The Colourist Sunset Chalk Paint® Ombre Cabinet. Annie wanted to use a joyful, tropical, blended colour palette  to restore this dark wood furniture. She chose punchy Chalk Paint® brights in Capri Pink and Barcelona Orange to suggest fiestas, cocktails, and summer holidays.

This technique can be used on to refinish antique furniture to give a modern twist or just give a furniture makeover to make brighten up the space.

To recreate this ombre at home, begin by painting the bottom of your furniture with a thin first coat in Capri Pink Chalk Paint®. Brush in all directions. Then do the same with Barcelona Orange Chalk Paint® to cover the top half of your piece. Repeat the process to give full coverage of each colour. There will be a distinct line between the Capri Pink and Barcelona Orange halves. It’s blending time!

You’ll need two brushes for best results. Annie prefers Chalk Paint® Brushes because they hold a lot of paint in their densely packed bristles and allow a lot of control. Starting with your Capri Pink brush, paint over where the two colours meet. Whilst the paint is still wet, take the other brush and work Barcelona Orange into the Capri Pink.

The trick here is not to overload your brushes; allow the bristles to pick up excess paint and mix small amounts of each colour together with each brush stroke rather than trying to deposit more paint with every movement. You should always work so one colour is painted on in one direction (i.e upwards or left to right) and the other colour is painted in the opposite direction (downwards or right to left) so they blend together to make a new colour.  A light touch is most effective.

Once your ombre is dried, channel Annie’s colour-clashing expertise by adding some Chalk Paint® in Florence (as seen on the inside of this cabinet). The turquoise-waters of this blue-green colour will contrast magnificently with the tropicana warm tones outside and add to the holiday feel. Finish by protecting the whole thing with Clear Chalk Paint® Wax. Ta da!

For more tips and photographs on this particular piece or other ideas on furniture renovation, DIY makeovers and interior styling, pick up a copy of The Colourist, Issue 6 from your local Annie Sloan Stockist Artsy Nest.