I love the color brown. Wood is brown. Dirt is brown. Brown certainly has place in this world, but too much brown in one room is drab. That’s why when we moved into our new home, I knew I would be painting the island at some point! The stain on my cabinets is really warm and inviting, but brown can also be a great foundation to make another color pop! I know I rave about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, but man! it makes refinishing easy. It is amazing how there is always a color that will work for a project! For this one, I used Duck Egg. I didn’t cut it with white or a darker color…just straight Duck Egg.

Prepping is my least favorite thing about any refinishing project. BUT, I am always happy when I have. The more meticulous I am, the better my projects turn out. For this island, I removed the knobs and pulls and taped under the granite. Then I placed paper on the floor to make sure I didn’t ruin my hardwoods. Then, like any good painting project, I wiped down my surface to remove any dirt or dust or oil.

Now, for paint!! I know you are supposed to use great brushes. I typically use the cheap ones and use them almost as disposable brushes. Such a rebel! 🙂

I painted two coats of paint waiting about one hour between coats. Then, I worked with the wax. Here, most people use the waxing brushes, while I like to use two old socks. One for clear wax and one for dark wax. I wanted to mainly use just clear wax and then dark wax only in the crevices. The dark wax really, really changes the tone of the paint, and I wanted to keep it as light as I could. Waxing small areas at a time, I started with the clear wax. Then I used a small paint brush to get the dark wax in the bends and panels on the doors. Then, I went back over the smoother areas with the clear wax to remove excess dark wax. Did you know that trick? As long as you start with clear wax, you can remove any excess dark wax with more clear wax. Dummy proof….or at least me proof! 🙂

After waxing, it leaves a really sticky finish. Be sure to wait at least 24 hours, and then take a smooth cloth…I usually use one of my hubbies’s old undershirts. Get ready for your arm workout! Buff, buff, buff until you see a sign and it no longer feels sticky and waxy. Then, enjoy your piece! It takes up to a month to cure, but I always go ahead and use my piece! 

My island turned out great and really pulled some color into my kitchen. I didn’t realize it would pull the blue/green/gray flecks out of my granite countertops, but it really complements the whole look! Score!