Announcing two new Chalk Paint® Waxes - Black and White!

My Chalk Paint® is celebrating its 25-year anniversary and over those years, waxes have played an integral part and they are critical to achieving some of my most distinctive effects. Now, I am delighted to announce the launch of another duo of products to add to my range of Chalk Paint® Waxes – now in Black and in White!

I’ve spoken before about using Chalk Paint® and the different finishes in my collection to let pieces tell a story – thicken the paint to add texture, use contrasting colours sanded back to make different elements of a piece stand out. My Clear Soft Wax is the starting point for many of these tricks, and also adds a layer of protection to painted pieces. I use my Dark Soft Wax to add a little age to a piece, to give an antiqued effect or mimic a patina developed over time.

As versatile as they are, I found myself wanting to create slightly different effects. Now, with my White Wax and my Black Wax I can tell new stories with my pieces!

My White Wax will emphasise grain and texture in the same way that the Dark Soft Wax will, but it also – how can I put it? - not quite lighten the colour, but almost soften it. It can be used directly on unpainted wood with great effect, but what I really love is the effect it gives to painted pieces. It adds some age, certainly, but the effect is that of a piece which has been gracefully, subtly faded by sunlight – think of a piece left in a sunny spot, a terrace in Tuscany – it is that beautiful, natural washing of colour which my new White Soft Wax will give to a piece. It’s a look that immediately lends itself to Traditional Swedish and Coastal, but also Farmhouse – gentle, lovely. Or, use it to knock back some of the more vibrant colours in the range – faded Bohemian springs to mind!

The Black Wax can also be used for a Farmhouse look, although this one is different again. As I said before, if my Dark Soft Wax ‘antiques’ my pieces then my Black Soft Wax toughens them up! (Perhaps more ‘Barn’ than ‘Farmhouse’ – there’s definitely something industrial going on). I love using it to create pieces that have a roughened look, something which works particularly well with the Warehouse trend (I write about all of these looks in my book Room Recipes for Style and Colour).

The Black Wax also picks up on the texture and the grain and this can be emphasised by the way in which I apply the paint, using my own Pure Bristle Brushes. I apply paint in all directions when I want a really textured piece – back and forth in smallish strokes, and I use a fair amount of paint on my brush. A couple of layers really helps to build up texture and, also, I never sit down when I paint, I use my whole arm not just my wrist – give it a try!

Oh, and in the same way as you need to use the Clear Wax when adding Dark Wax (applying it first to help you control how the Dark Wax works into the piece), you will get the best results by using it with my new Black Wax too. The White Wax can be used alone and I can’t wait to see what how you use them both!