This Chinoiserie Chalk Paint™ Buffet is a masterclass in Bohemian look furniture painting, the joy of red furniture, and easy upcycling by our Painter in Residence, The House Warmings.

Inspired by the eclectic charm of the Bohemian movement, this heavily-textured painted buffet offers a real “How To” in achieving a bohemian look on your furniture. Recreate it for yourself using our step-by-step:

Step 1: Chalk Paint™

First, The House Warmings wiped down her furniture to remove dust and dirt then applied a base coat of Chalk Paint™ in Graphite. Thanks to Chalk Paint™’s no-prep, no-sanding credentials, you can get stuck straight into the fun part! As the Graphite dried, The House Warmings decanted small amounts of Chalk Paint™ in Graphite and Chalk Paint™ in Provence so that they would adjust to room temperature. Doing so allows the paint to thicken and coagulate; ideal for when you’re trying to add texture to your painted furniture.

Once this thicker consistency had been achieved, The House Warmings used a stipple brush to apply over the top of her base coat. She then left to dry – please remember, thickly applied Chalk Paint™ will take longer to dry than normal! – after which she applied two coats of Chalk Paint™ in Emperor’s Silk.

Emperor’s Silk is a ruby red inspired by the silk lining of kimonos traditionally worn by Chinese nobility. It’s a beautifully glamorous, full-bodied, fire-engine red. Perfect for conjuring the glamour and passion of Bohemian culture!

Then, armed with her trusty paint scraper, The House Warmings went about adding some texture and implied history to her painted furniture. She scraped back the topcoats of Emperor’s Silk particularly along the points where she had added those accents of thick paint, to reveal the colours beneath and to better represent authentically-aged furniture.

Step 2: Stencil

Once she was happy with how historic the piece now looked, The House Warmings wanted to add more detailing. She used a stencil, which is one of the quickest and easiest ways for furniture painters at any level to add some extra flair to their painted projects. Annie Sloan’s Chinoiserie Bird Stencil was the perfect choice for this vision of faded grandeur and romance.

When stencilling always remember that less is more! The House Warmings used various mixes of Chalk Paint™ in Provence, Amsterdam Green, Old White, and Emperor’s Silk. She applied only a little paint to her brush at a time before applying to the stencil with a stippling motion to avoid splodges or smears.

Step 3: Wax

Once this was dry, it was time to seal and protect! Please remember to always seal and protect your painted furniture using Annie Sloan Clear Chalk Paint™ Wax (as here) or Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™ Lacquer (available in Matt and Gloss). It gives your painted furniture a hardwearing finish, ensuring your fabulous upcycles stay looking great for years to come!

Explore the products you need to complete this Chinoiserie Chalk Paint™ buffet project in the Featured Products section. Or head over our Painters in Residence page to see more projects from The House Warmings.