Hello friends...welcome back! As you can see from my last post, Spring has finally come to Virginia. My property is a vision of gorgeous greens, pinks, purples, yellows and more. See all the beautiful flowering trees and shrubs from my last post Here Lately, I have been very involved in the restyling, repainting of pretty much all of my home. I have purchased paint for all the bedrooms, the entryway, stairwell, upstairs hallway and the three bathrooms. I'm tired just typing all that! Except for the double high entryway (the upper part), I am doing all the painting myself. Behr Marquee in Platinum on the right is the new entry color. Working my way up the stairwell. I am loving the change so far...much lighter and refreshing. ***** Part of this huge restyle undertaking will involve a few painted pieces in my home. Some of which I have been wanting to tackle FOREVER! Shopkeeping just got in the way. This antique oak buffet is the first piece to get a coat of Annie Sloan paint. I bought this buffet at an auction back in the 1980's while living in Houston, Texas. As you can see the top half has always been a different shade of stain from the bottom. I think years ago someone married two pieces together, as you can find them connected by countersunk screws at the back. I had no hesitation about painting her. Five years ago, I had my hubby paint her Annie Sloan Old White and that is what she remained until now. Never waxed and never a completed paint job. She has been very sad for years while I was busy running a shop. To help bring this lady to the French side I will be applying some Efex Architectural Moldings to her. Click on the name link to find an Efex dealer near you. Click HERE to find your local Annie Sloan Stockist I wanted to paint her an earthy pink color. Of course Annie Sloan Scandinavian Pink was my first choice, however, I wanted the pink to be slightly lighter. To achieve the perfect pink I mixed some Annie Sloan Antoinette Pink into the Scandinavian to lighten it. By adding another pink instead of one of Annie's whites, I was able to keep the earthiness of the Scandinavian Pink. Isn't this a lovely shade of pink? Already you can see the amazing difference in her style just by painting her and adding the Efex. Once painted with two coats of my custom mix, I took a pocket knife to her and chipped away. I wanted to give her an aged and well-worn patina. Once painted and distressed to my satisfaction, I gave her a nice application of Annie Sloan Clear Wax. I managed to tape my iPhone to the stair banister and film a little waxing video for you. Although I am no longer an Annie Sloan Stockist, I still get tons of painting and waxing questions. I hope this helps. You can find tons more video tutorials on my YouTube channel Here Be sure to click on the 'Subscribe' button so you don't miss any upcoming videos. I even more French flair by applying some of my favorite imported French gilding wax in King Gold, to the pulls. Remember...gilding wax is just as it says, a wax. Do not clear wax over as that will remove it. Gilding wax is always the last to be applied. I used my finger and it is super easy and very elegant. Purchase the gilding waxes Here I love how the gilding wax brings out all the ornate details. Here she is all finished. After I applied the clear Chalk Paint Wax, I mixed some Dark Chalk Paint Wax with some mineral spirits to create a glaze and applied that. The dark glaze took away the newness of the paint application and gave me the aged patina I was looking for. She is all Frenchified! Everyone loves a good Before and After Such a huge improvement. I love her against my newly painted grey walls. Just the right amount of chipping Lovely touches of French gold. The dark wax glaze aged her perfectly. Remember...for most pleasing results and ease of application, always clear wax first. If you do not, the dark wax will grab and stain. The French gilding wax on the Efex moldings adds such pretty bling. My sentiments exactly! Now when you enter our home, this is the first thing you see. My front door is painted in Annie Sloan's Florence Chalk Paint and I adore the two colors together. FYI...My front door has NO protective top coat as none is needed with Annie's paint when used outdoors. She has held up beautifully so far with rain and snow not bothering her a bit. So that is a little update on all that is changing in the Metzger home. More to come. Until next time...be kind and stay creative. Hugs, Janet xox