Tag Archives: annie sloan provence

Painting Fabric

painted chair
before and after painted chair

French Armchair before painting.

French Armchair before painting.

The first thing to do was to remove the seat cushion. In this case it was relatively simple. Just a case of undoing five screws underneath the chair.

chair ready for painting
chair ready for painting

Before painting it is worth noting that all materials are different. Some will absorb more of the paint than others. Man made materials may not absorb it at all. So before painting the whole thing always try a test patch somewhere inconspicuous first. Make sure you are happy with the results before proceeding any further.
The idea is to soak the paint into the fabric. Therefore the paint needs to be very thin. Simply add water until you get your desired consistency. I mixed mine in a paint tray and used an Annie Sloan n°8 round brush to apply it. This type of brush can hold a lot of paint and definitely makes life a lot easier.
First up was the cushion.

By the way that is not me in the photo. For this particular project I was assisted by Astrid from Annie Sloan France. Below is a picture of the seat drying in the sun.

seat drying in the sun
seat drying in the sun

The next step was the chair itself. Bear in mind that if there is a pattern on the material it may show through. If you not happy with that it is possible to add more coats of paint. This chair had three coats but I think I could have possibly got away with two!

painting fabric with chalk paint™
painting fabric with chalk paint™

After having applied a couple of coats of Annie Sloan Provence Chalk Paint™ to the fabric the frame was painted in French Linen. After this the whole thing was waxed including the fabric with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint clear wax. Before waxing the fabric it may be necessary to lightly sand the fabric if has dried hard or crispy.This will loosen the fabric and let it have a bit of give. By apply the wax it will protect and seal the paint. It will also give the fabric a leather feel.
Here’s the final finish.
chair painted in Provence and French Linen
chair painted in Provence and French Linen

Next time we will look at painting a headboard.
To buy Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in France click here.