BB Frosch Paint Transformer is my go to for painting furniture. It’s safe to use and I love that I can use any color paint I want. Find out how I use it and the refinished pieces I have been able to transform with it.
Where it all started
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When I first started painting furniture and painted my first dresser turned TV stand. I bought Annie Sloan chalk paint and although I am a big fan. The price was just too high for me. I searched other options for chalk paint and ran into an article on how to make your own. I spent the following year mixing water with Plaster of Paris to create my own chalk paint recipe. Plaster of Paris is a hazardous material and must be handled safely like most materials, but I was ready to move on as I did not know a lot of information about it.
I searched online for chalk paint powders instead of chalk paint because I loved the idea of using any color paint and so I ran into BB Frosch Paint Transformer (originally known as BB Frosch chalk paint powder). It’s been a few years now and BB Frosch Paint Transformer is still my go to for painting furniture.
Price
It’s very cost effective. I usually buy the size that mixes up to one gallon of paint for $34.00 USD. It lasts me months, depending on how many painting projects I have going on. The smaller container mixes up to a quart of paint for only $10.00 USD. The largest paint container is the Contractor which mixes up to 3 gallons for $84.00 USD.
Mixing
So here is the best part of the powder, you can mix it with any flat latex paint of your choice! This is my favorite part because I’m not limited with paint colors. I take a quick trip to my local paint store or Lowes Home Improvement and grab a sample of my go to Sherwin Williams paint in any color. A sample of paint is usually 8oz and can be mixed with the powder per the directions on the back. One 8oz mix is enough paint for a small dresser, small desk, or a long dresser with a stained top. I like a mix of stained wood and paint on my pieces so one or two samples of paint is plenty. However, if you choose to spray your paint you may need more.
It is important to mix the powder and water first then add your paint. You should end up with a doughnut glaze consistency. I love doughnuts so it didn’t take me long to get the hang of it!
Directions
For a gallon of paint: Mix 2 cups of powder with 1-1 1/2 cups of water (if you find the mix of water and powder to be too watery no worries just add a tad bit more of powder to get that glaze consistency)
For a quart of paint: Mix 1/2 a cup of powder with 4-6 tablespoons of water
For a cup of paint: Mix 2 heaping tablespoons of powder with 1-1 1/2 tabblespoons of water
Here are some examples of pieces that I have refinished and the amount of paint I used.
For the piece below I only used half of a cup of the paint mix.
This piece needed an entire cup of paint mix.
For this custom piece , I mixed two samples of paint with the powder in anticipation that I would have to do more coats since it was a dark wood piece and I painted it white. I ended up having 4oz left that I was able to give to my client as touch up paint if anything happened to the piece.
Any left over mix I easily store in a mason jar and the paint keeps well. I have mixed paint that I have stored for years that I find myself using at times to mix in with other colors and create custom colors.
Do you need to sand and prime before painting?
There are several factors to this. There are a lot of paint companies that claim you do not have to sand but I like to scuff sand (lightly sand the surface). It ensures that the surface is nice and smooth and provides reassurance that your paint will bond properly to the piece.
Now, I don’t usually prime unless I’m painting a piece a light color that I question if it’ll bleed through. BB Frosch provides great coverage and you don’t need to sand or prime. I have painted pieces and skipped those two steps. However, I have had a few pieces bleed through. Those pieces were Mahogany and I painted them white. Mohagany, knotty pine and cedar all love to bleed through your painted piece. If I am painting a piece a dark color then I usually don’t prime when using BB Frosch. Lately I have found myself priming more pieces to avoid any upcoming challenges with bleed through.
Overall, I truly love to use BBFrosch paint transformer. It provides amazing coverage, its cost effective, and allows me to choose any color of my choice!
Besides using BB Frosch as my go to product for painting, it is also important to prep. For more details on prepping, bleed through, and sanding check out 4 Things to Consider Before Painting Furniture.
If you love to paint furniture like I do what brands of paint have you used and do you recommend?
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