Vienna Pink – Page 10

Minwax Dark Wax Vs. Annie Sloan Dark Wax (Video)

25 Jun

I made a video comparing the subtle differences between Minwax and AS Dark Wax.

Annie Sloan’s colors matched to Behr colors (Updated for 2015)

22 Jun

I love Annie Sloan paint, however I am not always a fan of her prices. Chalk paint is currently the “in” thing these days, but after using her paint and creating my own DIY mixtures, I really do not see a difference. Honestly, whip up a batch of Plaster of Paris with any of the Behr colors that match ASCP’s and put them side by side…the difference is nil to nothing.

I know there is already a list out there that matches Behr colors to Annie Sloan’s but I realized after doing some research that the list is A) outdated B) the colors are not precise and do not match.

I wanted to do a very thorough and close match to ASCP’s colors. The colors I’ve researched are not just “similar”, they also match undertones and overtones. Thus, the colors are as close to authentic as possible.

Antibes Green matched with Behr’s Parakeet

ASCP’s Coco matched with Behr’s Ethiopia (camera lens makes it look a little green, it’s actually brownish cream).

In some cases when a Behr color is not possible, I matched it with Glidden or Ralph Lauren paints. All three brands are carried by the Home Depot and are affiliated with each other. Home Depot can transform it into a Behr “color” by using their color match system.

**So for example the closest match to ASCP’s Barcelona Orange is Ralph Lauren’s Varsity Orange, you can turn it into a Behr Premium Plus Ultra brand by letting the associate know the name and number of the RL color. Simple!**

ASCP Antibes Green
- Behr Parakeet MQ4-47d

ASCP Antoinette
- Behr Rosewater S170-2u

ASCP Aries
- Glidden Wood Thrush Gold 10YY 45/419

ASCP Aubusson Blue
- Behr Tornado Season S450-6d

ASCP Barcelona Orange
- Ralph Lauren Varsity Orange RL4087
- Behr Tiki Torch M180-6d

ASCP Burgundy
- Behr Deep Claret BIC-50

ASCP Chateau Grey
- Behr Grassy Savannah N340-5m

ASCP CoCo
- Behr Ethiopia PPU5-6d

ASCP Country Grey
- Behr Rye Bread PPU8-10m

ASCP Cream
- Behr Hummus PPu6-11u

ASCP Duck Egg Blue
- Behr Misty Moss N420-3m

ASCP Emile
- Behr Gothic Purple N110-4d

ASCP Emperor’s Silk
- Behr Red Red Red BIC-49

ASCP English Yellow
- Behr Sulphur Yellow P320-7d

ASCP Florence
- Glidden Niagara Reef Jade 70GG 25/242

ASCP French Linen
- Behr Gray Squirrel N320-5m

ASCP Graphite
- Behr Astronomical N450-7d

ASCP Greek Blue
- Behr Empire Blue MQ5-56m

ASCP Henrietta
- Behr Highland Thistle S110-4u

ASCP Louis Blue
- Behr Opal Waters MQ5-50u

ASCP Napoleonic Blue
- Glidden Federal Blue 50BB 10/147
- Behr Velvet Rope MQ5-58

ASCP Old Ochre
- Behr Dainty Lace MQ3-11u

ASCP Old Violet
- Glidden Mountain Slate Blue 10bb 18/106
- Behr Hypnotic MQ5-19

ASCP Old White
- Behr Writing Paper S310-1u

ASCP Olive
- Behr Kilimanjaro N340-7d

ASCP Paloma
- Behr Metropolis N140-3m

ASCP Paris Grey
- Behr Classic Silver PPU18-11u

ASCP Primer Red
- Ralph Lauren Townhouse RL4062

ASCP Provence
- Glidden Blue Green Sea 90GG35/153

ASCP Pure White
- Behr Ultra Pure White PPU18-6

ASCP Scandinavian Pink
- Behr Red Coral PPU1-5Ad

ASCP Versailles
- Behr Mojito PPU8-11

Pretty Little Things

13 Jun

Quick update, my mom found these dirty frames when cleaning out her garage. I LOVE gold anything and these things had little ornate details that I knew could transform into something cute.

First, these were covered in cobwebs and dirt, so a much needed scrubbing was my priority. I filled up my bucket and with some water & soap…I managed to get some of that yuckiness out. =P

So to prep, I decided to prime the frames with some 1-2-3 Primer I bought from your local Home Depot.
I then started to paint with Glidden’s “Winter Mauve” on one frame and Behr’s “Indiscreet” on another.

I allowed the frames to dry over night. The next morning I started the staining process; I’m still new to this staining thing but after my last project I have started to gain a little more confidence.

With an artist’s brush I applied the stain in little nooks and crannies, making sure to apply heavily in the moldings and corners.

After applying, I allowed the stain to “sit” for over a minute. Then with a lint free rag, I wiped off the excess using circular motions and light pressure. =D

I applied more stain on the outer edges to create a dimensional look to the frames. Once everything was dry I used a small painter’s brush, whipped out some metallic gold paint from Ralph Lauren (I used Parlor Gold). And painted the gold on to the moldings.

For these frames I had in mind to use them as chalk boards, so I ordered some 8 x 10 glass panes from a nearby store. I applied primer to the panes and applied one layer of chalkboard paint. The finishing product? Fantastic!

Little Saigon

12 Jun

My favorite morning ritual consists of sitting alone in a quiet meditative state, next to my window…on a gray dreary morning. Sipping coffee from my favorite cup, and perhaps reading the news off my phone.
A week ago I read two separate articles on how Asians “lacked imagination” and are generally “not very artistic” (their words). Both pieces were from two separate but very reputable agencies, making me think that perhaps Asians get the sloppy seconds when it comes to first impressions. Being so, I couldn’t help but feel that it placed a bit of a dent in my morning. Either way, I shrugged it off and focused on my passion: refurbishing!

So I found this night stand sitting isolated on my street, someone had completely ruined it with cigarette marks, crayons, some coffee stains, belt marks, and dark holes. They left her out for the trash so I guess it is up to me to save her! =P

It’s covered in some gooey brown liquid…EW!

I couldn’t even touch it, no I made my husband carry it LOL.
So the first order of business was to clean the crap out of her. She was so dirty she almost made it stylish haha. So I brought out the hose, sprayed everything down and with a bucket and some soap…I used a wire sponge and started to scrub. I tried to get all the dirt and yucky stuff out of the crevices and sprayed down the areas that were inaccessible to me. It was tough, I am talking dried glue..gum, dead insects…I swore it was like a museum packed into this tiny little night stand.

I allowed for her to dry for a few hours then I whipped out my random orbital sander and proceeded to sand off all the leftover marks and little raises in the paint.

Sanding off all the little nicks on the drawers

I took my sander over the entire dresser, applying very little pressure and using 220 grit. This was my first time using an orbital sander so I was afraid of using anything too coarse, I didn’t want to destroy the night stand lol. Luckily I found it to be very easy to use, the machine practically did the work itself! In retrospect I could have gotten away with 100 grit if I wanted to.

There was an area on the side that had a large crack running up from the bottom. I was watching Restoration America (or something) and learned that I could use the sanding dust from my project mixed with a bit of glue to act as a filler. So never passing up an opportunity to try something different, I decided to do just that!

Some glue and sanding dust to use as a filler!

I filled her with a bit of glue, and waited to dry. Then sanded off the build-up until the area was smooth again. It worked perfectly! I couldn’t tell there was ever a dent there! =]

Once I wiped everything down with a tack cloth, I started to apply my first coat of paint. I used Graphite as my base coat, then applied 2 layers of ASPC’s Emperor’s Silk. I was inspired by antique Chinese furniture, something rustic but modern.

I loved that the black base coat was showing through a little, giving the red a darker contrast in some areas. Instead of using dark wax this time, I decided to Stain this piece. I’ve had a bad experience using stain in the past, but I am not one to be deterred (trust me). So I decided to try it again this time, and it was a MAJOR SUCCESS.

I allowed the stain to settle into the nooks and crannies on the drawer. Wiping off using baby oil in areas that I wanted to highlight, such as the center of the drawers. Working in a clockwise motion, I wanted everything to get darker as the stain migrated away from the center. Generally I allowed the stain to sit for no longer than 30 seconds before I started to wipe it off, honestly you have to work quickly or it will dry fast. Use baby oil to remove!

I stained the top of the night stand and let it sit.

I left the stain on top of the nightstand for 3 days!

On hindsight I should have just painted it black, but I wanted to experiment with the results so I left the stain on top for 3 whole days. It took that long to dry (you don’t want to apply poly to wet stain). It smelled horribly but left a shiny finish. I love it.

After staining, I decided to stencil gold flowers on the front, it was my first time stenciling also and I was horrible at it! The colors seeped through to the bottom and left weird blotches! I was using a roller instead of a stencil brush so that was a total mistake, I also allowed my brush to get too wet.

Either way , there was a lot of washing off and re-applying involved. Luckily, I got better at it and decided to finish the gold leaves by hand, it eradicated the fuzzy lines.

I had some left over paint that I needed to get rid of so I painted the inside drawer green.

To finish things off, I grabbed some handles at home depot and threw them together.

Boom. This girl is on fire!

Birthday Vacation

7 Jun

Another year, another moment of reflection. Time seemed to have sped up on me, and every day I am finding that life can be so fragile. I want to wake up every day appreciating all that I have, because I feel that everything might not have existed if I had made one wrong decision. Enjoy life now, every day, it may never be this sweet again.

I had the best birthday week ever, my husband is so absolutely amazing, I love him truly. He showered me with so much this month I feel so guilty! Today was especially nice because he surprised me with a visit to Peinture!

Duck egg blue with an old white base and white washed!

Peinture is an Annie Sloan distributor in LA, I had so much fun on my trip and even got away with a can of dark wax!

The store was beautiful on the inside,lots of pretty furniture, and everything ASCP! I especially loved all the pieces that were done with color washes and paint layering. There were also pamphlets with color samples and paint chips.

The price for these pieces were a little outrageous, ranging from about $400 to $900 for a drawer! To be honest, I don’t see any difference between ASCP paint on furniture and just regular Behr paint mixed with POP at home.

I totally love all the ASCP samples on chairs!

The lady at the counter told me painting classes were booked until the end of July! Nooooooooo! =P

My hubby surprised me with a delicious birthday cake on the way home! He is such the perfect guy!

By the way, I can’t wait to use my ASCP dark wax on my new projects!

All in all, a perfect birthday. Goodnight world.

Disposing leftover paint.

1 Jun

I hate wastefulness, I also hate knowing that I have not always been the best caretaker of our planet. I don’t always recycle, and I tend to drive short distances when I could have just walked. All those temptations towards instant gratification has definitely spoiled me ;). Considering the fact that I live in California where we are going through a record drought, I need to change my attitude towards certain habits.

One of the things that’s really important to know is how to dispose of toxic chemicals. Paint, especially oil-based, are considered toxic and hazardous to the environment. One should always be careful not to pour paint into the ground or directly into the drain (it could actually damage your piping system!). Oil based paint is considered flammable so you should never try to burn it as the fumes are not only extremely toxic but can also release contaminants into the air.

I use a lot of latex paint, which are water based and are considered non-toxic. However, some latex paints do contain a small amount of mercury which is hazardous to the environment. One should exercise caution not to pour liquid latex down the drain or into the ground.

So how does one get rid of leftover paint?

Reuse. When the paint I am using is not a DIY chalk paint, I store it in a dark cool place sealed with plastic and stored upside down. Sometimes I buy colors that I absolutely despise so I would think of ways to reuse them without forfeiting cosmetic appearance.
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I like to save my unsavory paint colors to paint the insides of drawers and cabinets.

Use left over paint for layering to distress.

…Or just little details and trimmings.
Throw away solid latex paint. When I am using DIY chalk paint, I usually mix it in a small container double covered with plastic bags and tightened at the top with rubber bands. This is so I don’t have to constantly buy new containers, and it also makes disposal an easier and simpler process. You shouldn’t throw away liquid latex but it can safely be disposed of in its solid form. Leave the paint outside for a few days to harden then once it has solidified you can safely throw it in the trash! =]
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I leave my paint outside for 2 days to dry.
Recycle your paint! I keep a small container in my cabinet filled with misc paint colors that I couldn’t dispose of or solidify. Whenever I am done with a project I would pour the leftover paint into this small plastic container, when the container is full I would drop it off at my local paint shop for them to dispose!
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My disposable container to be recycled!

My paint store is Sherwin Williams, they are excellent at getting rid of your leftover paint. Just drop it off and rest assured that none of that toxic waste will be making its way into our food chain!

Recycle your paint at a local paint store!
Other Alternatives (that I haven’t tried). I heard you can also brush or roll the paint onto layers of newspaper or cardboard. When the paint dries, put the paper in the trash bin. Alternatively, you can pour the paint into a cardboard box and mix it with shredded newspaper, cat litter, or a commercial paint hardener to speed solidification. The box can go in the trash when the paint dries and the cans can be recycled.

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There are so many ways to get rid of that paint, I hope you have found a method that is easiest for you! Happy painting!

Victorian Honey

31 May

I was browsing Craigslist a week ago and found this gorgeous beauty. The previous owner passed away and left her estate to the children; the kids were frantically trying to auction off 6 acres worth of furniture all awhile trying to take care of their ailing father. When I saw this sofa it was still wrapped in plastic, hidden away in a storage unit at some dark lonely place in Long Beach.

I absolutely LOVE Victorian furniture, it brings back memories of my childhood; days where I would cuddle on the sofa with my mom watching Gone With the Wind. I am a girly girl at heart, and it never occurred to me that I would one day work with furniture. I still feel that anything can be feminine as long as you add your womanly touches to it. ♥

So I managed to strike a deal with the woman who sold me this piece, my husband had that Friday off so we rented a truck at the Home Depot. YES you can rent a truck there and for a much better price than U-Haul. I absolutely hate that U-Haul had a million different fees that they don’t tell you about until AFTER you’ve returned their truck. Sometimes those costs can reach triple digits if you’re not careful, and don’t even think to call their Headquarters to file a complaint…you will be ignored and ridiculed. I will never work with U-Haul again.

So the deal with Home Depot is that you pay them a deposit fee of $50, and they charge you $20 for the first 75 minutes and $5 every 15 minutes after that. This is all taken out of your initial deposit, and anything that isn’t charged will be refunded. It took me a little over an hour to relocate my sofa from the storage unit to my house and it only cost us $20!

My plan with this sofa is to paint the wood in ivory and the fabric in a dark blue or violet. I knew going into this project that it’ll be extremely intimidating, but I figured the challenge will be fun. I never once painted on fabric before, so I wanted to be real careful with my first attempt. There are so many fabric paint tutorials out there so the real challenge was to shop for colors. It was supremely difficult to imagine what a small swatch of paint would look like on a large 3 person sofa.

Red Bull and paint chips, just another day!

I didn’t want to use chalk paint on my fabric, I was too afraid that the chalky hardness would ruin the damask/embroidered surface. I decided on water based latex paint. My color? Knighthood by Behr.

I absolutely fell in love with this color, it goes on like a soft navy blue with purple and brown undertones. I used a satin finish and it really brought out the shine on my fabric!

The process is pretty straight forward, here’s what I used:

♥ 2 quarts of paint. You NEED at least 2 quarts, probably more.

♥ A good paint brush (don’t use a cheap brush, trust me)
♥ Painter’s tape
♥ Fabric medium or hair conditioner (more about this below)

♥ Spray bottle filled with water

This was the only fabric medium I could find at Joann’s. This created lumps in my paint!

I could only find a few bottles of medium in my area, so I painted the back of the sofa without it.

My method was 2 paint : 1 medium : 1 water. Mixed into a container.

The color was lovely, and went on very smoothly.

I am not sure why, but the fabric medium I used created large lumps in my paint, sort of like corn starch when added to hot water (it won’t dissolve!). I didn’t notice at first but when I started to apply the paint, the lumps broke apart and created little white stains on my fabric! It was frustrating because I didn’t want to waste an entire quart of paint. I applied it anyway, and hoped that the second coat will make a nice cover up.

Start in an inconspicuous area first, this is the initial coat.

The paint actually saturated my sofa so well that I didn’t think I would need a second coat. Depending on the fabric of your project, it could take up to two or three layers of paint! Don’t be discouraged though, the end result is totally worth it.

Since my disaster with the fabric medium, I decided to substitute with regular hair conditioner. I bought something cheap and colorless at my grocery store and mixed it in with paint and water. I don’t know what to tell you, the result was amazing! It really softened up my sofa and didn’t leave a “crackle” effect.

I waited 24 hours after the initial coat. I didn’t think it needed a second layer but I applied one anyway just to cover up discolorations created by the lumpy fabric medium.

I then used soft wax over the entire thing to seal it up!

This took me approximately 3 days of drying and painting to complete. I did not like the Old White combination with this navy color so I repainted the trimmings in burnished gold by Ralph Lauren.

I repainted the trimmings in burnished gold.

Overall, the chair is a huge improvement over the original. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, (such as not double taping along the edges to prevent bleeding) but overall the attempt was totally worth it! Would I ever do this again? Probably not on a project of this size, it was nothing short of exhausting. My arms felt like they were going to fall off haha. The MOST difficult part of this sofa were definitely the buttons/creasing and the edgings. I think it accounted for the majority of my time and frustration.

Either way, I taught myself a few things and learned from my mistakes; that’s the whole point right? I can’t wait for my next project!

Here is a list of mistakes and lessons learned along the way:

1. Use a good quality brush, I started off using a cheap brush and this was a mistake. I figured I didn’t want to ruin one of my best pieces but honestly it really helps the paint get into those pesky little areas. Apply with pressure in a circular motion.

2. Spray and spray some more. Water that is: the damper the fabric, the easier it is for the paint to spread and absorb. Don’t fall short on this step!

3. Use hair conditioner if you can’t find fabric medium, it softened up my cushions and made it feel like leather. I couldn’t tell the difference between the parts that were painted with medium and the parts with hair conditioner.

4. I used a satin sheen and I love it, the shimmer gave my cushions a nice luster comparable to its original form.

5. Use painter’s tape and lots of it. I wish i could have gone back and double taped my edgings because some of the paint DOES seep underneath. It’s a huge pain in the rear to take off your tape and find that the color has bled on to the fabric! This is a total problem because painting over painted fabric is a huge chore.

I think that’s it =]

Overall totally not a bad investment!

Hardware Gal

26 May

I never thought that I would be spending my time at Home Depot on the weekends. Seriously, these days have been spent roaming the hardware aisle looking at all the sparkly little gems that are oh so beautiful. They look so intimidating, big burly mechanical things that seem to scream “NOT for wussies”. Honestly I find it very exciting. I am ready to take on these bad boys ;).

I knew that my first expensive investment would have to be a palm sander, I hate having to spend so much time sanding everything by hand. As of right now I don’t really do too much prepping before painting, and although my projects look great without it, I am a perfectionist and was raised with the “do it well or don’t do it at all” mentality. These things won’t just cut my sanding time in half, but will leave a very smooth foundation for my paint as well.

I know a lot of people say that you don’t need to prep for chalk paint, but honestly sanding is so important because you are removing a surface of grime and dirt that has accumulated over the years. It just can’t look its best without sanding.

I was watch American Restoration on the History Channel last night and I learned that you can make your own wood filler by saving your sanding dust and mixing it with glue! How awesome is that? I just love learning new things.

Another thing I discovered is that you can use foam to kneel on. My husband got these egg crate pads from shipping containers at his hospital, they make it bearable for when I am on my knees painting or sanding. It’s fantastic!

Furniture refinishing really brings out my artsy side, I can literally transform anything with color. Don’t like the color of those cabinets? Paint it! Stains on your dresser? Paint it! Worn out looking table? Paint! The whole world comes together in a canvas in my mind, and I am the paintbrush. It feel good knowing that I no longer contribute to the million tons of garbage that gets dumped into our landfills and oceans every day. This is a good feeling that is also extremely addicting.

I love to cook but I feel that painting is starting to become a much bigger passion. See you at Home Depot!

Chalkboard top Coffee Table

26 May

So I found this super cute coffee table on Craigslist for $15 (originally listed for $25 but I managed to coax her into it ;). Unfortunately I forgot to take a “before” photo (such a noob mistake), but it has a glass pane on top. I had big ideas for this piece and started working right away; I discovered this tutorial for using Vaseline over the base coat for a super chippy effect.

So first I mixed my chalk paint using Behr’s Astonomical as the first coat, I wanted something black but not too black and this color was a perfect shade of charcoal-blue.

First I painted my table with the base color, paying close attention to the areas which will later be rubbed in with vaseline. I didn’t really care too much about application, just slapped it on like so.

I then waited for it to dry (it only took an hour!) and started to apply my petroleum jelly in areas that will naturally wear in over the years. At this point I wasn’t sure if I should apply a lot or a little. So I did more in some areas and less in others. Now in retrospect I wished I would have applied a lot less, I am not a big fan of super chippy effects on furniture.

I used Vaseline but any cheaper brands of petroleum jelly will work.

I then painted over my table with Annie Sloan’s Old White. I used an inexpensive flat brush because i didn’t want to get vaseline all over my more expensive brushes. Immediately I could tell that the paint was being repelled in the areas that were coated with petroleum jelly. It was so exciting! I knew that sanding this piece later will be a cinch.

The paint is being repelled by the Vaseline.

Honestly, being my first try it wasn’t that horrible looking, but once the table was dry I knew i had made a huge mistake applying too much Vaseline. Sometimes less is more in this case ya know?

No fear! All I had to do was wait until the table was dry…sand off the vaseline and then just paint a finishing coat over the top right? WRONG. Even with a second coat of paint, the color still won’t take!

At this point I was starting to panic a little. I had no choice but to make the best out of what I had, a very strangely chipped coffee table that looked awful.

Changing my strategy, I decided to go with dark wax hoping that it will draw attention away from my horrible black/white coffee table. I applied a coat of Minwax’s clear wax, waited 15 minutes and then applied a layer of dark wax. I didn’t have a round brush on hand so I opted for a flat brush. As I applied with the flat brush I swirled it in a circular motion, adding some pressure in the corners and accents.

Like I said before, I love Minwax because it gave furniture a light golden color. It isn’t too heavy and it fills in the wood grains very well, my table was actually looking very good after the second coat!

I actually fell in love with this table after adding the dark wax. It made such a huge difference and immediately I could tell that I will be waxing many pieces from now on.

I used a hand held blow dryer to speed up the drying process and to also create cracks in the paint.

Unlike others, I didn’t wipe off the dark wax with a rag. I just applied two coats using a brush, and left it to dry. This is why I love Minwax, the color goes on light enough that you don’t need to buff it out too much.

The second part of my plan involved the glass top part of this table, I went and bought some chalkboard spray paint. I then took the glass pane and gave it two coats.

I waited for everything to dry, put those pieces together and sealed it with some polyurethane!

I’ll be drawing on this table for weeks to come! 😉

Minwax’s Wax Review

19 May

There are so many blogs out there dedicated to Annie Sloan’s clear/dark wax that I decided to write about my own experience with Minwax’s product.

First of all, I have tried both and although AS is easier to use, I personally prefer Minwax due to:

A) Price and availability. One pound of Minwax’s clear wax is $9.98 at Amazon.com AND you can find it at your local department stores. AS’s can be as much as $30 if you live in the United States!

B) Minwax’s dark wax is so beautiful when brushed on, and it goes on very light. Personally I prefer this because I DON’T have to do any wiping with a cloth (I just rub in with a brush). If I want more coverage I do a second coat.

Here’s the thing though, I am not a huge fan of excessive aging and distressing. I like the golden brown look of waxed furniture, and Minwax does a great job with subtlety. Plus it is extremely versatile!

(This was after only one coat of the dark wax! No wiping!)

Instead of having to wipe off excess dark wax (such a waste!), the color blends into the wood and gives it a slight stain. And yes, you DO want to use a brush (flat or round), because it is a real pain to get good coverage with their dark wax when using a cloth.

The “lightness” factor could be a deal breaker for some, and that is understandable. Waxing is a taxing process in itself and who wants to spend more time re-applying coats if you’re anyone but me?

Another possible con is that Minwax’s clear wax has an orange-y tint to it. This isn’t a problem for me because I haven’t noticed a difference when applying on white furniture, and since I usually follow with a dark coat…the truth is, well who cares?

So to summarize, if you are a fan of subtle dark and age-y furniture, go with Minwax. If the orange tint (that isn’t visible upon application anyway) doesn’t bother you, use Minwax’s clear wax. If you are frugal (like me) and don’t care either way, use Minwax!

Beginner Tip: Use a blow dryer on low heat setting to melt the wax before applying.