It was a beautiful day and a perfect time for a road trip. The purpose was to go to Mebane and buy
some Annie Sloan Chalk Paints. I know many of you are familiar with these (you are the reason I’m now convinced it is THE paint for me!). But for those of you to whom this is a new company and a new kind of paint (really, it’s paint? with chalk?), read all about it on the Annie Sloan website.
I’ll give you more reviews and links to read about this paint at the end of the post….So, off we headed to Mebane which is about an hour from my village.
No, it’s not me-bane, it’s ‘me-ben. I know, it took me a while to get it right.
Mebane is one of those southern towns that was founded with the textile, bedding and tobacco industries. It was actually incorporated in 1881 and flourished with the railroad transporting textiles and tobacco. The White Furniture Company, which had been one of the major employers, finally closed in 1998. The Mebane Bedding Company, now Kingsdown, continues to be a major player in the bedding industry.

Off to find my chalk paint. Lucky for me, the nearest retailer is the

Alas, they were out of “French Linen” but assured me it would be coming in very soon. I just got a call today saying it is now in stock!

The plan is to paint a very outdated, four-drawer sideboard with the paint and add a wax finish. And, of course, some fun new hardware.
Melville Trading is a wonderful, huge place. It used to house the local Chevrolet dealership, so you can imagine the space.
As an extra added bonus, I found these architectural salvage pieces below!!!
They are for a project that is on-going and so much fun because you just never know when or where something perfect will turn up! Melville Trading: you were a goldmine for me!

We wandered around the “historic” district:

great copper rainpipe
must return and try this restaurant…
The Elegant Relic was my favorite… Lacy has such good taste in antiques, new ideas and clothes.
Look at these fun, all rubber flip flops! (yes, I was the passenger, not the driver!)
guess it’s time to paint the toenails, right?
If you’re in the neighborhood, I highly recommend a visit to Mebane and these fun stores.
I’ll go back and get my paint and start that project, hopefully this weekend.
As promised, here are a few blogs showing the how-to and finished pieces using the Annie Sloan Chalk Paints: