Wondering how easy it is to use  Canadian made Fat Paint?

 

Wondering how easy it is to use Canadian made Fat Paint?

Can you really just take a piece of furniture and paint it? Yes, yes you can. EASY PEASY from drab to fab in no time with no fuss. Truly. In less than an hour and a half, this piece was transformed.

This little side table is solid wood (made in Maine) but was scratched and needed a little TLC and updating.

I thought she needed to be a little lighter and brighter, she needed to be restyled and re-loved with Fat Paint!

Step 1

First thing – quick scuff sand, just to give it a little “tooth”. This scuff sand took me all of 3 minutes using a sanding sponge and a quick sanding all over. You can skip this step in many cases, but I always do scuff sand just to be sure and it is so quick and easy.

TRY not to be blown away by the impressive manicure going on here ok?

Step 2

Cleaning! It is important to clean any furniture you are working on with any paint products, this piece appeared fairly clean, but it’s hard to tell if there is wax buildup etc, so I gave her a quick wash with Dawn soap and a good rinse. If I  have a heavily soiled piece, I use a stronger degreaser like Spray 9, TSP and sometimes even a vinegar wash. Always make sure you rinse well. This step is also under 5 mins.

Step 3

Now paint. Yup- open the can, give it a stir and just paint. See. Easy.  No major fuss, no priming, no hassles. I chose Fat Paint’s Antique Wedgewood for this piece. Love this colour. No special brushes required, no fancy anything. If you have a good quality brush you are all set.

 

 

It took me about 15 mins to paint this piece, but I was gabbing with a friend, and may or may not have been sipping coffee and eating cookies too.

Step 4

Wait for your first coat to dry, this piece took about 20 mins to dry (but I was distracted by coffee, cookies and conversation so it may have been sooner) it usually takes 15-30 mins to dry depending on humidity, how thick you did your coats etc. It is a fast-drying paint!! You can recoat as soon as it is dry (another great thing for us impatient types)

Step 5

Distress if you want or leave as is, I wanted to distress this one just a wee bit. I use a sanding sponge and a light hand or heavy hand, depending on the look I want. Fat Paint distress so nicely and sands beautifully. Just love how easy it is to work with.

And look, here is another awesome shot of my super dry hands – it was a busy paint day what can I say but, um, sorry! (Maybe I need to get hand models here painting…hmm..) Sorry, I digress..back to sanding. Fun right?

 

Step 6

Top Coat – Fat Paint like all chalk paints require a top coat to protect it. There are several top coats we could use depending on the final look you would like. Fat Paint brand has a lovely Clear Wax and an Antique Wax, we can also use White Wax from the Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint line or a poly topcoat. If you already have a wax or topcoat on your shelves at home, you can use that! There is no need to only use one company’s product on your furniture pieces, I mix and match all the time!

I happen to LOVE the Fat Wax, it’s all-natural, solvent-free and so easy to use. I finished this piece in Fat Wax, just rub it on using a wax brush or clean a lint-free rag,  wipe off excess wax working in small sections. Let dry and buff to the desired sheen. I neglected to get any shots of the waxing, oops. I intended to paint the hardware but it fell apart – currently waiting for my hardware order to come in, too impatient to wait to post this – sorry.

See – I am totally impatient  – that is why this is such a great paint to work with!

Told you. EASY PEASY.

Here she is with her painted hardware (painted in Gull Grey)

If you want to see how we used a reclaimed bowling alley floor to make out counter, read more here!

Start to finish 1.5 hours including chatty time with my friend, a coffee and I worked on another piece as well while this was drying!!  A complete transformation.  We used VERY little paint (about 1/4 of a PINT)  I think she is much prettier and fresher now. Restyled and ready for a new life. What do you think? Is there anything in your house that could use a little re-loving or refresher?

Fat Paint is affordable and available in quart sizes, pint-size and sample sizes. FAT Paint is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), odour-free and lead-free; totally safe for use around the kiddos and pets indoors and as all our paints are…it is MADE in CANADA (we are very proud about that)

Check out the colours and more information here.

Want to get your hands on some Fat Paint? Come see me at the shop and we can chat about your projects! (But I warn you…it is addictive) We also offer fun workshops.

Don’t live in my area, you can find it at retailers here.

Happy Painting!

Wendy

 

 

*This blog post was updated in September 2021. Front Porch Mercantile is no longer a physical retail store and has grown into Front Porch Lifestyle. Now Wendy offers her services as a business coach to other creatives while continuing a blog more focused on living a creative life.