Hi, I'm Niall - also known as 'Sharon's Husband'. I am truly shy of social media but asked Sharon if I could write this post. Why? In Sharon's shop [La Vie En Rose] I hear a lot of female perspective of Annie Sloan paint and little about what men are thinking. So here's what I think. Being a man, a skeptic, and all that.
I admit it. I love this paint. In the same way that I love my Dewalt power tools.
When Sharon first introduced me to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint I placed my opinions and rear end firmly on the nearest fence. Not wanting to inhibit my wife's enthusiasm I nodded and smiled at regular intervals whenever the subject came up...all the while thinking 'probably another fad'. All of this bearing in mind the trials and tribulations of many, many, 'home projects' in the past.
Finally I cracked, under mild pressure, and had a go myself.
What a revelation and here is why:
It has little to no smell. No need to drag furniture outside to paint...no waiting for the weather to be right to start a project (you could be a long time waiting in Ireland). Gone are the days of using cut onions, coffee grounds and opening every window in the house to rid ourselves of paint fumes.
It doesn't 'splatter' like other paint. While we still use dust sheets, the paint seems 'magically' attracted to the furniture, being painted, and to nothing else. No more scraping paint flecks of our wooden floors...
It's really easy to clean up afterwards. Regular H2O does the job just fine. No need for white spirits or other nasty chemicals to save our brushes for the next project.
It's unbelievably easy to work with. The only way I can describe it is that it gives me the same sense of satisfaction I got, as a child, when wiping a black board clean with a wet cloth. Every brush stroke or glide of a roller gives the desired result. Small build ups of paint are easily brushed/rolled out.
No need to sand or prime. This, I really did not believe until I saw the results with my own eyes. While notably good for upper body strength - I despise sanding and/or priming. The least fun part, of up-cycling, is gone forever.
It dries quickly. All paint needs drying time but this paint is pretty quick. I have a real knack for brushing my clothes off newly painted furniture. No more 'warning - wet paint' signs around our home and no more freshly painted foot prints.
Aside from all the above, which greatly contributes to our matrimonial harmony, Annie Sloan chalk paint makes my wife very happy.
Therefore, I am also very happy ;-)
Niall
Note: this article was, genuinely, not written under duress of any kind.
