Fleur de lis Updated with Chalk Paint

Today's post is about giving a new look to a small home decor piece. Paint is an easy way to update home decor. This size of project is also great to use if you're trying out a new painting technique.

You might notice a dog in the background of my photos. I was dog sitting for a week this summer, and TJ didn't leave my side. He sat patiently while I worked on my projects.

Before

My project has a fleur-de-lis decor piece. It had a dark finish and I wanted to lighten and brighten it up. (I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint products, but you could use whatever paint you have. However, unlike chalk paint, some paints might require a primer coat first.)

Minor damage to the finish.

First I applied a base coat of French Linen using a 2" bristle brush. Then I used a smaller brush to get in the nooks and crannies.

First coat of French Linen Chalk Paint
I swear the dog winked at me!
I winked back just in case.

After the first coat dried, I dry brushed Graphite and Old Ochre over the French Linen. To dry brush paint, you apply a small amount of paint to the brush and then pounce the brush onto a paper towel or paper plate to remove most of the paint before applying to your project. Dry brushing gives subtle dimension to the overall color. If you apply too much paint while dry brushing you can go over the area with a little of the base color to blend it in.

Dry brushed Graphite and Old Ochre over the base coat.

It was 90 plus degrees outside, so I worked on this project indoors. Consequently, I didn't want to use sandpaper to distress the paint and create a mess of sanding dust inside. So instead I used a damp washcloth to distress the paint.

Distress the painted finish with a damp cloth.

After

I sealed the paint with clear soft wax.

Here's a couple of closer shots of the final finish. . .

A closer look of the dry brushed and distressed finish.

Blending colors add depth and visual interest.

I hope you enjoyed today's project. Thanks so much for stopping by!