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The Rainbow Stairs

Dec 14, 2020
1 min

The Rainbow Stairs

{the journey} Here's our visual depiction of the transformation: {concept} As you may have previously read, The Gables was designed to give a moment of open space, in monochromatically light colors. We thought it would be fun to accentuate the contrast by adding the complete opposite just before - a set of RAINBOW stairs! It's now a fun surprise that everyone that comes to the house loves to see. {before} {process} To paint the colors we mixed an assortment of Annie Sloan Cha

The Gables: The Meditation Room

Dec 7, 2020
2 min

The Gables: The Meditation Room

{the journey} Here's our visual depiction of the transformation: {concept} If you haven't been able to find rooms 8 and 9, that's because they were originally up in The Gables! For a long time the two rooms were used for storage. With our current renovations, both Gables rooms were completely gutted and rebuilt with brand new windows + walls and the addition of electricity. (Wow!) The right side of the Gables was turned into a little 'getaway' space within the house. We call

The Gables: The Owner's Quarters

Nov 30, 2020
2 min

The Gables: The Owner's Quarters

{the journey} Here's our visual depiction of the transformation: {concept} If you haven't been able to find rooms 8 and 9, that's because they were originally up in The Gables! For a long time the two rooms were used for storage, which was such a shame! With our current renovations, both dormant Gables rooms were completely gutted and rebuilt with brand new windows, ceilings + walls. We also added (gasp!) electricity. The overall intention was to bring a moment of peace to th

The Tutorialist – Vintage Foxed Mirror

Nov 3, 2019
2 min

The Tutorialist – Vintage Foxed Mirror

You guys, I know I say this with each project but this one is my favorite! It’s such a fun DIY and gives very cool results regardless of your technique. I wanted to wait until after our workshop so I could share some varying photos for it so I am finally able to post the How To. I was inspired by a similar project on YouTube so this was not at all invented by me…I am just the sharing type and wanted you to all have the opportunity to play a little. Here’s what you need: A fra

The Tutorialist – Modern + Masculine

Oct 14, 2019
2 min

The Tutorialist – Modern + Masculine

We found a dated dresser that needed a serious makeover so we chose an oldie but goodie finish to give it a modern masculine aesthetic. Here’s how we did it: wipe down the piece of furniture you are painting. No sanding or priming is required when using Chalk Paint as long as the surface finish isn’t peeling. The original finish was a poorly stained and not very appealing. Once the piece is wiped off, apply Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on the frame only in FRENCH LINEN. Use an Ann

Fan Favorite – Ombre Wall

Sep 7, 2019
1 min

Fan Favorite – Ombre Wall

We love highlighting favorite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint projects here and this gorgeous wall has been in our top 5 for a year+! Annie’s son, Felix Sloan, created this oceanic ombre blend using Chalk Paint® in Provence and Aubusson Blue. Felix started by painting the top third of the wall with Aubusson Blue. He then used a 50/50 mix of Aubusson Blue and Provence to paint the middle third of the wall. Using two brushes (one for each colour) and a water sprayer, he blended the Aub

Before + After: A DIY Graphite Brick Fireplace Makeover

Mar 29, 2019
2 min

Before + After: A DIY Graphite Brick Fireplace Makeover

We always ask our customers to share their DIY project pics with us and often post them to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Occasionally, the project is so transformative yet so inexpensive and quick and easy that we really want to reach as many potential DIY-ers as possible so we opt to share here on our blog. This is one of those projects! Our lovely customer, Cynthia, traveled from New York to Montclair to purchase the paint for her project and spend some time getting ins

2018 Transformation & our Butterfly Buffet

Dec 27, 2018
1 min

2018 Transformation & our Butterfly Buffet

Wow, what a year 2018 has been! Thanks to all of you who have journeyed with us online or as customers of the shop. We wouldn’t be here without your support! We consider 2018 to be a year of transformation for us in many ways…to honor it (& because I kept dreaming of butterflies) I asked Chelsea (one of our super talented shop girls) to paint a Monarch wing on the front of this blue French Provincial buffet. The blue is a custom Annie Sloan mix (Giverny and Aubusson) with Cle

The Tutorialist – Modern Farmhouse finish (Grey Washed Cabinet)

Nov 12, 2018
2 min

The Tutorialist – Modern Farmhouse finish (Grey Washed Cabinet)

When we found this dark wood cabinet, originating from India, we knew exactly what we wanted to do with it! The details were so beautiful but hidden away behind the layers of damaged dark wood stain. We created a lovely Modern Farmhouse finish on it and our client loved the end result! Here’s how we did it: Wipe down the piece of furniture you are painting. No sanding or priming is required when using Chalk Paint as long as the surface finish isn’t peeling. We don’t ever use

Seasonal Decor Idea – Chalk Painted Pumpkins

Sep 19, 2018
1 min

Seasonal Decor Idea – Chalk Painted Pumpkins

We love a quick and easy DIY project! We started with foam pumpkins from the craft store and created three different designs: Graphite Basecoat with chalk marker hand-lettering & spiderweb Paris Grey Basecoat with “watercolored” Chalk Paint® (for this we watered our paint down significantly by 80% and spritzed it through a spray bottle) Old White and Graphite Basecoats with “mud cloth” inspired painted designs using Annie’s detail brushes There’s so many different designs you

Paint Project – Stenciling Wallpaper with Chalk Paint

Aug 30, 2018
1 min

Paint Project – Stenciling Wallpaper with Chalk Paint

Our design firm (fringe) was hired to redesign the signature suites at The Lexington Hotel in NYC. One of the suites, The Godfrey, needed a masculine treatment to a bedroom wall…but we weren’t feeling a new wallpaper so we chose a Royal Design Stencil, mixed Giverny & Napoleonic Blue and created our own! Here are a few shots of the room – it’s not fully “zhuzhed” yet in the photos but you can get a sense of the stenciled wall and how beautifully our Annie Sloan paint perform

Transfer Leaf – so easy a kid can do it!

Aug 2, 2018
1 min

Transfer Leaf – so easy a kid can do it!

We posted this video on Instagram about a week ago and had quite the response! Check it out on Instagram We were surprised at how many of you hadn’t used Transfer Leaf and also that the general consensus was that it was difficult…so we created this video to prove otherwise! Stay tuned here to see how the chairs turned out…we are dying fabric (white cotton) with Annie Sloan paint (and also using the Gold Transfer Leaf!) before reupholstering. Can’t wait for the big reveal! Pro

The Tutorialist – Layered and Luxe

Jul 24, 2018
4 min

The Tutorialist – Layered and Luxe

A friend of mine (& fellow decorative painter) asked about this finish today and I couldn’t believe I never posted the tutorial! Things have been really busy with {verdigreen} because of all the design work we’ve taken on, and it somehow slipped through the cracks…but this was a fan favorite for sure so here’s the story. I was hired to modernize a dining room for a client. She has a “Z Gallerie” style happening in her home – trading out her old Tuscan pieces for light, modern

The Tutorialist – a Hamptons style Dining Room Update

Jul 23, 2018
2 min

The Tutorialist – a Hamptons style Dining Room Update

We just finished a lovely dining room project and had to share the photos and instructions in hopes to inspire others to recreate this quick and easy update. We were referred to this client from her designer who had already suggested she paint her dining room furniture to update the look. Based on the new fabric they selected for the chair reupholstery, we suggested they paint the table apron and legs Pure White and the sideboard/buffet in Antibes Green with a White Wax patin

The Tutorialist – Rustic Farmhouse (Burgundy & Dark Wax Stain)

Jun 6, 2018
3 min

The Tutorialist – Rustic Farmhouse (Burgundy & Dark Wax Stain)

We are so busy at the studio working on custom finishes we can rarely sneak off to client’s homes…but occasionally we take on a project like this one that really excites us. This antique hutch was pretty raw/dry from sitting for decades and the client wanted it to offer more of a statement without altering it too much. We suggested using the Dark Wax as a stain on the wood and “staining” the back boards with Burgundy Chalk Paint. Here is a “Before and After” split pic: Here’s

Before & After – Marble Top Custom Table Finish

May 29, 2018
1 min

Before & After – Marble Top Custom Table Finish

A dear friend of mine, Jenna, owns a local boutique called Little Black Dress. It’s on Church Street in Montclair and she carries the cutest, feminine clothing. After moving into her new location, she realized her existing table felt too dark and heavy so she asked if I would custom finish it for her. She chose the “gold base, marble top” look that is trending right now as her finish. Here was the “before” — a espresso wood finish: We first painted it entirely in Paris Grey a

The Tutorialist – Graphite with White Wax for a Luxe Patina

Mar 11, 2018
2 min

The Tutorialist – Graphite with White Wax for a Luxe Patina

We were hired to create a custom finish for a client’s new dining room design. She was modernizing a once-traditional styled room with more transitional pieces and colors. The original finish her sideboard was an Asian red so we proposed Graphite (a soft charcoal) with a White Wax finish (to bring up the blue) to compliment her wall covering. Here’s how we did it: Wipe down the piece of furniture you are painting. Paint the piece using Graphite and an Annie Sloan Natural Bris

The Tutorialist – Golden Nude

Jan 7, 2018
3 min

The Tutorialist – Golden Nude

We are so thrilled with the response this particular finish has gotten this weekend on our FB & IG. I took a screen shot below but here is the IG post of the video showing me waxing the piece…almost 1500 views and 300 likes! Wow. That’s a lot of attention (by our little shop’s standards) and I love when something resonates with you all. I am personally so happy you all love it as much as I do. I was inspired to create this look because, of all things, a lip color! I wanted a

Mercury Glass Bombé Chest | Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan

Nov 11, 2017
1 min

Mercury Glass Bombé Chest | Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan

DIY your own piece into a faux Mercury Glass look, you can simply use Chalk Paint! Here’s how we did it: To prep your surface, wipe down the piece of furniture you are painting. No sanding or priming is required when using Chalk Paint as long as the surface finish isn’t peeling. 1. To begin, paint the base of your piece with two thin coats of Graphite. 2. Mix Pewter Paint by Artisan Enhancements with Scumble and glaze over the coats of Graphite. Let dry. 3. Mix two parts wate

The Tutorialist – Classic Finish: Old White & Aged

Jan 29, 2017
3 min

The Tutorialist – Classic Finish: Old White & Aged

Every so often, a piece of furniture calls for a classic aged look without any bells or whistles or special techniques…and if done well, it looks authentic and charming! We are going to tell you how to achieve that look by using a simple method. Read on! In this scenario, our client had antique ladder back chairs she needed painted for her dining room. Someone had painted them in the most horrid butter yellow latex (glossy and goopy and gross!) so we lightly sanded some of th