Annie SLoan, a well-known decorative painter in England, has been selling her “chalk” paint since the early 1990s. This water-based paint is mixed with calcium carbonate (chalk) and is similar to milk paint, in that it is low-VOC and fast-drying, offers great coverage, and lets you layer colors for unique effects. Unfortunately, the paint was not available in the United States until recently. Being a fan of milk paint (see my Finish Line, “Accentuate carving with color,” FWW #221), I was eager to try the product—and was hooked as soon as I did.

Around $35/quart; Soft wax, around $25/500ml

The paint is easy to apply, and one coat gives sufficient coverage in almost every case. It’s also easy to layer different colors and then sand areas to reveal underlying coats. I was even able to paint over an oil stain, without a primer. Chalk paint must be sealed with wax, and Annie Sloan sells both a dark version, which gives an aged patina, and a clear wax, which can be buffed up for a high shine or left matte.

Though it has characteristics similar to milk paint, chalk paint is less quirky, with no problems of short pot life, no issues of matching a surface that has already dried, and better coverage, which offsets the high cost per quart. There are 28 colors available. I tried Emperor’s Silk, a red that was so deep and saturated that I was instantly smitten and wanted to paint everything in the workshop.

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