Put stars in your eyes with this sublime chest of drawers by Annie Sloan’s current Painter in Residence and Chalk Paint® champion, Olivia Lacy of Pigeon and Pip.

Pigeon and Pip looked to the world of fine art for inspiration, and what better place to start than with Van Gogh, one of the most widely loved and highly regarded impressionists of his time, though not appreciated in his lifetime. Unlike Van Gogh, let’s give Pigeon and Pip the recognition she deserves for this imaginative, whimsical, and romantic painted piece.

All the best night skies start with a dramatic, inky backdrop: and this painted version is no different! Pigeon and Pip used a base of Chalk Paint® in Napoleonic Blue as the main colour against which to juxtapose her detailed work. She applied a quick coat of this deeply pigmented blue (inspired by strong cobalt pigments) then allowed it to dry.

Once her base was dry, Pigeon and Pip added clouds using a whole smorgasbord of Chalk Paint® colours. She applied some of these whilst the colours beneath were still wet to blend, but never working with two or more wet colours at a time. This helped prevent colours from over mixing and becoming muddied. 

Clouds were painted using Aubusson Blue, Florence, Louis Blue, Tilton, Paris Grey, Old Ochre, Cream, Old White and even a gentle touch of Scandinavian Pink. She then added star detailing higher up the dresser using Tilton and Old White. To create your own star-speckled sky, we recommend using a finger to bend back a paintbrush dipped in the paint colour of your choice (see here for an entire floor and cabinet painted by using Felix Sloan using this exact technique). 

Once her clouds had dried, Pigeon and Pip protected the entire piece with a coat of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax. Finally, she added dark swirls with judiciously applied Dark Chalk Paint® Wax to give a moody atmosphere.

The end result is a stunning, one of a kind piece of furniture that’s totally out of this world!