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Black Wax & Dark Wax: Staining Wood

Jun 22, 2016
1 min

Black Wax & Dark Wax: Staining Wood

Since Black Wax was announced, we have had several customers request demos (which we will gladly and freely provide in our shops) regarding the difference between the two so we quickly created this Facebook video to hopefully answer questions about using the two waxes as a wood stain. Watch our video here. Raw wood is really beautiful stained with Annie Sloan Wax – even the new White Wax creates a gorgeous “limed” effect when used over raw. Many of our clients love the “Resto

Tints

Jun 10, 2016
1 min

Tints

We are often asked about mixing colors with Annie Sloan paint and if it is easy or not. Our answer is YES!!! So easy and such a beautiful result, every time, because Annie Sloan colors do not “muddy” when mixed. We love showing our customers how beautiful they are mixed together but a simple way of stretching your palette is to just mix with Pure White. We (actually Louis, really) created a lovely display in our East Village shop of several colors mixed with Pure White in the

Custom Color Mixing & Fun Paint Projects

Jun 6, 2016
2 min

Custom Color Mixing & Fun Paint Projects

We’ve been having fun in the shop lately working on custom pieces and painted projects. If you visit us in our Montclair shop or NYC shop or follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you get to see sneak peeks into our creative process on a daily basis. For those who don’t, here are a couple of our recent favorites: First up, we took a blonde nondescript nightstand from the 60s and revitalized it with a fun geometric design. It’s now fresh and modern and on trend in its pastel glor

{verdigreen} at DOAD NYC

Apr 18, 2016
1 min

{verdigreen} at DOAD NYC

We have been working diligently on a very special redesign for Zoe Oliphant, local designer extraordinaire. She is one of 60 designers participating in creating vignettes to be auctioned off for charity at the Annual Design on a Dime Benefit for Housing Works NYC. Read all about it here. We started with a green metal footlocker, circa late 1800s and created a work of heart. We can’t wait to share our Behind the Scenes pics with you this week but until then, here is a sneak pr

1 Year Anniversary!

Apr 14, 2016
1 min

1 Year Anniversary!

Today marks our 1 year Anniversary (or Shop Birthday) of our East Village location! It’s been such a surreal journey… I have so much to say but am rendered speechless with emotion at the moment so I will come back to this when the words flow more organically. Just know that we have invested our time, heart and soul into our {verdigreen} brand and are genuinely deeply grateful for your support and encouragement through it all. We would not be here without your kindness and com

Paint Technique – Dry Brushing in Layers

Mar 1, 2016
1 min

Paint Technique – Dry Brushing in Layers

We recently got our hands on this solid wood ornately carved beauty (pardon the iPhone shot at night but I just couldn’t wait to snap a shot): Can you even believe it? It is so intricately carved and heavy! But it LOOKS heavy, too and needed some lightening up. There are many approaches to highlighting relief – the easiest being “dry brushing” which is essentially painting with an almost-dry brush, sweeping the paint along the high points without stippling in the low. Here’s

Artisan Enhancements

Jan 16, 2016
1 min

Artisan Enhancements

Artisan Enhancements is a range of DIY mediums that are non-toxic and work well with Annie Sloan products. We carry the full line of Artisan Enhancements products in our shop & love having a chance to play with them. We often use them for our wall finishes and our most recent project is a perfect example! We began with a freshly painted Benjamin Moore grey hue as our canvas. We were creating an accent wall in a study with 10 foot ceilings so we wanted a fun look without takin

Watercolors with Annie Sloan

Jan 3, 2016
1 min

Watercolors with Annie Sloan

We love playing with paint at {verdigreen} in our Design Studio Makers’ Space! Recently, a designer needed a custom lampshade for a client so it was the perfect opportunity to incorporate the watercolor technique with our Chalk Paint® palette – inspired by the Pantone Color(s) of the Year. To do this at home, add ample water (we used 2:1 water to paint) to a cup of paint & wash over a natural fabric lampshade (this started out as a creamy natural linen color), allowing the pa

Paint Project – French Provincial in French Linen

Dec 29, 2015
1 min

Paint Project – French Provincial in French Linen

We have been on our Annual Winter Break so in between family trips and visits, I’ve headed to the shop to finish up some projects we started before the holidays. Today I put the finishing touches on this French Provincial headboard. When we rescued it, the wood was in bad shape and I knew it needed painting. Rather than go Bohemian, I opted for a simple finish courtesy of Annie Sloan’s magical Chalk Paint®. We began with a layer of Cream followed by Paris Grey then Artisan En

The Tutorialist – Stencils for All

Dec 1, 2015
3 min

The Tutorialist – Stencils for All

Stencils are one of the biggest surprises when it comes to Chalk Paint® projects. I generally only associated stencils with the block letters and numbers kits that I used for scrapbooking as a preteen. If you can relate, check out our extensive selection of stencils at our shop(s). Oh, and while you’re there, take a look at the back wall, which has been hand-gilded with French Gilding wax. Stencils are elegant, stunning, and easy to use! Stencils are a crisp and clean way to

The Trend Report: The Driftwood Effect

Nov 20, 2015
2 min

The Trend Report: The Driftwood Effect

We recently created this look – with progress pics! – and a wonderful tutorial to share with you all. We love this “driftwood” look — it has dimensional layers in gorgeous greys and can be used in many home styles. Try it yourself – read more below! Staining With Chalk Paint ®: Drift Wood Effect Chalk Paint® makes a perfect stain (or what we refer to as a color wash) because it can be diluted with water without affecting its adherence. So on un-primed, raw wood (think Ikea pi

The Trend Report: Chalk Paint® with a Modern Twist

Nov 18, 2015
2 min

The Trend Report: Chalk Paint® with a Modern Twist

Is Chalk Paint ® Only For Rustic Looks? One of the questions we hear about Chalk Paint® is if it can only be used for rustic looks where distressing and Dark Wax are involved. However, Chalk Paint is entirely versatile. There doesn’t have to be texture & aging & distressing if that’s not within your aesthetic preferences. Smooth and modern finishes are easy to achieve and all that is needed beyond your regular supplies is water, sandpaper, and a gentle hand. The most helpful

Painting Fabric with Chalk Paint® – Before & After(s)

Sep 15, 2015
2 min

Painting Fabric with Chalk Paint® – Before & After(s)

Many of you have heard you can paint fabric with Chalk Paint® (yes, you can!) – and we have done several projects ourselves you are welcome to come see (and feel) for yourself in the shop. One of our all-time faves is the HUGE vinyl Mid-Century Modern sofa in our Montclair Makers’ Space: When painting with Chalk Paint®, I prefer to dilute the paint and do several thin coats with ample dry time between. Annie (Sloan, of course) likes to mist her fabric and paint full-strength.

Before & After – Arles Drop Seat Dining Chair

Sep 10, 2015
1 min

Before & After – Arles Drop Seat Dining Chair

Today we are sharing a quick Before & After of one of our Chalk Paint® projects in the shop. We rescued two of these SUPER dated wood chairs with plans of reviving them. We used a textured Arles application with Old White detailing and a Dark Wax glaze with a hint of Gold Gilding Wax to give the chairs a lovely new look. We finished them up with a vintage-inspired bark cloth from one of our favorite local shops: Rock Paper Scissors. We are IN LOVE with how they turned out and

The Tutorialist – Is Chalk Paint® for chalkboards??

Aug 30, 2015
3 min

The Tutorialist – Is Chalk Paint® for chalkboards??

We are back with a new tutorial! This one is especially relevant right now because as we introduce the Annie Sloan brand to NYC, we get this daily inquiry, “So is Chalk Paint® for chalkboards?” It makes total sense…it CAN be confusing if you are unfamiliar with it. Even more so when you find out it actually CAN be used to make chalkboards. We always try to explain that when Annie Sloan created this magical medium 25 years ago, chalkboard paint was not a mainstream product so

Dark Wax Glaze

Jul 27, 2015
1 min

Dark Wax Glaze

I’ve been wanting to show how to use Dark Wax as a “glaze” for awhile and recently we had the perfect project to demonstrate it. Here are some quick snapshots (before, during, after) of a chair leg and below is the video tutorial I created to show how easy it is! Let me know if you have any questions or come to either location (Montclair or the East Village) to see it first hand! #anniesloan #arles #chalkpaint #darkwax #DIY #eastvillage #glaze #gold #howto #montclair #nj #nyc

The Tutorialist: Choosing & Caring for your Brush

Jul 23, 2015
4 min

The Tutorialist: Choosing & Caring for your Brush

We love Annie Sloan brushes – our favorites are Made in Italy with natural bristles and the difference in the ease of use, the final finish, and the amount of product you save is priceless! Visit us in person so we can show you the difference in our brushes and even try one out with Chalk Paint® at our Paint Bar. How to Care for Your Brush When buying any new paintbrush (regardless of the type of painting) giving your brush a first time conditioning session will help you have

The Tutorialist: Dyeing Fabric

Jul 15, 2015
3 min

The Tutorialist: Dyeing Fabric

Visit one of our shops so we can show you our fabric swatches because seeing is believing. Enhance Your Furniture & Your Fabrics One of my main projects here in the East Village is putting together a book of fabric swatches that highlight how well Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan takes to varying fabrics. There’s a lot of serendipity when it comes to Annie Sloan’s brand. A lot of the amazing things it can do are discovered by just playing around with it. It’s that

The Tutorialist: Dark Wax

Jul 4, 2015
3 min

The Tutorialist: Dark Wax

The Tutorialist: Dark Wax by Azie on July 4, 2015 in Annie Sloan, Chalk Paint, Tutorial It’s time for another informative post regarding Annie Sloan Dark Wax. Read on below OR come in to either location and we will give you a free waxing demo in person! Dark Wax Uses Annie Sloan’s Dark Wax adds visual interest by casting a warm amber tint to your project and by revealing the underlying texture. It’s a distinctively rustic look but the degree to which it achieves that can vary

The Tutorialist: Annie Sloan Clear Wax

Jul 1, 2015
4 min

The Tutorialist: Annie Sloan Clear Wax

“I Have the Clear Wax–Now What?” There are many reasons why one could choose the Annie Sloan Clear Wax as their finish. It instantly gives pieces, a soft, subtle sheen and a workable coat of water-resistant protection. Annie Sloan speaks of her wax in her Color Recipes for Painted Furniture and More as her preferred finish because it, “can be colored and changed as you work, and stops the work chipping.” A coat of wax allows for a piece to retain its uniquely matte look, for