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Different Products, Different Techniques, Same Old-World Look
Augusta, a long coffee table, was originally part of a trio - her children were refinished in an old world style but with different products. See Cora and Nora's transformation here.
I only have one before picture and it's of Nora, the matching end table:
Augusta and her 2 matching pieces came home with us from an estate sale two summers ago. They were crammed into our van, taken home and sat in our basement for more than a year waiting to be given new life. No one else wanted the three pieces. I set my price, made my bid and got them easier than I expected.
I had no problem envisioning how I wanted them to look.
From the start knew I would split them up and do some experimenting. The first set, the end tables, Cora and Nora live with a family of three. When Hometalk featured them, I got a few nasty comments on how valuable antiques should never be painted - LOL. These are not valuable antiques and only found their value after they got their new look. I guess I must have done a great job on their re-design if they were mistaken for valuable antiques!
Her top was refinished the same time and the other two with (afflinks) Java Gel and topcoat with General Finishes Satin High Performance Top Coat. Then she sat for months shuffled here and there while I played around with a dozen other pieces. I love love love the reflection you get with the satin finish of GF HPTC.
I used bed risers to get it up off the ground to paint the legs and apron.
I finally decided to give her a go.
She's painted with Chalk Paint in Old White after a good cleaning and sanding. I still remember the trip downtown in Virginia while visiting my DD, Jillian, to a store that carried the chalk paint. She shipped it home for me and it sat for a long time before I even opened the can. When I was offered clear wax and dark wax from Annie Sloan, I jumped at the chance to use them together. Augusta was finally going to get her make over.
Materials Used
(Affiliate links, for your convenience are listed in RED)
old t'shirt
The Process
For a table top tutorial using Java Gel, visit Using Java Gel on a Table Top. I used the same method as I did on Sophia, a parlor table in that post. Java Gel is so easy to use and I just can't get enough of it.
Now let's see how the apron and legs turned old-world style with a little bit of paint, decorative wax and a lot of elbow grease.
STEP #1 - Clean and sand - getting to the nooks and crannies were a bit of work! I used (afflinks) Krud Kutter and a sanding sponge.
STEP #2 - Paint the apron and legs with (afflinks) Old White chalk paint - two coats and in some places three. I taped off the bottom lip of the table top with (afflink) Frog Tape. I started out with cleap-o painter's tape but switched to the Frog Tape when I noticed it wasn't working well. Buy it - it's worth the extra $. Give it a few days to cure.
STEP #3 - Wax it with (afflinks) clear wax - wipe off the excess with an old t'shirt. I used a round brush to apply the wax.
STEP #4 - Apply dark wax with a brush and wipe off the high points of the details with an old t'shirt to give an old world look. I also wiped off a good share of the recessed flat surfaces. Be sure to get into all the nooks and crannies when you apply the dark wax. If the dark wax is too heavy in some spots, use clear wax to remove it. This takes a lot of elbow grease, but the results are totally worth it.
Since the chalk paint encourages texture by its thickness and texture, it's makes for a surface to take dark wax well - well enough to replicate the look of age and distress that normally would take hundreds of years.
On the Forum I often get the question, "How do I get rid of brush strokes?" And the answer given by members is always either, "Dip your brush in water before you paint." or, "Sand in-between coats." I did dip my brush a couple of times to help smooth on the paint, but not to get a completely smooth painted surface. I didn't sand between coats either. This chalk paint is excellent for texture and I let it do its job. I didn't want a completely smooth surface. It needed to be textured to give me this look.
STEP #5 - Let it cure. The wax will harden and provide a great finish.
Just The Right Combination
It may seem that I do an awful lot of Java Gel tops, and you'd be right. There is something perfect about Java Gel finished in a matte topcoat atop an antiqued coffee table. A sort of icing on the cake, so to speak. I never get tired of using General Finishes gel stain - it's so easy and gives a beautiful finish that never fails. Easy, consistent and beautiful.
So to sum it up...
The two matching end tables were painted in Old Fashioned Milk Paint and dry brushed with a cream colored acrylic to give it their own old-world flavor.
Then the matching coffee table, Augusta, was painted with white chalk paint and antiqued with dark wax. Two techniques - the same old-world look.
Do you have a coffee table in your living room? Augusta is sitting in our Red Shed FB store waiting for her new family.
My next project is a Bombé chest accented in champagne metallic. I've got some great projects in the works. Come back in a bit and let me know what you think!
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Talk soon!
* Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy anything after clicking on one of the affiliate links, I receive a small commission of the sale. The cost to you is the same, and I only link to items that I think would benefit my readers. Your support of this blog is greatly appreciated! This post was sponsored by Annie Sloan by supplying some of the materials for this project – Thank you!