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My favorite things for furniture painting evolve a little as newer and better products hit the market. I used Sherwin Williams latex paint for years, then started mixing my own chalky style paint, as that option became more popular. The thing is that you can never match a piece later, not perfectly,manyway, and you have the VOC’s and such to deal with. I am not snubbing my nose at them, by any means, it is still the Top of the Line paint for walls and houses, in my book, but for furniture, I am looking for more.
We eat organic, use only natural products in our home, and do our best to live with as few chemical exposures as we can. When I read about DIY clay-based paint, I was thrilled, and knew it was right up my alley.mThere is a tad of a learning curve, but I have several videos, showing both successes and fails, on my You Tube Channel. Debi Beard of Debi’s Design Diary is the owner of the company, and she has a fantastic You Tube Channel, and Dionne Woods of The aturquoise Iris uses DIY exclusively, as well.
I believed in the paint so much that I invested about $2000 bringing it into our local artisan market, at the health food store. I use the DIY almost exclusively now, and I love it. There are a couple of other lines that I dabble in, and I will list them below. If you are local to central Louisiana, stop by The Artisan Market at Get Healthy, 109 S Washington St, DeRidder, LA and see the paints for yourself. If not, you can have them shipped right to your door! https://diypaint.co/?aff=115
There are a few more colors available through Dixie Belle, and a ton of colored waxes, patinas and finishes. I do carry a few of those, too, and have loved everything that I have used so far.
Junk Monkey Paint Company is another fantastic brand. It is a growing Mom & Pop company that really believes in what they are doing, and the quality of their paint is spectacular. Sonia Miller, the owner, does some fantastic tutorials, too. I have a few of their colors and glazes, and LOVE the Banana Peel Matte Topcoat. http://www.junkmonkeypaint.com?aff=17
As far as brushes go, I LOVE the Paint Pixie brushes. Josie has them special made and imported from a family brush-making business in Italy. The brushes hold so much paint! I have never seen anything like them. They make clay and chalk style furniture painting a breeze. Love, love, love them. I use the #12, #8, French Round and I keep 3 wax brushes, one for clear, one for white, and one for darks and colors. http://paintpixie.com?aff=49
I still use my Purdy Cub on occasion, I have 3 of them that I have been using for over a decade. My favorite brushes, before Paint Pixie came along. They fit my hand perfectly, and I get a straight line every time. I still use it for some faux finishes, and for entry doors and such, and any time I use latex paint. Purdy Cub Brush https://amzn.to/2MhEVOs
Other Furniture Painting Supplies
When working with clay and chalk paint, keeping your paint moist is extremely important. All of the cool blends and runs and shading are done with water. (Wet distressing is pretty cool, too, and I demonstrate it in a couple of my videos-using baby wipes.) Anyway, you want to mist the paint, or your work surface with a fine mist, so the Dollar Store squirt bottles just won’t do. I use this type for painting furniture, and canvas. https://amzn.to/2KsYiST
TSP https://amzn.to/2LZeOiw (For cleaning old pieces before you paint, rinse well. Dixie Belle White Lightning is also a good choice)
Krud Kutter Brush Wash(Paint Pixie and Dixie Belle make good brush washing bars, but when you accidentally don’t clean them good enough and they get stiff, this stuff works..see my You Tube review- I used the comb linked below, too.) https://amzn.to/2vkBsbo
Purdy Brush & Roller Comb https://amzn.to/2AFM0ab
Zinsser Shellac Based Primer is great when you have sanded some of the old finish off of a piece, and there is a chance of a tannin bleed-through. Nothing is more frustrating than creating a beautiful new painted finish and watching brow, red, or water spots bleed through and ruin the finish in the next few days. Dixie Belle Boss is a similar product) https://amzn.to/2OeyAnN
Most surfaces do not need prep, other than a good cleaning, before painting with chalk or clay based paints. Some surfaces, however, such as laminate, can benefit from the Zinsser, Boss, or Dixie Belle makesva product called Slick Stick that is a primer made just for slick surfaces.
I LOVE my drop cloths, and it makes it much easier for me to justify painting indoors when it is too hot, humid or cold outside. I have ruined many a table, before I started covering them, but at least I have always protected the floors. Canvas Cotton Drop Cloth https://amzn.to/2AC1XOG
Nothing beats T-shirt Rags for buffing off the wax to a beautiful lusterous shine. I still occasionally cut up,one of Arick’s old shirts, but grabbing one out of my supply box is much easier! https://amzn.to/2NkSUmC
I have regular furniture dollies that I borrow from Arick on occasion, but these have been life-changing for me. 3-wheel Furniture Moving Dollies https://amzn.to/2NkN8BK
