Draw Inspiration from Botanical Prints and Annie Sloan Amsterdam Green

Green is the colour of nature and symbolises growth, harmony, and freshness. It is the most restful colour for the human eye and suggests stability and endurance. Incorporating green into a room presents endless possibilities as the infinite variations blend easily with almost every other hue. Amsterdam Green forms part of the Annie Sloan Colour Palette and is inspired by painted shutters and doors overlooking the canals of Amsterdam.

Why not Introduce the beautiful soft and earthy tones of Amsterdam Green into your home with this chest of drawers – we think it will look particularly good at the end of a passage or as an accent in an entrance hall. Botanicals are having a moment in the limelight and these vintage prints create a brilliant backdrop for the green chest paired with natural materials like glass or wood. Annie herself is an avid collector of old magazine and books – she loves paging through and getting inspired by the vintage illustrations. The paint technique used on the chest of drawers results in a rustic, earthy and slightly worn patina – which contrasts beautifully with the knobs which have been left unpainted ,highlighting the natural wood. Amsterdam Green lends both personality and peacefulness to a space which is the perfect combination.

Step by Step Amsterdam Green Chest of Drawers

This deep, rich green is a welcomed return to the Annie Sloan Colour Palette. Inspired by painted shutters and doors overlooking the canals of Amsterdam, this stylish, minimal colour works well with neutral whites and creams and also suits more earthy, soft tones such as Primer Red, Arles and Old Ochre. For a mid- century style, team with cool blues such as Provence and Giverny, or to create a more botanical inspired interior, like the chest of drawers below, pair with natural materials, such as wood or glass.

Decoupage Wall
I adore collecting old magazines and books, drawing inspiration from their illustrations, or even using them to decoupage on to furniture. For this look I knew I wanted the focus to be on the colour of Amsterdam Green but I wanted to use these gorgeous old prints in the room, too. I decided to create a feature wall with these images from a vintage book on botanical drawings. Individually using each page, I first laid out the images on the floor, positioning them until I knew more or less the pattern I wanted on the wall. Then, using my Decoupage Glue and a large brush, I painted the glue straight on to the wall and carefully glued each picture individually, making sure there were no air bubbles by gently pressing from the centre of the image outwards. Once all the pictures were glued on to the wall, I painted a thin mixture of Decoupage Glue over the whole wall to seal any wayward corners.

Chest of Drawers
1.
For the chest of drawers I wanted to create a rustic, earthy and slightly worn patina. I started by mixing Old White and Amsterdam Green to find the exact shade I wanted. Using my Pure Bristle Brush to add a little texture I painted the chest of drawers with this mix.I knew I wanted to contrast the green with the natural wood so I avoided painting the knobs.

2.
After allowing the lightened Amsterdam Green to dry I painted the chest of drawers in Amsterdam Green enlightened and directly from the tin. To create textured paintwork, I used a Pure Bristle Brush, moving it in all different directions to create a slightly rough finish.

Once the paint had dried, using my small wax brush, I covered the whole piece in a thin coat of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax. I wax before sanding as this creates less dust when I wax, and also allows me to control exactly where I want to sand back to.

4.
When the wax was dry to the touch I used my Sanding Pad in Medium (Coarse would have stripped the paint right back to the wood and Fine would be quite hard to work with as there was two layers of paint to take back.) Medium was perfect as in some areas I could sand to the lightened Amsterdam Green and others I took it straight back to the original wood. Focusing on the areas that it would naturally sand and wear away meant that the final piece looks authentic and naturally aged.

6.
Finally I worked another coat of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax on to the piece. This protects the paintwork, and also makes the piece water resistant and wipeable.

I am thrilled with the final look, I really feel that it showcases the beautiful soft and earthy tones of Amsterdam Green.