloan paint and painting desk advice

[Oxfordplus]

I have a brown mid-century teacher's desk in my bedroom right next to my bed. The bed has white bed linen, a grey headboard and behind the desk on the opposite wall is a cream faux-wood cabinet; the walls of the room are white and I have a grey desk chair. I've had my desk for a number of years but don't use it much as I hate the brown-ness of it - I find it really depressing. I really want a light coloured desk i.e white or cream. Just a few questions: 1. Do you think a cream desk would look OK in a white room and right next to white bed linen - as I'm tempted by Old White in the AS paint range (I'm on holiday currently and there's a cream desk in my room that I'm loving) - the room has cream walls though. Or do you think white would be better. 2. AS has satin paint and chalk paint. She has a pure white colour in satin pain. If I went for a pure white option, do you think satin is OK for a desk. 3. Is applying the paint as easy as I've heard i.e. no need for sanding etc. I live in a small flat so would have do it all inside and don't fancy having to sand the wood. Any advice you can give would be very welcome!

You really doesn't need sanding, it goes on very easily and sticks to everything. Unfortunately it comes off easily, too. That's great if you like shabby chic/antique feel, and you can even layer different colours and have the first one shine through by lightly sanding off the top cost. For a desk, you'll better varnish on top of the chalk paint, though, otherwise it won't be hard-wearing enough for writing etc.. It looks much nicer waxed though, so if you get a leather type writing pad, that would help it from scratching too much if you want to finish with wax (but AS needs a top coat, either wax or varnish). In my memory, the AS original (plain) white is lovely. I'm personally not a fan of cream and white together, but many will disagree with me. If you like it, go for it.

I never tried the satin paint - is that a new egg shell version? I assume it's AS try to compete with other furniture paint brands that don't need waxing/varnishing. The original AS chalk paint has a unique look, depends how much you like it vs the 'normal' eggshell look.

I wouldn't use it on a desk. I've done a bookcase in the hallway and honestly, I wish I'd never bothered. It's got marks, chips and patches where the paint has flaked back off. Less shabby chic, just shabby.

I'm going to sand it down and use proper undercoat and matt eggshell paint when I get chance to.

Mid century furniture was often treated with formaldehyde which can bleed through and stain the finish yellow. It's worth treating it with knotting solution first.

I love the Old White chalk paint and have had no problems with wear after waxing. I often do a base of a different colour, maybe grey in this case, so any worn parts would at least match your headboard!

Try Frenchic, this is now my go to paint for furniture
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https://frenchicpaint.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInN2s-p24gAMVkdF3Ch0MbgM3EAAYASAAEgIG-PDD_BwE]]