Seagull Gray Walls and Chalk Painted Furniture?

I'm so excited that this weekend we are actually going to be painting our bedroom.  We've addressed all the other bedrooms first - John's, Conor's and the guest room.  But now it is our turn and I can't wait to turn our 'dumping' area into a proper place to rest my head and an area to prop my feet up and read a book.

As many of you know, I LOVE to paint!  I don't love ceilings though so I always leave that bit for my husband.  Sunday should be pretty easy because our bedroom walls are already a shade of gray.  We will be using Seagull Gray by my friends at The Paint Exchange (Massachusetts' only paint recycling manufacturer) located in North Scituate.

The color is a very soft, warm gray.  As you can see from the can it is 100% recycled paint and low VOC. At first I was thinking something funky in our room might be fun - horizontal stripes.  Check out this photo I saw on pinterest:

web image

But I was quashed by my husband.  He said he'd feel sick in a room like this.  So we are going to coat the full walls in Seagull Gray.

I'm also planning on using some really great pillows I got at Ikea on our bed:

Ursula Pillows - $13

I love the grain sack quality along with the subdued stripes.  I guess if I can't have them on the wall than I'll talke them on a pillow!

But all this talk of painting got me thinking about a piece of furniture I have in our bedroom.  I really love it.  It is a men's chest of drawers that is veneered and probably from the 30s or 40s.  They just don't make furniture like that anymore.  I got it at The Foyer of Charity sale in Scituate a few years ago for only $10!  It isn't in the best condition and the veneer is peeling in places:

Damage is most apparent on the top

So, I got to thinking....maybe I should paint it?!?  My husband, like most men I know, likes wood to be wood color.  I agree that there should be some warm wood tones, but I love painted pieces, too.  And for me to have it redone in the same style would cost a lot more than I paid for it.  What do you think?  Shall I paint it?

Lately, I've heard a lot about Annie Sloan's chalk paint.  Supposedly you don't need to prime or sand the piece you are refinishing and it is easy to use.  Is anyone familiar with this?  I thought a limed effect might give it that beachy quality I love so much.  Shaunna has written extensively about this on her blog, Perfectly Imperfect, as has Miss Mustard Seed.  What do people think of Chalk Paint?  Is the wax easy to use?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Wish us luck on our latest DIY project - our bedroom!