This charming Mid-Century Modern Chalk Paint™ Sideboard is the latest furniture transformation from Painter in Residence, The House Warmings. It’s inspired by the earthy contemporary colour combinations and similarly organic fluid lines and shapes associated with the ever-popular mid-century modern movement.

This buffet by The House Warmings is a celebration of the robust yet organic, natural influences that shaped American and European design between the 1930s and mid 1960s. Here’s our guide to achieving the look:

Step 1: Chalk Paint™

The House Warmings began with a base coat of Chalk Paint™ in French Linen. French Linen is an earthy, complex, brown-grey and creates a strong foundation for further colour and detail. To create some light and shade, The House Warmings contoured the furniture slightly by blending Chalk Paint™ in Graphite into the corners and edges of the piece, and Old White to highlight the centre of the panels.

Step 2: Sand

She then sanded her piece back using 220 grit sandpaper (you could use Annie’s Sanding Pads) for an even more subtly-shaded look, and to achieve that smoothness we associate with turn of the century design.

Step 3: Hand-Painted Detail

Next, she traced her design using chalk. She practiced different freeform lines, and then painted them using her palette of rich and seductive mid-century shades. Indulgently wine-red Burgundy (discontinued online but please check with your local Stockist for availability), terracotta-toned Scandinavian Pink and Mediterranean green Olive, all applied using the smallest brush from the Annie Sloan Detail Brush Set. This allows the shape of the brush to dictate the width and thickness of the lines. The repeated lines traced inside each of the shapes mimic the contour lines on a topographic map, reflecting the futurist trend in mid-century modern design to honour scientific and technological developments.

Finally, a coat of Clear Chalk Paint™ Wax protects and finishes the whole piece of furniture.

If you use this step-by-step to create your own Chalk Paint™ sideboard, or another mid-century modern inspired design, please share it using #ChalkPaint on social media! We love seeing your work!