Steps to rustic beauty

Annie Sloan painter-in-residence Agnieszka Krawczyk shows the steps to creating an aged green cabinet.

You’ll need:

• Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan in Antibes Green, Aubusson Blue, Florence, Olive, Chateau Grey and Graphite ($59.95 for 1 litre, check WA stockists at anniesloan.com)
• Pure bristle brush and wax brush
• Chalk Paint wax in clear and dark
• Scrapers and sandpaper
• Lint-free cloths

READ MORE: How to refresh your furniture

Step 1

To create an aged and rustic finish, build up layers of colour using greens from the Annie Sloan colour palette and paint directly on to the cabinet using a pure bristle brush. Apply the paint thickly in every direction and then move the brush in every direction to build up texture. Before the paint has completely dried, go back in with your brush, moving and shifting the semi-dry paint around to really create an uneven surface.

Step 2

Once the layers of paint have dried, mix Chalk Paint in Graphite with a little water. Thinning down the paint makes it easier for the paint to really sink into all the nooks and crannies. Paint this on to any areas that would naturally distress over time, such as legs, corners and edges of doors.

Step 3

Create a deep bottle green colour by mixing equal parts of Antibes Green and Aubusson Blue. Paint this colour all over the cabinet with the pure bristle brush, again moving the brush in all directions to create texture.

Step 4

As the paint dries on the exterior you can start to work on the hidden botanical details of the drawer. First, paint the drawer in a coat of Graphite. Once dry, paint real leaves in Florence and Antibes Green and press the painted side down on to the Graphite surface. Seal with a layer of Clear Chalk Paint wax.

Step 5

When the exterior paint has dried, sand and distress using scrapers and coarse sandpaper to chip away paintwork in areas that would naturally distress.

Step 6

Using a wax brush cover the whole piece in a layer of Clear Chalk Paint wax, working the wax in with the pointed bristles of the wax brush. Before the Clear Wax has dried apply a coat of Dark Wax on the areas that would naturally darken with age and use. Using lint free cloths, go back into the Dark Wax with some Clear Wax, wiping away any excess and allowing the Dark Wax to sink in to the paintwork. Finish with a final layer of Clear Wax to seal.

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