This wall is covered with burlap (hessian), an adaptable and economical fabric that you can purchase in quite wide quantities. My main inspiration was seeing something similar, with batons and a simple molding, in the attic of an English historic house. The idea for painting the burlap came from the popularity of colored burlap when I was first decorating in the 1970s. So, I combined these ideas to line the wall with burlap, adding painted batons and some beautiful old molding for the cornice. I padded out the burlap with two layers of batting (wadding) to make the wall feel soft, although this means the fabric absorbed a lot of the paint mixture. For me, the finished result has a comforting, glamorous, retro look, which combines the textured country style of painted burlap with the soft warm opulence of the gold.
YOU WILL NEED
• Chalk Paint® in Olive and Duck Egg Blue
• Burlap (hessian) and batting (wadding), enough of each to cover your wall
• Staple gun, to attach the burlap (hessian) to the wall
• Large oval bristle brush
• Lengths of old cornice (if necessary)
• Half-round wooden dowels, for the batons
• Hammer and tacks
• Masking tape
• Annie Sloan Warm Gold Gilding Wax
• Artists’ brush
1I fixed the burlap (hessian) and batting (wadding) to the wall with a staple gun, and then painted and tacked the dowels and cornicing into place afterward. Take the oval bristle brush and wet it before you start. It is essential to add water to the paint so that it will flow freely on the burlap, and yet remain opaque. If the brush isn’t flowing on the burlap, your paint is too thick and you will need to add some water. If some areas of paint are too solid, then brush them out with a wet brush. I made my paint-and-water mix (using the Olive paint) as I went along, which meant my wall was not completely even as I worked back into the paint. If you want the surface to have an even layer of paint (and be a consistent color), make a large amount of paint-and-water mix and then apply it without going over an area twice.
2My wall had no cornicing, so I used some reclaimed old cornice. Paint the lengths of cornice with Duck Egg Blue mixed with a little Olive. Paint the half-round dowels with the Duck Egg Blue and then tack these to the wall at regular intervals, leaving space at the top for the cornice to be added later (if necessary).
3Before applying the gilding wax, mask out any areas that you don’t want to cover in wax. I like to apply the gilding wax with my finger, as it’s quite sensitive to the shape.
4Use the artists’ brush for those areas that are hard to reach with a finger. Tack the cornice in place over the burlap wall (if necessary).
Note: For instructions on attaching burlap and batting to a wall, visit www.anniesloan.com/techniques.
