fresh furniture – got paint?

the console i used for this project was fine in its original condition.  it was just all wrong for my purpose.  the space needed an injection of color and i wanted an old weathered looking piece.

console in its original condition

i spotted it at a local consignment shop.  i didn’t really notice it until the second time around.  the dimensions and price were perfect.  it just needed a makeover which resulted in a fabulous very custom looking piece of painted furniture.

E+O’s step by step from blah to beautiful:

1- lightly sand the entire console

2- primed it randomly so the crackle texture and original finish peeped through

3- 3 colors of  paint were applied using equal parts of acrylic paint, water and glaze.  it was important for all the colors to show. the darker color,  indigo blue  was applied first.  random fluid strokes were used. the creamy color was second and the  prominent color, periwinkle was applied last.

4- highlighted areas of excessive wear and tear (in edges, near the drawer pulls) received a concentration of  dark umber antiquing glaze while all other areas received a very light coat. after it was applied i used a soft white rag to wipe it off.  make sure the rag does not release loose fibers that  will remain on the furniture.

5- in some areas i used a badger brush to distribute and remove the glaze. (to do this i dabbed a foam brush with glaze in certain areas and used the the badger brush to spread it over the area. after a few strokes i removed excess glaze from the brush with a rag.  i repeated this process until the glaze was uniformed)

6- along the edges of the table top i used my fingertips to rub on metallic antigue gold rub and buff i purchased on-line from dickblick.com.  (these are handy to keep around for toning down bright metals and to add a depth of richness to almost any home decor item) .  using your fingertip gives you more control.

7- i switched out drawer pulls to coordinate with the new look

8- the last step was to apply 3 coats of varnish

Distressed console after the makeover using acrylic and metallic paints