Up-cycle Annie Sloan fun

Up-cycling is not only a great way to re-vamp or change your home; it is also a great hobby. I was lucky enough this month to receive two pieces of new furniture handed down from family members. I was given a lovely old wooden trunk/ottoman, which I am going to use as a coffee table and I was also given a small nest of tables, naturally I had to up-cycle them J  I have fallen in love with Annie Sloan paint, it is so easy to use and also leaves a great finish on furniture with virtually no preparation to the wood. I have used Annie Sloan for both pieces, Old Ochre for the coffee table – Old Ochre is a cream/grey colour it’s really neutral and great for living or dining rooms. I chose Annie Sloan Louis Blue for the corner tables; this is a very calm, pastel blue.

Coffee table/Ottoman

Personally, I find with furniture if you paint the whole item it can be a bit over the top, you lose the natural authenticity of the wood and your ‘one off’ piece can look a bit common. I learnt this the hard way, so now I just stick to just painting the base or legs of an item and sand down the natural wood in areas I want to keep unpainted . I think this leaves a really nice finish to the furniture as well as keeping some of the original character from the piece.

( I am yet to sand down the top, but I think its going to look great when its finished)

Small Nest tables

I love having a bit of colour with smaller items, I think they can look really pretty and original, I am yet to experiment with bold colours, so Louis Blue was perfect for now. I would really like to experiment with some of the brighter colours on chairs and book cases and think this is a great way to brighten up a room.

( I love the tone of Louis Blue)

Step by step guide

. Get your chosen paint, paintbrush and dust sheet

. Place your furniture on top of the dust sheet making sure you have covered all areas of the floor as you don’t want paint getting somewhere you don’t want it

. Paint  the base, give a double coat if necessary and leave to dry

. Sand the top of the coffee table, it doesn't have to look perfect, but use a sander if you can as it saves so much time

. Sand some of the edges for a shabby look

.  Use Annie Sloan Clear wax to finish

Unfortunately, I haven't sanded the top of the trunk yet so it is unfinished - British weather is to blame:(

Annie Sloan paint tips

. The paint dries really quickly so don’t  worry about precision too much, double coat it for a finished look

. You don’t need to sand your wood first, this is one of my favourite things about Annie Sloan, the paint is so flawless the wood needs virtually no preparation before you start painting

. Mix and match with different colours you might be surprised

. Grab a tester pot and test colours on smaller items first

. Use the Annie Sloan wax to finish off your pieces as this will keep it in good condition

What up-cycling projects have you been doing?

Any tips?