As I write this article, spring 2019 will require quite a thaw to be here on time. Why do we like spring so much? It’s the promise of renewal in every hesitant blade of grass or tree bud. It’s new life, fresh, inviting us outside and it smells good. And we think it will be warmer. Spring is green.
If you simply can’t wait for green to arrive with the calendar, bring it on yourself with a paint project using one of the many greens in the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint palette. Have a look around your house. Where do you think a little (or big) pop of green would look best? Is it a painted bench or chair in the entryway? Or how about a little table in your living room or den? Whether it’s a picture frame, a trinket box or a bunch of terracotta plant pots, any of these would add some spring zest to your home.
Chalk Paint by Sloan is the original stuff, developed by Sloan nearly 30 years ago as an easy fix for updating old furniture. There’s no sanding or stripping and rarely do you need to prime. Just wash your project well, let it dry and start to paint. I am always telling people that the hardest part is choosing the colour. And with a bunch of greens in the line, there is one perfect for your decor. Wax the painted piece (or use her water-based lacquer) — and you can skip this step if your project will end up in the great outdoors. Chalk Paint is a quick DIY green fix.
One of the greens in the Chalk Paint line is Lem Lem. This gentle, warm green is a pet project for Sloan, as the sale of each can contributes to fundraising for Oxfam. She was inspired to support this organization after visiting Ethiopia at Oxfam’s invitation in 2017. She saw incredible poverty and, in particular, she noted the many women who are the sole providers for their children. Oxfam has a horticultural project to teach farmers how to grow better and produce more, as well as how to sell it. Sloan saw colour all around her as she toured the country, yet it was the green of the growth that slowly worked on her creative nature. The green of the fields gave people hope, so Sloan decided to develop a Chalk Paint called Lem Lem to add to that hope of a better, healthier and more prosperous life.
There are other greens in the Chalk Paint line, such as Antibes, Amsterdam, Olive, Chateau Grey and Versailles. Those are just the greens, not the blue-greens. Truly, there is a green for every decor. Let’s paint our way into spring.
Did you know?
Lem Lem means “to flourish” or “lush green of fresh growth” in the Ethiopian language Amharic.
Absolutely Fabulous at Home in New Minas is where you go to find the things you didn’t know you needed. The Valley’s own kitchen, bath, bed, decor and DIY store is Absolutely Fabulous. Cathy Reid owns it, lives it, loves it.
