Younger generation is bringing back classic furniture

All Kinds of Finds has the paint, the technique and the eclectic passion

Luscious paint colors in their creamy shades and alluring names of Paris Grey and Old White came together for an interesting project for Alexis Pradat.“One of my friends asked how I did this and what paint I got,” Pradat said. “I said ‘Don’t use regular paint’ because Annie Sloan paint, is amazing.  I love it.”

The paint and supplies were a birthday present for Pradat, who bought them at All Kinds of Finds by Karen, a local provider of Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan products.

Pradat wanted to give her bedroom furniture a new look.

And she did.

In one weekend, this 15-year-old restored her own furniture with a little help from shop owner Karen Guillot.

They weren’t the only ones heralding the work.

“It is beautiful and thank you so much for being so helpful,” said Pradat’s mother, Jennifer Todesco Pradat, of her junior high student and her project.

Annie Sloan Paint has become a phenomenon in the U.S., primarily sold by shops like Guillot’s in Luling. Annie Sloan specializes in decorative paint and the techniques that make her eye-catching colors work best.

While Pradat used neutral colors in her project, Annie Sloan’s color line includes a bright array of shades including the turquoise blue of Florence, the warmness of Scandinavian Pink and a welcoming Barcelona Orange.

The paint is also popular because of its durability and ease of use, as well as can be mixed to provide custom looks such as distressed or aged with dark wax. A smooth finish is possible, too.

Guillot said Pradat, who knew about the chalk paint, represents a welcome younger generation enjoying the eclectic look achievable with these paints.

“These young people going to college or relocating or entering married life, are getting furniture from parents, grandparents, etc… It’s high quality furniture, family owned, sentimental furniture that they want to keep, but want to update the look.”

This, in great part, is what Annie Sloan focuses on with her paints and techniques, which Guillot will expand upon at one of Sloan’s workshops later this year and then offer to her customers.

In her 27th year of producing products that continue to appeal worldwide, Guillot touted its ease of use and beautiful colors.

“It’s very forgiving of first-time users,” she said. “You can fix or redo with minimal effort. You can not make a mistake with this paint.”

But Guillot also said these vintage styles appeal to younger people, too.

“For these younger people, I think it comes down to a sense of history,” she said. “Many of my customers may not get that from their family, but they want things from the past. It just resonates with them.”

Guillot recalled a young couple who recently visited her shop and commented on its ambiance, particularly on how much they enjoyed the restored furniture that brought back memories of mom or grandmother’s furnishings.

“That’s what this does,” she said. “It just takes you to another place – maybe slower and kinder.”

 

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