Reimagined Monday: Chalk Painting Fabric (Wow, It Works!)

Today's Reimagined Monday is short and sweet but OH SO FABULOUS!

Just when we thought there couldn`t be a single thing left to make us love Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) any more than we already do, along comes...

Painting on Fabric

Yes, it`s true.  You can paint on fabric with ASCP so all those great colours we know and love can coordinate in our rooms with the furniture and decor we`ve already reimagined or aspire to create.

The following are examples of two very different looks with one great paint...

Amber and Brad of Shades of Amber stenciled onto dropcloth pillows:

"We reupholstered the bench cushions using a large drop cloth and made pillows out of burlap and the leftover drop cloth material."

"To add interest and to help break up the monochromatic theme, we Chalk Painted the pillows using various stencil designs. We used French Linen, CoCo and Graphite on the pillows. Yes, you can use Chalk Paint on fabric! Because the paint is so highly pigmented, it just fades ever so slightly each time you wash it. This fading only adds to the beauty of the look."

"For an even softer tone on tone look, we used Old White on this pillow below."

And Teresa Decker loved this headboard, but not the dusty rose tufting:

Her answer?  Paint the silk with ASCP in Old White, then finish with clear wax: 

"To answer some questions..yes, i did water down the paint a bit, then hand brushed it with a small brush moving in the direction of the pleating. it took two coats, but not that much paint. I then applied soft wax with a soft cloth getting into those pleats. It is soft to the touch, it does not crack or flake if you push into it. As far as how it will hold up...only time will tell, but it feels quite durable and shows no signs of cracking. I think a coat of clear wax now and again will keep it supple. thank you again for all of the complements, and mostly, thank YOU Annie! I am quite flattered that you responded and liked what I did with your magical paint! :-)"

How could anyone, including Annie Sloan, not love a result like this:

I`m already "shopping" the studio for fabric to try this on.  Or I may just skip out to pick up a dropcloth to stencil!

Fabulous.

Thank you to GraphicsFairy for this image.

Here is how to share your reimagined paint project at On the Apple Box:

Send us a description of how you used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to get from your vision to the reimagined piece, before and after pictures, pictures of your project in progress or a couple of it in its finished state, and you may be highlighted on our blog!

"Late Night on the Ave": March 1st

On the first Thursday of each month, merchants along 112th Avenue in the Highlands area work together to create a fabulous night of special deals, meals and entertainment.  This month we are celebrating St. Paddy's Day early by offering "Top 'O the Evening to Ya" on Thursday, March 1st from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

At Apple Box Boutique, we are offering 10% off all home decor items and will have an experienced Annie Sloan Chalk Paint specialist on hand to answer any questions you have about the paint that is causing North Americans to call themselves "Chalkoholics".

Sugar Blossoms Floral Design shares our boutique and is offering 15% off arrangements, lovely mixed cut bouquets starting at just $25.00 plus gorgeous green florals to add to your decor in celebration of the month of the Irish.

May the road rise up to meet you as you make your way to this great event!

Repurposed with Purpose

I grew up in a strange and wonderful middle-world where we spent part of our year in an urban environment and the other in a rural community.  I am appreciative of both experiences, and it definitely helped me to cultivate a sense of humour... in the country I was known as 'the city girl' and in the city I was known as 'the country girl'... which meant I had to a) find a way to fit in, and b) learn both Donny's and Marie's lyrics.  Thankfully the rest of my family are easy-going, fun-loving folk so I had good role models and we enjoyed every moment.

This is part of the family homestead known as Garen Carlea Stables.  It is located in the snow belt on a breathtakingly beautiful island in Lake Ontario named Prince Edward County:

Photo courtesy of Tim Vanhecke

Eventually we found ourselves packing up to live here all year, where I was happily surrounded by shabby chic, cottage chic and casual elegance full time.  'Shiny new' may have been hot in the city, but I discovered that re-using items in the country was prevalent and sometimes a necessity.  There just wasn't a trendy furniture and decor store around every corner.

I learned a lot about being creative and even a little fearless from that time in my life, and still today one of the things I relish is when a great find can be bravely repurposed in an unexpected way.  The following has to be one of my favourite examples to date.

Take an old barn door, paint it the perfect colour, add a set of a pocket door rails, and voila!  Instant eye-catching, heart-stopping style that works in a myriad of home designs and decor.

This one I love for its unassuming, country feel:

And this one for its bright, sunny transition into the focal point in a modern space:

I've been wandering my abode looking for just the right place to incorporate a big, bold barn door.  Looks like I need more rooms to outfit.

Honey...  Call the realty agent!

Signed, the country side of