Annie Sloan: How to Get The Smoothest Ever Finish

Are your kitchen cabinets due for an update? Instead of replacing them, which can be costly, why not give them new life with a fresh coat of Chalk Paint and Lacquer.

Chalk Paint and Chalk Paint Lacquer can be used in a spray gun to achieve quick painting results. Annie Sloan gives us the full low-down to achieve great results in this video with guest painter Ron Taylor who demonstrates how to spray Chalk Paint Lacquer.

Annie and Ron first sprayed their cabinet with Chalk Paint.

You will need:

• Chalk Paint® Lacquer
• Water
• A spray gun (in the video, Annie is using HVLP (high volume, low pressure) spray gun, the Wagner 2370386 Studio Home Décor Sprayer)
• Face mask

How to spray Chalk Paint® Lacquer

1. Firstly, stir the Chalk Paint® Lacquer so all the ingredients are mixed in.

2. Fill the spray gun pot to about half full with Chalk Paint® Lacquer (in either Gloss or Matt, the choice is yours).

Chalk Paint® Lacquer will need to be thinned slightly for spray application. We do not advise thinning the Lacquer when brushing or rollering as it may alter the finish, but it is essential when spraying to achieve an even coating. Chalk Paint® Lacquer is water based so always dilute it with water.

3. Add water in small increments, stirring thoroughly between pours to ensure the Lacquer and water are fully mixed, and so you don’t thin the Lacquer too much too quickly.

To measure the consistency, lift the mixing stick and let the Lacquer fall back into the pot. If it leaves a 3D trail on the surface, called a ‘worm cast’, then it is too thick. Keep adding water until no worm casts are left on the surface. Only add as much water as is needed to remove these casts.

4. Once the mixture is the right consistency and thoroughly mixed, set up your gun and connect the turbine. For more instructions on this, head to ‘How to Spray Chalk Paint® Part 1’ here.

5. Put on your respirator mask. It is essential this is worn at all times whilst spraying any form of paint or lacquer.

6. We recommend always testing the lacquer and spray gun before applying to a piece. Here, Ron is testing on the back wall of the Warehouse Studio. He is using setting 1 on the flow dial for Lacquer.

Top tip: if the turbine is warm, the Lacquer will spray better. Ron recommends leaving the turbine on for around 5 minutes before spraying. You will know once it’s warm as the tube will feel hot to the touch.

7. Once the Lacquer is ready, you can start to spray your piece. Here, Annie and Ron are spraying a kitchen cabinet they’ve previously sprayed with Chalk Paint® in Napoleonic Blue (you can see how that went here). Before the piece has been lacquered it’s really important to be careful with the sprayed Chalk Paint®. Any contact or disruption to the Chalk Paint® will show up twofold once Lacquer is applied.

8. Start by spraying the edges and tricky bits of your piece first. Then apply the lacquer in logical lines, overlapping each line by 50% to ensure the piece is fully covered.

9. Be consistent in coverage when spraying Chalk Paint® Lacquer. Keep the same nozzle width when spraying, as any change in coverage can result in the Lacquer pulling.

10. Once finished Leave for around 30 minutes-1 hour to dry before applying a second coat in the same manner.

11. Finished! A sprayed Chalk Paint® and Lacquer kitchen cabinet.

Find these and other great painting tips and tutorials online at Annie Sloan.