I have been experimenting with different paint options for my furniture painting endeavors and have finally completed several paint trials, so I thought I would share my reviews...
Latex Paint~
First there is the regular ol' latex paint that I have used on tons of projects and have always been pleased with the results.
To get the best results with standard paint you will definitely need to spend quality time with your piece of furniture. It requires patience...sanding, priming, painting and then painting again. I always recommend using a paint conditioner to mix in with the paint to prevent brush strokes. Latex paint is your cheapest option, but will also require the most amount of effort.
DIY Chalk Paint~
I used Liz Marie's recipe to make my own chalk paint.
I was very happy with the results of these chairs, but I definitely did not enjoy the grittiness of this paint. It required quite a bit of sanding to smooth it out. It did distress beautifully and gave a very unique finish though. This was a perfect solution for these chairs, but I will not be going this route on a dresser or table - I wouldn't have the patience to get rid of the grittiness. However, the effort is worthwhile to save a bit of money to come out with a beautiful piece of furniture.
ASCP~
Now for the real Annie Sloan Chalk Paint...I was actually surprised how difficult it was for me to get the hang of this paint. Being that I was so used to regular latex paint, it was a real learning curve for me to get used to the thick feel of the chalk paint. It is definitely great not having to sand and prime, but the actual painting itself took me a bit longer than it would have using regular paint. I am sure the ASCP experts out there are much quicker at getting their pieces finished. Overall, I definitely recommend ASCP for the beautiful finish it creates, but I certainly need some practice with it.
CeCe Caldwell's Paint~
The most recent paint that I have tried is CeCe Caldwell's Paint and I have to say that I am in love!!
This paint compares in cost to ASCP and I thought would be very similar, as the finished product has a similar chalky and unique finish. This paint requires no sanding or priming, but unlike chalk paint it goes on just like latex paint. I love that it is thinner and easy to work. Another great feature is that it has no VOC's and no odor. I was really shocked at how quickly it dried and it comes out looking completely different than when it was wet.
All in all, CeCe Caldwell's paint is my paint of choice for the moment. It makes re-doing a piece of furniture a cinch and I absolutely love the color choices. It does cost a bit more than standard latex, but I find that a can seems to go quite a bit further and there is no need for the additional expenses such as primer and paint conditioner.
Although I would choose CeCe's over ASCP, I definitely would not rule out the use of standard latex. There is something about pouring blood, sweat and tears into a piece that make the results seem that much sweeter :-)
Hope this was helpful to some of you wondering whether or not to invest your money in one of these other paint choices on the market today.
In the end, it is a completely personal choice and will depend a lot on the look that you are trying to achieve.
40 comments:
I love the comment, I have been a person who use'ASCP all the time when I paint. I hate did I say Hate to do all the prep work...so this is perfect for me...I have been thinking CeCe paint is one I will try. I love the sound of Hersy...and When Mariannes Milk paint rolls out I will buy some of hers! I like your blog and think your doing great projects.
I was excited to see the title of your post! I have been curious about the CeCe Caldwell paint I have been reading about. I live really close to an ASCP seller so that is all that I have used since starting to paint furniture. I love it and have only used latex paint on my very first project. I just tried homemade chalk paint this week for the first time and am pretty sure I am going to make another trip for the ASCP. The texture is just not the same. Thanks for your review! It's a big help to me!
This is such a great post! I never take the time to do the comparisons for readers! I am going to share this post on my Facebook. Thank you so much for sharing it at Meet Me Monday! Love, Me
I really appreciate you going to all this work to figure out something I needed to know. I hate prep work and do not have alot of time, at this stage in my life, so you have done all the work for me. thank you
Thanks for all the info, I've used all of these with the exception of home made chalk paint. I love ASCP and CeCe's. I have a hint for you, add water to the ASCP, just stir it in and it works perfectly if its too thick.
Debbie
ps I shared on my FB page too.
Great comparison! I love both CeCe and Annie Paints! I am actually getting ready to do a piece for a customer and she wants black. I am trying to figure out how to make the AS black a true black so I don't have to go back to using Latex though I cringe at the thought of spending the $40 on a color I won't use a lot of. Thanx for the comparison! I agree about the homemade version. I attempted it yesterday and it was a disaster!
I have also used latex and chalk paints...I love and use them all depending on the piece. I can't wait to try Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint and I'll probably add that as well. I also use wax, glazes or poly finishes. It is an amazing time in the furniture painting world when we have so many options and color choices...Hallelujah!!!
I love ASCP! Some colors seem to be thicker than others but that is to your advantage! Simple thin it a bit with water and you've got more paint. Also, for sure thin it a bit if a 2nd coat is needed. Not sure if I'd like paint that is already on the thin side, cuz sometimes I like that ASCP is thick and can easily thicken to use the "impasto technique".
Time is to valuable to waste using traditional paint and all the work involved with sanding priming etc. I just don't see the point.
Though I've never tried a "cheap" homemade version of chalk paint, I'm not impressed. Seems there is always some drawbacks and it's just not worth it in the long run.
Man, I need another cup of coffee, I'm meant SIMPLY thin it and TOO not to in 2nd paragraph. Hope there are no grammar nazi's out there,lol.
I am happy to see your post about comparing the different paints. I also love CeCe Caldwell Paints...so much that I decided to start offering them in my shop. I love how easy it is to use. I also tried to make my own chalk paint...too much work for me and I have a hard time with some of the other companies waxes - the smell.
I am actually offering a giveaway on my blog of CeCe Caldwells "Green" Paints for anyone that would like to win some and try them out.
http://orphaneddecor.blogspot.com/2012/05/cece-caldwell-green-paint-giveaway.html
I'm such an ASCP advocate, I sometimes feel bad that I don't give anything else a chance (well, not entirely true...latex is my idea of a horrible time, and I do love milk paint!) I can't comment on CeCe's paint, as I've not tried it, but if it works for you, great! Can you thicken and thin it like ASCP? Curious as to the differences/similarities...
Thanks for all the great comments! I will definitely have to try a little water in my ASCP and see what kind of results I get. I definitely love the finished product it turned out, but it was much thicker than I was used to. I can't wait to explore more paint options and try more peices with ASCP and CeCe's.
Thank you for doing this review. No single type of paint is right for every project. Different people have different painting styles so one paint brand will work better for them than it does for someone else. CeCe's is an option - whatever option you pick - have fun painting!
Peace,
CeCe
I loved reading about the different paints, I am just starting to get into painting furniture for sale. I am ole school and up until now only painted with latex and I have used milk paint. Glad to know what others are useing and I think I will also give it all a try. Thanks again.
Brooke,
Thanx for such a great comparison! I too have made the jump to CeCe Caldwell's Paints; it's made painting and waxing so much more enjoyable. I had to get away from the other toxic products due to health reasons so CeCe Caldwell's Paints have been a God send!
I too tried out a comparison of home made and AS...trying CeeCee soon! I found if I used my old blender (not for food items) to blend the non sanded grout and paint ...it was really smooth and any grit left could be worked in with the brush ;)
Hello! Thank you so much for your review. I, too, love latex. ASCP is very thick, I always, always water her down! Next I must try CeeCee.
Have a great day!
I loved hearing the comparisons of paint. I have never heard of CeCe Caldwell paint. Where can you get it? Thanks for the info.
I love the side table, the colour is beautiful!
Artsy VaVa - I get mine from a local girl http://www.prettyinpaintblog.com/, but you can go on www.cececaldwells.com and find a dealer near you.
Many are commenting about ASCP being thick. This is NOT a problem, lol!
This is a blessing! You're getting more for your money. Almost like condensed paint!!! :)
That is very true Norma, especially if you can add a little water. I think there is a uniqueness to each of the different types of paints and it will all come down to personal preference. Although CeCe's is my paint of choice for the moment, I know I will still use ASCP and hope to try milk paint in the
future :-)
I am assuming from the sequence of blog and photos that the green desk is painted with AS. I love that color! What is it? Whatever paint was used there seems to give the best coverage just from the pics posted. I can see by the side table pic that paint is much thinner because it looks streaky
Hi Anonymous - The Green desk was done with ASCP and was not distressed. I did 3 coats of paint because it was a very dark wood and I wanted solid coverage. The green side table was done using CeCe's and the reason it looks streaky is because I was going for a completely different look and followed with a dark stain all over (which is the streakiness you see). The coverage of the paint was very good. Hope that helps a little :-)
Enjoyed reading your post. I think the prevailing thought that everyone should go away with is this: each artist has a preference as to what medium is used based on their vision of the end product. I love what CeCe said {it'll be wroth your while to scroll up & read}. I believe furniture painting is truly an art form & we all need to respect others' artistic expressions/opinions/visions. By the way, I am predominantly a latexer & have many friends who chalk it up. Per CeCe "whatever option you pick -have fun painting,"
I completely agree Amy. This review is purely my feeling at the moment and may change over time. We are blessed to have so many great options out there!
This is the perfect comparison for me, and I also appreciate the work you did in order to share this.
I'm just an amatuer, and have only used latex paints, but just tried a DIY Chalky Paint recipe posted at onethrifychick.blogspot using baking soda. So far, it's wonderful.
I also agree that not sanding and prepping a piece takes some of the love and accomplishment out of your finished piece. My dad raised me to do something right the first time ;)
Some day soon I hope to use both Annie Sloan and CeeCee Caldwell's paints.
Thank you for this post! I'm about to repaint a couple pieces of furniture (MAYBE... I'm nervous) and I will definitely come back here to read about the different paint options.
I would love it if you’d stop by and share at my first link party, Off the Hook:
http://daisycottagedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/05/introducing-off-hook-1.html
Love your great projects!! We are so glad you came to another week of our fun “Strut Your Stuff Saturday”. Please join us again! -The Sisters
Read your post and I decided to try out CCC vs. ASCP, which I have been using for the last couple months, I usually order my ASCP from www.consignitfurniturepa.com so the cost of shipping since there is nobody who sells ce ce near me was not a difference.
I gotta say, the colors are a little wierd for me so I had a hard time finding deciding which to use. I really did not like it at all. You say ASCP is too thick, maybe I just got used to it, but Ce Ce is too thin!
Although they say their are no VOC's, that is not actually 100% true, I looked up the ingredients. It seems they can say that becuase they are very low.
Im sticking with ASCP, I think its the real deal!
Anonymous ~Could you please tell me I can look-up the ingredients for ASCP ????
Love the CeCe painted table...can you share what color it is? Thx!
The colors are very different from ASCP colors, which to me is a bonus. However, I know I will still use ASCP (and latex) when I need a color that CeCe's doesn't quite offer. It is still going to be a project by project decision for me.
P.S. The side table is Santa Fe Turquoise followed with a dark walnut stain.
This by far has been the best info on chalk paint! I am an ola latex girl. I believe I just more personal with my piece. But in a situation where you can turn pieces over fast, CeCe seems to be the answer. I will seek out and try. I am in SoCal area. Any ideea where I can find. Not enough info out there. Thanks Keep Painting! Barbara
Hi,
Just want to ask if do you sand & prime the wood before painting it?
I don't have any skills about chalk painting , still I want to try it for me to save money.Is there any possibilities that you could give some basic tips on how. I was thinking of doing this in one of my rooms as the paint job is terrible. I was like looking for Painters in Ottawa to do the job. Still i don't know eventually if how would it cost me or save more money than to do it my self.
Thanks
Great post as I am in the market to purchase some CeCe Caldwell Paint for a dress. I am going to share your post on my blog!
thanks you helped me make my final decision and will be getting the cece Caldwell
Every thing is good when it come to decorating your home specially the bed rooms. but now a days people only like to have a good and Quality Beds and Mattresses
Thank you, for sharing such an inspiring and knowledgable article. Keep up the good work, guys!
regards,
Airless Spray
Thank you for sharing this interesting and informative article, painting with airless spray gun will be faster and more interesting!
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