Painting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint {Emperor’s Silk}

See how painting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Emperor’s Silk transformed a thrifted piece of furniture. Chalk paint works wonders without having to strip or prime.

Red painted wood dresser using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint emperors silk.

It does have a higher price tag than latex paint but it really is worth all the hype. I do not paint with it exclusively but I use it when a piece of furniture needs it.

How to decide which furniture is in need of the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint? If it will require sanding or primer then I use chalk paint. The waxing takes a bit getting use too and requires a little arm work but it seals the paint so well.

The furniture piece I purchased from an estate sale. It was in excellent condition and made really well. It was stained and sealed so the chalk paint was the perfect choice. I decided to make it bold and use it in my dining room for storage.

Note: When painting over stained wood there are times when it can bleed through the paint. This is when primer would be needed and why chalk paint is a great option because it is primer and paint in one. Be sure to clean with TSP Cleaner first and you’re ready to go.

Painting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Emperors Silk was the best option. You should know, straight out of the can, Emperor’s Silk is bright red. So bright that I covered it with dark wax first so it would tone it down.  If I had waxed it clear it would have been way too red for my space.

Since painting the dresser red, it is now a new color and being used in a white bedroom makeover.

Wood dresser with stain before painting.

Here is the dresser all finished.

Red painted wood dresser using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint emperors silk  styled with books and vintage wood bird cage.

Red painted wood dresser using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint emperors silk close up of wax details.

Red painted wood dresser using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint emperors silk close up of wax details.

This is a before and after using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®.  I have plans of painting some items soon and I will include more of the process of painting to show you the steps involved.  Until then, I’d love to hear about your experiences with Chalk Paint®.  Do you love it?

42 Comments

  1. The only surprise in the drawers are some party decor and serving pieces. Thanks for stopping by the blog!

  2. Sonya, I love Annie Sloan products — right down to her brushes and fabrics. I have done several smaller painting projects, and look forward to starting on furniture (I am fairly new to the AS party.) My compliments on your chest! Absolutely gorgeous! The dark wax over Emperor ‘ s Silk is a stunning combination, and your painting is awesome. The photos really showcase the beautiful job you did on this piece. If I opened the drawers would there be a surprise color inside? Ha!

  3. Thanks to Nancy with Artsy Chicks Rule & my stockist I am a big ASCP fan! I’ve covered several furniture pieces & cabinets. I just ventured into the dark wax realm & it does take some practice but results on the right pieces & right room are great. I’m wanting to wade into mixology next & see what happens. Your piece is beautiful.

  4. Beautiful! I agree that anything that eliminates sanding, stripping and priming is worth the extra cost! I started using (and have now become a retailer for) Plaster Paint by the Plaster Paint Company. It has all the awesomeness of chalk paint, but at a much lower price. Our quarts, for instance are only $24.00!!!

    You can learn more about it on my website, sweetpeascharm.com, specifically through my blog at: https://sweetpeascharm.com/1/post/2014/02/get-plastered-with-sweet-peas-charm.html. Yes, this comment is part sales pitch, but you’ll be glad I stopped by! 🙂 Contact me any time!

  5. Question: Did you use these paints/wax beause they allow you to skip the sanding and priming steps? I am looking for alternative primers and paints that allow me to skip sanding – it’s such a pain and makes such a mess. Thanks for your info. Beautiful dresser!

  6. It is expensive but I will say that one can went a LONG way!! I painted multiple pieces with it. I do plan to do some homemade versions soon!

  7. I can see how it could be quite bright so using the darker wax was very smart of you. I’ve yet to be able to use Annie Sloan or any of the commercial chalk paints. I’d love to but it’s just not in my budget, (SS recipient). Someday I’d hope to be able to experience how it works compared to my home made chalk paint. I’ve seen how great the pieces turn out from bloggers that use Annie Sloan.

  8. Sonya… I love it! My first AS paint was Emperor’s Silk and dark wax. I did a square coffee table and inset bronze and brown toned glass tiles. When I went to choose the paint I was looking for a neutral. I told the lady at the shop that red was a neutral at my house! I have purchased 2 more but have not used them yet. I got them right before Thanksgiving and was going to do another piece after the holidays but our weather has been nasty! Spring… here we come.

  9. Sonya, the Emperor’s Silk with the dark wax looks SO good on your dresser! It looks great up against your wall color too. I’d love to feature this on Involving Color. Let me know if you’re interested!

  10. That looks awesome Sonya! I love tat red with the dark wax. Emperors Silk is going to be my next color! Did you do the clear wax and then the dark or just the dark?
    Thanks , Susan

  11. I just finished four chairs in Louis blue. I love the paint with it’s no odor and easy application. Yes, I found the first wax application difficult and it was easier to use a cloth on the more detailed areas. Now to do the table.I am thinking of adding a bit of blue to some old white for the table top. Still deciding.

  12. Do you find that the emperor silk peels off when waxing or is there a secret???? Having trouble with this color. Any suggestions

  13. I have the French Linen from my prize pack at Haven and I can’t wait to use it. I hadn’t used that color before! Good Luck with your project.
    ~Sonya

  14. Thank you so much, you are super sweet! You should really get your hands on some and try it! They have sample sizes that will help with the cost so you can try it out. ~Sonya

  15. I’ve never seen this color of AS paint. Your end result is fabulous! I got a sample of French Linen at Haven and look forward to using it on a small project.

  16. Confession–I have NEVER used chalk paint! I’m definitely going to try in the near future, though. I saw some Annie Sloan colors at Haven that are to die-for! Speaking of, I love-love-love your dresser! To me, your paint/wax job added so much value. The dresser was fine before, but now it’s magnificent! And I love the color. Great job!

  17. Wow, Sonya!! Looks AWESOME! I haven’t tried the real annie sloan paint yet – need to get my hands on some soon. It isn’t available locally for me. I love the dark wax effect too! I am going to share this gorgeous transformation on my facebook page….and pin:)

  18. I love the Emperor’s Silk color but you are right…it is very red. The dark wax tones it down perfectly. I’ve only used it to mix with other colors (because it is so bright) but that dresser turned out fabulous. Will have to try it with dark wax. 🙂
    Nancy

  19. You are so sweet, Thank you! The price tag is a bit steep for the chalk paint but if you would just like to try it you can buy one of their small samples for under $12. It’s enough paint for a frame, mirror or small project. ~Sonya

  20. I do love that chest and the red on it, such a rich color. I can see how it could be quite bright so using the darker wax was very smart of you. I’ve yet to be able to use Annie Sloan or any of the commercial chalk paints. I’d love to but it’s just not in my budget, (SS recipient). Someday I’d hope to be able to experience how it works compared to my home made chalk paint. I’ve seen how great the pieces turn out from bloggers that use Annie Sloan. Your red chest is so awesome, love love the style of it with the red, yummy.
    Happy days

  21. I went straight for the dark! I wanted that very deep red look. Plus, the red was so bright I liked it better with dark. If you haven’t used dark wax before be sure to test it on your paint color because it basically stains the paint. I used the clear over top of the dark in places I wanted to lift off some of the dark. Thanks for stopping by my blog! ~Sonya

  22. I have painted bathroom cabinets for a client with Annie Sloan. It was a downstairs bathroom with out a shower so it was fine. I used Cashmere by Sherwin Williams in my kitchen, I would also recommend it for bathrooms as well! Good Luck!

  23. Love this look! Did you put clear wax first, or just the darK?

  24. Ive just started using Annie Sloan and I love it. It is so easy and pretty quick to the finished product. What is so great about this product is there is no prep work just clean whatever you are painting. I just finished a bathroom cabinet and it turned out great. My next project is doing some fabric chairs. Yes you can paint fabric with this paint. Then Im thinking Ill tackle my kitchen cabinets. Its a big job but much cheaper than having someone else do them. Just try it yourself and you will see how easy it is. I would check out the Annie Sloan website it has great info on how to use this paint and wax.

  25. Love the look and the color. Redoing my MasterCard and need to paint white wood cabinets. What type if paint do you recommend for a bathroom, knowing it would come in contact with water somewhat. Thanks!

  26. Thanks Kristin! I also won an Annie Sloan gift pack at Haven! I picked French Linen, what did you get? I look forward to seeing your desk. ~Sonya

  27. Thank you for sharing about chalk paint. Your dresser is gorgeous and I can’t wait to see where you place it. You say you use it so you don’t have to prime or sand. Is there anything about the finished product that is different than if you primed and/or sanded and used latex? Does it cover nicks or holes better? Is the look or feel of the paint finish different than latex? Do you always use wax after? Just doing some research to know when or where I might want to use it. Is this a Home Depot or Lowe’s product?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *