The Best Chalk Paint for Furniture
Most paint projects fail at prep. Chalk paint is the exception -- it bonds to almost any surface without sanding or priming, which is why furniture restorers use it. The matte finish is not a style choice; it is the formula. The wax topcoat that chalk paint requires is what produces the depth and durability. Get both right and a piece of furniture painted with chalk paint looks older and better than it did before you touched it. Get the wax wrong and you have a flat, chalky surface that scuffs when you look at it.
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How to Choose
Apply chalk paint with a dry natural bristle or chip brush in circular motions to work the paint into the surface texture. Do not over-brush -- chalk paint dries quickly, and overworking it produces texture rather than smoothness. Two thin coats produce better results than one thick coat. Topcoat with clear paste wax to protect the finish and provide a slight sheen; dark paste wax in crevices and molding details adds an aged appearance. Chalk paint does not need a sealer if waxed, but wax must be refreshed every six to twelve months on surfaces that see daily use.
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Original
Annie Sloan created chalk paint in 1990 to solve a problem: finding a paint that would adhere to old furniture without stripping and priming. Her formula -- calcium carbonate in an acrylic binder -- is the original and still the benchmark. Available in 45 colors, all of which can be mixed with each other. The paint is thick enough that a single coat produces significant coverage, and two coats are typically sufficient for a complete transformation.
Annie Sloan invented this category of paint. The formula is 35 years old and still the standard against which every other chalk paint is measured.
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Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint
Rust-Oleum's entry into the chalk paint category is the most widely available option: sold at hardware stores, big box stores, and online in a broad range of colors. It produces a genuine ultra-matte chalk finish, adheres to most surfaces without priming, and topcoats well with paste wax. It is not as thick as Annie Sloan -- brush strokes are slightly more visible -- but it is half the price and produces a finish that most viewers cannot distinguish from the original.
At half the price of specialty chalk paints, Rust-Oleum Chalked is the correct starting point for someone new to the technique.
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