Painting furniture can be fun, creative and economical. In this book, you will discover clever ways to transform old or unfinished chairs, tables or beds into one-of-a-kind show pieces for your home (and for a fraction of the cost of new, factory-finished furniture!) A remarkable range of techniques are clearly illustrated with step-by-step instruction: staining, bleaching, waxing with colored waxes, stenciling, faux finishing, hand painting, stamping, distressing, wax resist, crackling, gilding and more. The book is organized into six chapters by decorating styles: Fruit and Flowers, Figures and Animals, Classical, Geometrics, Finishes, and Distressing.To Annie Sloan, every piece of furniture and home decor accessory is a blank canvas waiting to be adorned. Open the first half of this volume to any page and you’ll find multiple treatments of the same basic item type (beds, cupboards, chests, candlesticks, trays, frames, lamps), along with descriptions of the methods used on each one. The book’s second half explains equipment and surface preparation, then offers extensive step-by-step coverage of many paint techniques, including all the expected ones (sponging, marbling, stenciling, graining, and the like) plus some unusual looks (incising, liming, tortoiseshell, faux marquetry). Even the common approaches are often given a twist, such as stamping with found objects, creating a tartan effect with combing, or using compositional decoupage for a narrative scene. Some of Sloan’s examples require a degree of experience, but many (particularly those on smaller objects) can be tackled by the novice. –Amy Handy
