Painting our Sidewalk in a Buffalo Plaid Pattern using Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan

Buffalo checks are HOT! As in, like everywhere I turn in the home decor stores – I see it. It adds whimsy and depending on the color you choose – it can add a pop or be subtle. It adds a bit of whimsy- yet can also be timeless and classic. You can go with the traditional black and white or …consider grey and white or a light beige.

Funny, because I am usually a few years behind on trends….I just like what I like…and don’t change too quickly and I am not ashamed to admit that. But, I have caught the Buffalo Check fever and probably was getting into it a little too much! In fact I was starting to wear buffalo plaid every day- so I had to real it in. I’m not joking.

At my Macedon, NY store location – as it got closer to the fall and winter moths, we decided to change the pattern on our front sidewalk from the previous, pattern that we did in the spring. Keep reading to see how we achieved this look and check out our Youtube video on how we did this.

First, we swept the sidewalk well and then began to paint over the old pattern we already had on our sidewalk. We used Old White Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan first and created a solid base coat. Old White Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan is a great color because it is a soft white but does not have any yellow to it. As for determining to paint the whole base in a white versus a black – my thought is it’s always easier to paint darker colors over light versus light colors over a dark base.

Once the paint was totally dry, we began measuring and outlining vertical stripes with painter’s tape. Most importantly, you need to think about should the tape be in the INSIDE of the line or OUTSIDE of the line. (again, watch my video so you can get a visual on this)

  • We then used Paris Grey Chalk Paint® to paint the vertical stripes with a roller that had a medium to long pile nap. For furniture, we always recommend a foam roller, but for something textured like concrete or a brick wall, a nappy roller is actually better because it helps get the paint into the crevices better!

For the horizontal stripes, we alternated Graphite and Paris Gray Chalk Paint® to create the “check” pattern. I have seen so many ways to approach painting Buffalo check. On furniture, some will retap over stripes to avoid, but the section we painted was about 10 feet by 10 feet- so it was easier to just be strategic.

Once one color was dry, I would take painter tape and use a previous square from another row to line my tape straight. (if you watch the Youtube video – this will make more sense hopefully.)

Here I am in chilly mid-November, bare foot and painting outside. Yes, people drive by my shop in this small town and think, “what is that crazy lady up to now?!” But I don’t care…I am having fun and some day when I look back on my life- I will only laugh! Anyway, the next image was taken right before we started painting the Graphite Chalk Paint®. I love Graphite because it is a warm Charcoal. Still a dark color, but not a true black.

Again, just to recap, make sure you lay your painter’s tape outside of the space you are painting – otherwise you could make the square too small.

TOPCOAT?: Annie Sloan’s Matte Lacquer or Gloss Lacquer can be used either inside or outside. So,, if you are painting a concrete floor inside your home, I would strongly recommend sealing it with either Annie Sloan’s Matte Lacquer or Gloss Lacquer. We chose to not seal this outside, but you need to consider Annie does recommend a topcoat and does not really promote this paint for outside walkways. Since we are in western New York and we get that white stuff here called snow…..our front sidewalk is literally plowed by a truck with a 350 pound snow blade that drags over it and then, to torture it some more…..rock salt is thrown all over it to prevent ice. So, we went into this knowing we will need to re-do it in the spring.

  • We love how festive it looks now that it is finished!

Here is the sidewalk after 2 solid months of snow and salting. It looks like a worn faded flannel.

You can watch our video of the whole process here: https://youtu.be/4sLD3hgEmgs

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