If you want quick Coastal French change in your home, color is the easiest place to start. As we touched on in our paint colors post, there isn’t a color combo more Coastal French than blue and cream. It’s the dominant duo at any beach:

…embodied in the Skating Pond logo:

The French fully embrace this pretty pair, too. Every Haussmann-designed block in Paris (which is a good bit of it) is a testament to the calming beauty of slate blue and cream.

But Haussmann structures are hardly it … you see blue and cream across France:

Long before I visited Paris and Provence, and snapped these photos, I saw this swoon-worthy French Country dining room on the internet:

It was so inspiring, I decided to go boldly blue with our boring brown baseboards and trim — the sort of project that could bring quick Coastal French change to a room. At the time, I was chasing around 8, 5 and 3 year old boys, so forgive me for the lack of application photos. I can only imagine it was done in haste, and probably under the cover of night!

What I do still have is the plate on which I fiddled with the formula for a custom paint color. It’s a mix of Annie Sloan’s Aubusson Blue, Duck Egg, and Paris Grey. From what I can tell, in a roughly a 1:2:2 ratio. (Maybe they all look the same to you … or maybe you appreciate my crazy!)

In using chalk paint, this job couldn’t be easier. No pulling off the trim and sanding. No priming. None of that. In simple terms, you just slap the paint on, then wax it!

Painting Steps

1. Tape off the wall and floor.
2. Use a flat brush to apply 1.5 coats. By ‘half’ coat, I mean you dab the brush tips in water before the dipping into the paint for the second coat. This thins the chalk paint a little, making it easier to apply smoothly.
3. Once dry, apply a coat of Annie Sloan’s clear wax to seal it. (Tutorial video by Annie Sloan, click here).

We used Benjamin Moore’s somewhat controversial China White on the walls. Controversial, because some designers and homeowners think it looks like the walls are dirty. But, for the Coastal French look, it’s perfect. So perfect we used it in the family room and powder room, too.

From brown and beige to blue and cream dining room … voilà:

How’s that for quick Coastal French change?! Next on the dining room docket, linen curtains!