I’ve been refinishing furniture ever since I discovered the magic of chalk paint nearly seven years ago. I’ve traveled the country teaching thousands of people how to refinish furniture and cabinets, I’ve created online chalk painting courses, and I’ve written countless blog posts all about chalk painting. To say that chalk painting has been life changing for me would be an understatement!
So why on earth am I writing a post about why I don’t use chalk paint?
There are several reasons I don’t use chalk paint, but here are my top 4:
Before I jump into what I DO use, I feel like it’s only fair I do a little explaining…
Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan was the original brand of “chalk” paint on the market. It gained quick traction as the gold standard for furniture refinishing because of some amazing qualities like, for example, the ability to just start painting with limited prep work, the ability to distress paint for a shabby chic or vintage look, the quick dry time, etc. Needless to say, other paint brands claiming to have the same properties as the original quickly flooded the market.
Annie Sloan would argue that “chalk” and “chalk-style” paints are not the same as her trademarked version, and in many cases she is right—they often just don’t stack up.
Instead of wasting your time detailing the pros and cons, comparing different versions, and explaining away the confusion over what “chalk” means, I’ll just get to the chase…
DITCH THEM ALL, including the trademarked version.
So, what DO I use and recommend?
When it comes to refinishing furniture, painting cabinets, and customizing home decor with paint, there is simply no better product than BB Frösch Paint Transformer (formerly BB Frösch Chalk Paint Powder.)
I know, I know…I was guilty of contributing to the “chalk” paint confusion with the old product name, which is why we decided to break free from the confusion with a long-overdue name change!
Whether you are new to the world of furniture refinishing and the DIY painting world in general, or you are a seasoned pro, BB Frösch is hands-down the best product you can add to your arsenal.
If you don’t happen to be looking for a product or finish even remotely related to chalk paint, why add BB Frösch to your paint? Well, because it TRANSFORMS your paint by giving it more properties than it already has (it’s kind of like transforming Clark Kent into Superman–Clark is okaaaaay, but Superman is, well, SUPERMAN.)
Don’t worry, if you love chalk painting, just add BB Frösch to any brand/color of regular FLAT latex or acrylic paint, and BAM! you’ve got all the benefits of the pre-mixed stuff.
However, BB Frösch can do so much more:
- If you love all the looks not typically associated with chalk painting (high gloss, stained, etc.) BB Frösch has you covered. For a high-gloss finish , just add it to paint with a sheen to give the paint bonding power without the need to sand or prime (see thoughts on priming below) OR, simply seal your finished piece with a high gloss poly-urethane or poly-acrylic (I recommend water-based)
@Danisvintagedesigns is a master at high-gloss finishes with BB Frösch! - Use whatever paint brand you know and love in whatever color your heart desires. I’ve used Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr, Valspar, you name it! BB Frösch will give it the ability to bond with virtually any surface (think boring metal filing cabinet…)
linoleum floors…
A whole new kitchen…
learn how to paint your cabinets here.
I’ve even painted PAPER to match my furniture, run it through the printer to add cool typography then mod-podged it onto my piece to make it all look hand-painted! (learn how I did it here.)
- BB Frösch renders paint manipulatable for achieving endless finishes (think beyond just shabby chic—think smooth and modern, faux stained, etc.)
@Danisvintagedesigns chooses the best colors for her BB Frösch makeovers! - eliminates the need for priming (though you can prime, of course.) Why eliminate priming? Priming takes at least one coat, if not more, so it’s more work. Although primer can be tinted, it can’t be tinted to the darkest colors, so if you want to do any kind of distressing, you can’t without distressing through and seeing primer. If you love the benefits of primer, just add BB Frösch to paint that already has primer in it.
- Your paint will dry faster so you can get projects done faster
- BB Frösch gives your paint better coverage so you will go through less paint (less paint = less $ and fewer coats)
You aren’t limited to just one style. Think mid-century modern like these gems by @vine_house_vintage—all painted with BB Frösch:
Or these artistic interpretations (the first two are from my early early early days of painting and refinishing furniture):
There are literally no limits when you add BB Frösch to your paint! Let your imagination loose like Dani does!
Now that you are no longer limited by color, price, availability, furniture style, what are you waiting for? Ditch the chalk and chalk-style paints, go get some BB Frösch Paint Transformer and get your projects on!
Learn how to refinish furniture at one of our online courses here. Follow BB Frösch on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook where you can find more affordable makeovers (like cabinets, floors, furniture, and more!) Find more affordable inspiration at bbfrosch.com.
This is amazing! We need to try this the next time we DIY something!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I don’t think this is available in south africa 🙁
I’m so sorry it is not available in South Africa at this time.
I am very interested in this, but what do you use as a sealer?
I use BB Frösch Premium Finishing Wax most of the time, but I also like to use a water-based poly for some projects (floors, some cabinets, etc.) You can use any paint sealer you like–there are pros and cons to each, so pick the one that best meets your expectations.
Do you mix with eggshell to keep it matte?
I always mix BB Frösch Paint Transformer with a flat finish paint. Any desired sheen is achieved with the sealer you choose. If you want a matte finish and you are waxing, simply don’t buff the wax. If you want a matte finish and are sealing with poly, choose a matte poly. I hope this helps!
I always have eggshell paint left over. Does it HAVE to be flat paint or can you use other sheens?
Sharon–
You can find detailed answers to this and all your other questions on the FAQ section of our website. Here’s a quick link for using paints with sheen: https://www.bbfrosch.com/faqpaintsheen
What is the color of the sideboard that says vine house vintage? I’m contemplating painting my dining room hutch and love that color.
I would love to know too!
This was a custom color match. You can take put the photo of the color you want into the behr color-matching app to try to get a close match!
what is the best kind of paint to put it in for painting a rug? house paint? And is there a certain sheen I should use? Any tips for painting a rug would be helpful. Thanks.
Ana–
Any latex or acrylic (water-based) paint will work great for painting a rug. The sample jars from Home Depot are affordable–I use them all the time. Here’s a post I did for how to paint a rug that may should help: https://www.bbfrosch.com/blogs/news/customize-a-rug-with-chalk-paint.
Kristin
Hello!
I found your site in looking for a color to paint a console I found. My first try was to vivid. Are you able to tell me what color you used the deep teal buffet.? You have a note that its from your earlier days of painting.
Thank you!
Renee
Hi Renee!
I have painted so many things in blues and teal that I honestly wouldn’t be able to tell you the exact color, unless the piece is part of a specific blog post where I shared the color. One thing I recommend is taking a bunch of paint swatches home from the paint color swatch wall at Home Depot and looking at them in the light in your home, then choosing one that way. You can also find an object that is the color you want (pillow, shirt, purse, book…I’ve used all these things) and take it to the paint counter at Home Depot to have them match it. I hope this helps!
Kristin
I LOVED that teal buffet as well!!
Please clarify your reference to “Stain”
You add this Product to Stain?
Interesting product, I plan to try it.
What Brush style? Natural, but standard or Chalk Paint brush or standard.
Beth–
I don’t use stain anymore. Instead, I add BB Frösch Paint Transformer to paint and use what is called a “faux stain” technique. I get the look of stain in any color I want without the messy smelly unpredictable nature of traditional stain. For a brush, I prefer a specialty chalk painting brush, but chalk paint/paint mixed with BB Frösch can be applied when any method including sprayer, synthetic brush, roller, etc. A specialty chalk paint brush just seems to work best to help promote the self-leveling properties of chalk paint.
For your faux staining , do you just water down the paint with the transformer in it? Thanks!
Janna–
The short answer is yes. Make sure you have added the paint transformer to your paint. However, instead of adding water directly to your paint for the faux stain technique, I recommend putting your paint on a paint tray, then wetting your brush and adding water that way. This gives more control over the amount of water you need. You can learn more about this technique here: https://www.bbfrosch.com/pages/faq-how-to-faux-stain
I’ve painted a fabric sofa in Annie sloan chalk paint. Can you paint fabric sofas using BB Frosch and is it available in the UK?
Carol–We have painted many fabric sofas and chairs with BB Frösch! We’ve also painted curtains, pillow covers, rugs and more. If you check bbfrosch.com, you will see photos of painted fabric items along with tutorials. Unfortunately, BB Frösch is not sold in the UK, but if you reach out to their team, they will get you a price to ship to UK.
How can I purchase pls
Kim–
Here you go! https://www.bbfrosch.com/collections/shop
Love your white dresser with stain on the bottom!! My daughter wants to do the same in her room. Do you remember what you used?
Amber–The color the stain comes out will depend on the species of wood you are painting. I like to either do just plain dark wax (BB Frösch Dark Premium Finishing Wax) or a faux stain. Since faux stain is actually paint applied to look like a stain, I have more flexibility of color. I hope this helps!
I’m a virgin chalk painter. I’m looking at doing my dining room table in chairs. My table is a lighter end wood color that has the wood-like grooves on the top. I’d like to do a faux stain look to the top and paint the chairs and bottom black. Do I need to sand off the poly on the table and chairs first? I’m trying to cover up heat spots from plates. After finishing what would be a good protectant to prevent this again? PS this is the everyday dining table.
Although a faux stain can be used over an existing poly, if you are planning this technique for anything that will receive high use (ie table and chairs), I recommend removing the existing poly finish–especially since you are dealing with rings/heat spots. I would seal with a poly, but no sealer on the market will completely protect from big damage like hot plates or pans directly on the surface. I recommend using trivets, hot pads or placemats to help protect your beautiful work. Happy Painting!