alison mcdonald home

Step aside neutrals.  This dresser is getting a bold overhaul with the creamy turquoise hue in Annie Sloan's line called Provence. The piece is solidly constructed with smooth-gliding dovetailed drawers; it does have some surface wear from years of use, but those will disappear following a session with my fine grit sanding block. The original dresser.  Note the glue drips along the front -- a sign of a fellow kindred spirit crafting away! We are updating the two-toned brass hardware to aged bronze as seen in this photo.  This shot also provides a little sneak peak into the final product, which is still in the finishing stage... Round One - Dresser painted in Provence and finished in Clear Wax: Round Two - Dresser top update with Annie's Sloan's Graphite Top is unwaxed.  Do you like the blue tape? 

In this project, we take a brand new reproduction wrought iron bed purchased from an online outfit and gift it with the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint treatment.  The result is a customized, couture piece that complements a carefully styled renovated Arlington home. Together with the clients, we decided to paint the bed in Paris Grey by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  We then protected the finish with two coats of Annie Sloan's Clear Wax.  This photo of the completed project gives you a glimpse of the silky and smooth finish achieved through the paint process with Annie Sloan's product line. I absolutely adore this bed purchased by the client from wayfair.com .  The name of the bed seems to change, but at the moment is called the LaRoche Panel Bed in Aged Bronze.  We were amazed by the white glove treatment by the Wayfair delivery team.  While we love the current color of the bed, the sheen of the finish gives away its reproduction/Big Box Store pedigree. Enter Annie Sloan&#

This chest of drawers is a lovely solid piece that is on to bigger and better things now that she's all dolled up in Annie Sloan's Pure White Chalk paint. The piece is stylish with its ornate carvings along its front legs, and the sweeping bowed shape of the dresser front. Paired with its large spacious solid drawers, painting this dresser was a great investment. Black & White I love the choice of glass knobs with antiqued brass bases - the dark color connects with the dark keyhole spaces in the drawers, while creating stark contrast with the bright white paint. Prep Years before the client had partially painted the piece in ASCP Paris Grey (see photo below).  The dresser top started with a chipped and unevenly peeled shellac finish which I sanded down with my new B&D random orbital palm sander. :)  The underlying paint was a deep orange color. I decided to prep the surface with Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer in White. As I've found with many antiques,

I love a good furniture refresh with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! Check out this transformation from old country farmhouse to modern urban farmhouse. I was so delighted to work with my client who inherited this set from her parents. The pedestal table is super solid and well-constructed. The rush chairs had seen better days, with chipped paint and missing wood slats along some of the backs. But we saw the potential in giving them another run before kicking them to the curb. We decided on a 3:1 Graphite:Pure White mixture for the chairs and the table base. The color is a phenomenal dark grey! Really! Graphite and Pure White Dilutions Pedestal base with some light distressing to pull in the light color of the rush chair seats. Painted Chairs Painting chairs is a labor of love!   These beauties are the result of hours of sawing, filling, sanding, painting, more sanding, more painting, finding missed areas, painting again, finding more misse

If you were a boy of the 70s growing up in New England, this piece may bring back fond memories of playing with your Lite Brite or He-Man, splayed out on the shag carpet in your den: I donated this fixer-upper to the Junior League of Washington's "tossed and found" charity sale last month.  A massive cleanup, repaint with an Annie Sloan grey mix (leftover Paris Grey, French Linen, and Pure White) and reupholstery with fresh modern home decor fabric gave this toy bench a complete new look.  So cute. Another of those projects the girls are sad to see go. Who knows, maybe we'll run across another Yankee toy box some day. 

Say hello to a chic and romantic bedroom set in Annie Sloan's Paris Grey... Before a total makeover with paint, love and elbow grease, this French Provincial dresser and desk set had been outdated and discolored.  How can one ever tire of pairing graceful pieces with quality paint in sophisticated colors!