This wall finish appeals to me greatly, reminding me of the uncertain charm of old walls that are stripped and pared back to show remnants of old wallpapers and paint layers—hinting at a possibly rather grand or intriguing history. Combined and contrasted with luxurious architecture or furniture, this look is always a winner.
To give the wall depth and interest, I worked with three basic paint tones, building on the warm and neutral color of Old Ochre. I used mid-tone blues on this as my main color with a little of the warmth and depth of Coco in parts. I finished with Old White as my lightest tone.
This project will take time and care, and it can’t be hurried. I like to apply the paint with a piece of cardboard because this is soft and doesn’t make scratchy marks, and yet is still firm to hold. However, it absorbs the paint after you have used it for 5 to 10 minutes and becomes too soft, so a fresh piece is needed. A piece of soft pliable latex (rubber) might work too, but I’ve not found one yet.
The final finish, using an electric buffer to polish the wall and give it a beautiful sheen, is best done only when the paintwork is really dry. Waxing as a final effect is simply for protection.
YOU WILL NEED
• Chalk Paint® in Old Ochre, Duck Egg Blue, Louis Blue, Coco, and Old White
• Sturdy cardboard boxes
• Annie Sloan MixMat™
• Coarse-grade sandpaper
• Electric buffer
• Clear wax
• Large wax brush
• Clean, dry, lint-free cloths
1Paint the wall all over first with Old Ochre and allow to dry. Have a quantity of cardboard boxes cut up ready nearby. Pour more or less equal amounts of the mid-tone paints, Duck Egg Blue and Louis Blue, directly from the cans onto the MixMat™.
2Take a piece of cardboard and scrape the two paints together, mixing the two blues roughly on the MixMat™ before applying the paint to the wall.
3Softly scrape the paint along the wall, varying the pressure as you go. Apply the paint all over the wall, as this will be the main paint color with a paler blue over it.
4Pour some Coco onto the MixMat™. It doesn’t matter that you still have remnants of the previous paint mix on the mat.
5Apply the Coco to the wall in the same way as the previous color, although at lower quantities because this is a dark color and will have more impact.
6Pour the Old White onto the MixMat™ next and combine this with the blues and any leftover Coco to make a pale blue-grey color.
7Apply a layer of this paint to the wall in the same way as before. Finally, apply Old White over the wall in places and allow to dry thoroughly.
8Smooth with the sandpaper to remove any very uneven paint. Use an electric buffer to make the wall shine. You can finish the wall with clear wax applied with a wax brush to seal it. Remove excess wax with a clean cloth.
