How to paint a staircase with Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan
/A step-by-step guide for a DIY Staircase Makeover with Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan
DIY Chalk Paint Steps
So I’m just going to come out and say this straight up. Chalk Paint is made for the DIY enthusiast. This signature paint is remarkably versatile and super simple to use. The best part about it is no prep work required! No sanding, no priming, and no, I’m not kidding. Just a good clean of whatever you are painting and you are good to go. That’s my kind of project!
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A Chalk Paint Staircase
Before we bought our house, it was empty and staged for the market. I think someone went paint-happy with a fresh coat on everything, and painted the staircase white. It looked amazing and I didn’t think anything of it. Until we moved in, and started living in our house. Obviously we use our staircase multiple times every day. They’ve been dirty and messy for a long time. It drove me crazy almost every.single.day.
Our dirty staircase with chipped paint in desperate need of a makeover with Chalk Paint by Annie sloan. #diy #freshhomedecor #anniesloan #chalkpaint
I’d been wanting to paint the stairs in a colour that would hide the dust, dirt, and grime in this high traffic area that’s used constantly, especially by two kids and a dog. The stairs always looked dirty and were chipped all over the place. To be fair, it took nearly five years to get to this state. But I have way more things to do with my time than wash and care for the stairs constantly.
I decided it was finally time to harness the power of Chalk Paint to transform the stairs, and inject a bit of personality at the same time. There was no way I wanted to both sand and prime the stairs in preparation of a paint job. Chalk Paint, with no prep required, was the obvious choice for me. Learn all about Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan here.
chalk paint by Annie Sloan is a fun, versatile product that is easy to use. . #diy #freshhomedecor #anniesloan #chalkpaint
How to Chalk Paint stairs step-by-step
The staircase includes 11 steps and two small landings, totalling about 95 square feet. The stairs were previously painted with a glossy white paint, chipping, and quite dirty thanks to two young kids and a dog.
Because our household includes small children and a dog, white or light stairs aren’t ideal. It is also best to avoid a dark colour in a high traffic area like a main staircase, because every mark and piece of dirt will show-up. I came up with a plan to re-paint them grey with a white wash, to achieve a distressed and weathered, driftwood effect. Read about the different styles you can achieve with Chalk Paint.
For my paint colours, I chose:
-1 litre of Chicago Grey
-1 Litre of Old White
-1 Litre of Lacquer
I also purchased:
1 Anne Sloan sponge roller
1 Paint brush
1 Roll of painter’s tape
1 Package of cheese cloth
Chalk paint by Annie Sloan is easy and quick to use. Create different looks from vintage to distressed, to chippy and rustic, to smooth and modern. #Anniesloan #chalkpaint #decorativepaint #diy #homedecor
The distributor of Chalk Paint By Annie Sloanhappily supplied me with the paint I needed to paint the staircase. With a huge demand for paint and other decorative products during the pandemic, a lot of popular colours, such as Old White and Chicago Grey were out of stock.
Rusty Hinges Home Decor Shop in the Hydrostone is an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint distributor here in Halifax. They had the colour shades I needed. I picked up the paint and purchased a sponge roller too. I also grabbed a regular paint brush, painters tape, and cheese cloth from Canadian Tire.
The annie Sloan foam foller applies paint like a dream during my diy staircase makeover. #DIY #freshhomedecor #chalkpaint #anniesloan
Minimal prep required: there is no need to prime with Chalk Paint
Over a weekend that Matt was away for work, I sent the kids AND the dog to the grandparents for a solid 24 hours so I could tackle this project. The only downside was this particular weekend was hot and humid. I had my work cut out for me. Painting a staircase is a pretty big, time-consuming job but it’s not difficult. Especially when you cut out all the prep time like you can when using Chalk Paint! Read about using Chalk Paint around your home here.
Tip your pot of paint upside down and Shake it before opening. Once open, Stir well, and dilute with water if paint feels too thick. #DIY #freshhomedecor #chalkpaint #anniesloan #paintingstairs
When using Chalk Paint on floorboards, you’ll need to finish your project with a hard-wearing Chalk Paint Lacquer to protect the staircase. It’s really important to test small patches of your surface if you’re going to be using the lacquer finish. The lacquer application can pull stains of a previous finish through the Chalk Paint, causing yellowing (it’s the lacquer that does this, not the Chalk Paint). If this happens, you’ll need to seal the surface with shellac or stain blocker first. You’ll also have to do this with new, untreated wood. Apply shellac to wood knots and open grains to block tannins from bleeding through. It will dry quickly (within minutes) and you’re ready to paint and then safely seal with lacquer.
You can watch Annie’s video on painting floorboards with lots of helpful information
Taping off the edges of the baseboards, especially around the bannister spindles, took some time. Even with the dog out of the house, and as much hair swept, vacuumed, and wiped up as I could manage, I’d still be picking dog hairs out of my wet paint. This was the extent of my frustration with this project.
Painting stair treads
I decided to start with the treads (the part of the stair you step on) and handle the risers later. I’d paint every other stair so I still had access to the second floor of the house. Once dry, I’d switch to paint the other stair treads. Another bonus of painting with Chalk Paint is the quick drying time! It should be dry to the touch in 1-3 hours and ready for a second coat. The perfect amount of time for a little Netflix binge in between painting all the treads.
I started with a coat of Old White and got a first coat onto all the treads using my paint brush. Then my time was up. It was getting late and I didn’t want to paint in bad lighting. The next morning I got to work with a coat of Chicago Grey on the stair treads, again painting every other step, in two rounds. I watered the Chalk Paint down by about 10% so the paint wasn’t so thick. I wanted this second coat to be thinner so the shade of paint was just that much lighter.
A diy staircase makeover with chalk paint by Annie Sloan in old white and chicago grey. #DIY #freshhomedecor #chalkpaint #anniesloan #decorativepaint #homedecor
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Creating a wash of Chalk Paint
Later that afternoon, once the stairs were dry, I applied a wash of the Old White paint. This time, I watered down the paint by about 50%. I wanted that distressed, weathered, driftwood effect. After painting the white wash on I wiped it off with the cheesecloth before it dried. A distressed and weathered look is exactly what I got.
Except… I’m going to be honest with you, it was a little too rustic for me. The stairs are wide and well-lit, definitely a focal point in our home, despite being off to the side. I’m trying to achieve a ‘coastal modern’ aesthetic with our decor. Cool tones and a nuanced ocean, beach-y feel. The distressed driftwood effect took it too far and was contrasting with the ‘modern’ aspect.
Painting a staircase is a pretty big, time-consuming job but it’s not difficult. Especially when you cut out all the prep time like you can when using Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan! #DIY #freshhomedecor #chalkpaint #anniesloan #decorativepaint #homedecor
So, I immediately set to work applying another light coat of Chicago Grey, watered down by about 50 per cent once again (Chalk Paint really goes a really long way!). I applied the watered-down paint smoothly and evenly with a brush all in the same direction for a smooth, glossy finish. Mixing the Old White with the Chicago Grey made the shade paler. The colour was perfection. Pale grey with the slightest blue undertone that reminds me of the Atlantic ocean.
painting your staircase with Chalk Paint by annie sloan is a great idea. #DIY #freshhomedecor #chalkpaint #anniesloan #decorativepaint #homedecor
Protect your floors with Annie Sloan Lacquer
I gave everything time to dry, considering how very hot and humid the weather was. The next day (in fact, it was the evening once the kids were gone to bed) I followed up with the Annie Sloan Lacquer in a gloss finish to protect the floors. It was a dream to apply with the Annie Sloan sponge roller. The lacquer will dry to the touch in 1-2 hours but for maximum protection, curing time takes 14 days. We tried, as best we could, to tread lightly up and down the stairs with no shoes during this time. No harm done!
Annie sloan chalk paint can be used on floors, like this master staircase makeover. #DIY #freshhomedecor #chalkpaint #anniesloan #decorativepaint #homedecor
Painting your stairs with Chalk Paint is a good idea
Fast forward a few weekends and I finally had time to paint the stair risers, baseboards, and bannister with two coats of Old White, to freshen everything up together. This was a quick and simple job and this update made everything look so fresh and clean.
Though I changed my initial plan of the distressed look, I still achieved a coastal look to go with the beach-y modern decor vibe I’m going for in our home, for a touch of summer year round.
Before and after photos
A DIY staircase makeover in just ten steps
Patch test an application of paint and lacquer in various spots to ensure old stain doesn’t bleed through
Wipe down the surface
Tape off the edges & areas you don’t want painted
Apply one coat of old white (in two rounds, painting every other stair tread each time so you still have access to the staircase)
Apply one coat of Chicago Grey, watered down 10%
For a weathered, driftwood effect apply a wash of Old White (watered down 50 per cent) and wipe off with cheesecloth before dry
For a smooth modern finish, apply one more coat of Chicago Grey evenly in the same direction
Once dry, apply two coats of lacquer which will dry to the touch quickly, to protect the staircase
Apply two coats of Old White on stair risers, baseboards, and bannister for a fresh, clean look
Also apply lacquer to the freshly painted areas for maximum protection
Using the power of chalk paint to transform a master staircase and inject a bit of personality with a modern coastal vibe. #DIY #freshhomedecor #chalkpaint #anniesloan #decorativepaint #homedecor
Disclosure: This post is in partnership with Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan who gifted the Chalk Paint for this project but all opinions and stories shared are my own honest experiences.
Related posts
All About Chalk Paint By Annie Sloan
Dressing Up Your Home with Chalk Paint
How To Use Chalk Paint At Home
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