18 June 2013

What is Chalk Paint®?


You may have noticed that there has been some confusion recently about what Chalk Paint® is. I would like to help make things clearer.

So what is Chalk Paint®? 

Chalk Paint® is the brand name for the decorative paint that I (Annie Sloan) developed over 20 years ago. Back in 1990, there was no paint available with the properties I was looking for, so I decided to develop my own. I chose the name “Chalk Paint” because it was suggestive of its very matt—almost chalky—finish. There had never been a paint called by this name or made in the same way as mine before.

There are paints that contain whiting ('whiting' is the equivalent of chalk in the paint-making world), such as gesso and calcimine or distemper. There are also paints made with lime, such as whitewash. 

Chalk Paint® is different. It is not paint with chalk added to it. It is not chalkboard paint. It is not made by adding plaster of Paris or grout or even baking soda to an existing paint. Chalk Paint® is the unique decorative paint I developed for furniture, floors and walls, drawing on a lifetime of research and experience in working with paint and colour.

There are many paint products out there with different things to offer and I think it's wonderful that there are so many choices available to consumers. I'm also very happy that so many people have such an interest in paint making. I have written several books about making paint and traditional paint recipes – I love making paint too!

But just to be clear: there is only one Chalk Paint®.
Chalk Paint® is Annie Sloan paint.

Yours, Annie