Techniques

How to: Paint on Marble with Chalk Paint™

So I’m going to paint this marble top table. It’s the same technique as I would use if it was a laminate because it’s a little bit shiny and not really absorbent.

So I’m going to choose Paris Grey because it goes nicely with Aubusson. I’ve already had it open for a little while so I’m going to add just a little bit of water because it’s just a little tiny bit thick and it’s got to flow easily and well. And now it feels nice and smooth.

I’m just going to paint it all over and this first coat is going to be quite thin, and I’m going for it. I’m not again doing this or doing it all in one direction, I’m going every which way – every direction – and covering all over. You can see that it’s going to cover very, very easily but I don’t want one thick coat. It’s much better to have two thin coats on something like this. I’ll leave that now to dry. I’ll leave it for a couple of hours and then I’ll give it a second coat.

So I’m ready now to do a second coat. Little bits are missing, it’s uneven but that’s exactly as I would have expected it to be. But I’ll just add a little bit more water because I want it to flow really, really nicely and smoothly.

I’m now going to sort of feather it out slightly. Instead of painting quite so much like that, you see the brush mark like that. I’m going to do that but then smooth it out and using the top tip of the brush. If I want it very smooth when I’ve done all this, what I’ll then do is sand it very, very, very lightly.

If you wanted to you could use the flat brush to do very similar technique and that would easily get you the smooth finish. I’ve painted this marble because the color didn’t work it was very orange and it really didn’t go in my room. So I wanted to paint it. I know there are some beautiful marbles I’d never want to paint. It’s personal preference. If you want to paint it; paint it!

So that’s it I finished doing the painting, of course as normal I will wax it because that’s part of the whole process. But this was just to show you how you would paint some marble.

Learn how to paint a marble surface using Chalk Paint™.

Painting marble isn’t something everyone will want to do, but it’s a brilliant way to update a piece of furniture if you don’t like the colour of the stone. Marble topped furniture – whether it’s an old coffee table or a traditional dresser – might just not work for you. Perhaps you find the stone a little cold or it’s just the colour of the marble that doesn’t work in your space. You might have inherited a piece or picked one up at a flea-market, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it as it is. A quick lick of Chalk Paint™ and you can transform your furniture in minutes – creating the exact look to suit your style.

Step by step guide to painting on marble with Chalk Paint™

  1. Paint the marble with your chosen Chalk Paint™ colour using a Chalk Paint™ Brush. Here Annie has chosen Paris Grey. The first coat is applied quite thinly, with brush strokes in every direction.
  2. Leave the paint to dry for a couple of hours.
  3. Apply the second coat of Chalk Paint™, again relatively thinly. Use a light touch and feather the brush strokes on the paint to create a smooth finish. The Annie Sloan Flat Brush is great for feathering.
  4. *Optional: if you would like an even smoother finish, you can sand the paint once it is dry using an Annie Sloan Sanding Pad in fine grade. This will remove the appearance of brushstrokes even further.
  5. Once dry, wax as you would any other piece of furniture using Clear Chalk Paint™ Wax and a Chalk Paint™ Wax Brush or lint-free cloth.
  6. Allow the wax to cure (harden) before use. It will be touch dry within 24 hours, but will take up to 2 weeks to fully harden. You can use it during this time, just be gentle.

Painting marble or stone needn’t be a headache. With the right tools in hand, transforming your furniture is a breeze, right from the wooden base to the marble top. Once you’ve finished painting, remember you can also bring out details with gilding. You might be tempted to skip waxing, but that’s the secret to creating a lasting finish, even on marble. Have a play with different colour combinations and brush techniques. Once you get into your stride, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.  And remember, your local Annie Sloan Stockist can always guide you along the way.

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