This was my very first project! I really enjoyed the process and loved the end result! My husband teased me because he would catch me staring at it when I was supposed to be keeping my eyes on the movie I was watching with him! Before |
| Before John and I were married he owned a lot of really well made furniture. This was one of them. However, he was more than happy to let me use this end table for my first project. This is solid oak. |
 |
| As you can see, I'm painting indoors. How am I able to do this, you ask? Simple. I use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. One of the best discoveries I've ever made! It's practically odorless with no fumes (I didn't even have to crack a window!). No sanding or priming is necessary. I simply washed down the original piece with soap and water and dried it off with a terry cloth towel. Okay, I lied a little- I did do a little bit of sanding. There were some imperfections in the wood and original stain that were elevated somewhat. I simply smoothed those areas out with a few swipes of 100 grit sandpaper, wiped the remaining residue off, dried it, and then started painting! Side note: You can reduce the appearance of brush strokes by mixing your paint with some water. How much? Not sure. I just guessed. But you will figure it out with your first stroke- you'll see if the amount you added was too much or too little. I used very little for this project. Some people, however, like the imperfect look that the raised brush strokes bring out. I'm sure I will have projects like that in the future. First, I took the drawer out and removed the handle with a screw driver. With the color Old White I painted three coats on the surface of the wood, waiting about 20 minutes in between each coat. Annie Sloan chalk paint dries really fast. Then I waited a day to distress and add the Annie Sloan Clear Wax. I applied the wax with a small Annie Sloan Wax Brush, in circular motions over the entire painted piece. Only one coat is necessary. After putting the wax on with a brush, you'll want to rub it into the paint with a lint free cloth (you can use cut up white t-shirts. That's what I did!) This should eliminate any small balled up clumps of wax sitting on the surface. You'll see a difference in the color. It creates a slightly darker, more bold color. And it seals in the paint. |
 |
| The next step would be to apply dark wax. For this piece, I decided not to, in order to match my other furniture. A lot of people don't like to add dark wax to the Old White color. I do like the way that it looks, but I think it does look better on other colors. Next, I spray painted the handle and screws with a slightly darker color from the original. I used Rustoleum's brand of paint and primer in one. I waited a full day for them to dry and then put it right back on. |
 |
| *For this particular piece, I chose to do minimal distressing, so as to match my other furniture in the living room. On future pieces I will do more, I'm sure. I used 100 grit sandpaper and sanded the edges in places where a piece of furniture would normally get worn. I used a very light hand. |
 After |
3 Ways to Help Reduce the Appearance of Brush Strokes in your Piece: 1) Sanding your original piece before you start painting; as I said before, sanding is not necessary, but if you want to reduce the appearance of the brush strokes, sanding will allow pores to open up and let paint sink in. 2) Mix your paint with a bit of water before applying (as I mentioned earlier); this will thin the paint out, giving you a smoother look. 3) Sanding the surface of your paint after it's been applied and dried (before you distress or wax); make sure you do this very lightly. You're not sanding through all your layers of paint. You're not even sanding through the top layer. You're simply leveling out those raised brush strokes. |
