Versailles Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®

Versailles in Your Space

Versailles is the colour of aged grandeur made gentle. Soft and yellow-green, it carries the quality of old French furniture left in a room where the light has shifted over centuries — a colour that has settled into itself completely, sophisticated without effort, refined without trying. It is named for a reason. There is something in Versailles that speaks of gilded doors and painted boiserie, of rooms that were designed to feel both opulent and entirely at ease.

What makes Versailles so remarkable is its responsiveness. It picks up the colours around it and shifts its character accordingly — warmer alongside earthy tones, cooler alongside deeper greens, softer alongside neutrals. It is a colour that listens, and that quality makes it one of the most quietly intelligent in the entire palette.

It works as beautifully on a contemporary piece as it does on something with genuine age and history. Versailles does not belong to one era. It belongs to rooms that are considered and full of character.

Colour Companions

Warm & Earthy

• Original — creamy and traditional, alongside Versailles it creates a pairing that feels quietly French and full of gentle, aged warmth
• Coco — rich and deeply warm, it grounds Versailles beautifully and adds an earthy sophistication that feels completely resolved
• Honfleur — dark and full of earthy conviction, it creates a pairing with Versailles that feels painterly, grounded, and full of depth

Deep & Considered

• Olive — muted and richly green, alongside Versailles it creates a tonal pairing that feels layered, organic, and full of quiet character
• Old Violet — dusty and deeply personal, it finds a beautiful, unexpected resolution alongside Versailles that feels genuinely antique and full of story

Finishing Touches

• Clear Wax — the natural finish for Versailles, it protects while preserving the soft, yellow-green quality of the colour completely
• Gold Gilding — alongside Versailles it creates something that feels genuinely palatial — warm, opulent, and full of French grandeur

When You Want to Mix

Versailles shifts and responds to whatever it is blended with — use it to add a soft, aged green quality to neutrals or to bring warmth and sophistication to deeper colours.

How to Apply

Versailles builds beautifully in two coats, each layer deepening the soft, yellow-green character that makes this colour so distinctive. On gilded or detailed pieces it becomes something genuinely extraordinary — the colour and the gold finding each other in a way that feels completely and historically right.

The Chalk Paint® Difference

Annie Sloan invented Chalk Paint® in 1990 and it changed furniture painting forever. The formula is water-based, ultra-low VOC (2.2g/l), and virtually odour-free — and it bonds to almost any surface without the stripping, sanding, or priming that traditional paints demand. One tin, one brush, and you're ready to go.

It works on timber, metal, concrete, brick, laminate, and plastic. Indoors or out. Smooth and matte or heavily textured. The finish is entirely yours to decide.

Before You Begin

Give your tin a good stir — no shaking needed. Load your brush and work in smooth, even strokes. One coat often surprises you with how much it covers; a second coat gives you full, solid opacity. Always let each coat dry completely before continuing.

Making It Your Own

• Build up thick layers for a sculptural, impasto effect, then seal with wax
• Sand back lightly once dry to reveal what's underneath and create genuine, earned wear
• Add a little water to thin the paint into a translucent wash that lets the wood grain breathe through
• Blend colours directly on the piece — Chalk Paint® mixes beautifully for completely custom results

Sealing & Protection

Annie Sloan Clear Wax is the classic finish — it protects and adds a subtle, natural sheen. Dark Wax settles into mouldings and edges for depth and shadow. For outdoor pieces or high-traffic surfaces, Annie Sloan Lacquer gives a harder, weather-resistant finish.

A Few Questions We Hear Often

Will it work outside?
Yes — seal it with Annie Sloan Lacquer and it will handle the elements beautifully.

Does it have to be sealed?
Not always. Decorative pieces that won't see daily wear can be left as they are. For anything that gets touched, wiped, or sat on regularly, wax or lacquer will protect your work.

Can I mix my own colours?
Absolutely — it's one of the great joys of Chalk Paint®. Mix directly in the tin or on the piece itself.

Which brush should I use?
Annie Sloan's Flat Brush gives a smooth, even finish. Her Round Brush is ideal for working paint into carved details and creating texture.

How much do I need?
One litre covers approximately 13 square metres. The 120ml size is perfect for smaller pieces, testing colours, and mixing experiments.