I have two booths at Queen of Hearts in Marietta, GA. Inside the store my booths are on Bull and Queen street labeled KATS. Here you will be able to find all the refinished furniture and antiques along with the Wise Owl and Saltwash products.

All the Wise Owl and Saltwash products are made in the United States!

The beauty of chalk style paints is eliminating most of the prep work. All painting must include some prep because you must make sure to thoroughly clean your piece to eliminate product buildup. Furniture polish and waxes are barrier products, and those must be removed to ensure proper adhesion of paint. Clean with a household cleaner than doesn’t include oil. I prefer LA’s totally Awesome found at the Dollar Tree, for especially dirty pieces. It will remove mildew, smoke, product buildup, and more. For pieces that just need a quick cleanup, I go the greener route and use vinegar and water to clean. You may need to sand out any scratches or imperfections but, the paint will smooth out and fill minor scratches. You do not need to sand your piece down to the bare wood or prime. In some cases, laminate furniture may be primed to give a stronger base for adhesion but this is not usually necessary. Some furniture pieces are prone to bleeding through. This is when the tannins in the wood seep through the porous nature of the paint and may stain or discolor. Mahogany, knotty pine, and more are culprits that could produce staining. In this case, a barrier should be used like shellac. You may use shellac right over any areas that you have experienced discoloration and then paint over once covered with a barrier product.

Finishing products are rarely a one size fits all product. We have many finishes depending on your desired finish. First, take into consideration how much traffic the piece will have. Wax produces a gorgeous finish, but high traffic areas like a kitchen table or cabinets may need a finish to hold up to more wear and tear.

There are many brushes designed for furniture painting and you will find it is not always 1 brush fits all. I find myself using an array of sizes and styles from natural bristle to synthetic. The smooth bristles of a synthetic brush, lends itself to a more uniform, minimal brushstroke finish. Natural Bristle brushes are wonderful for creating a textured finish and for dry brushing for shabbier or rustic style finishes. The Cling on brush is an ideal brush for producing the smoothest finish and cuts out time sanding out brushstrokes before adding finishing products. There are multiple styles but the Oval Medium (O40) is the top seller and my personal favorite. Some prefer a flat brush but it is all a matter of preference. I find the oval and round varieties use less paint and can tackle spindles, detail, and legs with ease.

Saltwash is a base coat powder paint additive that creates a unique weathered, layered look on any surface.

Saltwash is a patent pending product. Its chemical composition has an active ingredient that when added to paint and applied to any surface it begins to dry throughout all at one time. This differes from paint texturizing products and paint alone, which typically dry from top to bottom, resulting in the layers settling out. There is a "Saltwash how to guide" under the "Product Info" tab. There you will find instructions on how to measure out and apply saltwash.

Saltwash can be applied on wood, metal, ceramic, glass, plastic, cement, fabric and a variety of other surfaces, with no prep work required.

Yes! Saltwash can be mixed in any type of paint such as latex, oil and all specialty paints. See mixing ratios below.