Coffee Table Makeover

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BEFORE:

AFTER:

I got this at a garage sale 2 weeks ago and paid $15 for it.  Of course, I probably should have paid $10 cause it was in pretty bad shape!!!

But DISTRESSED furniture is all the rage... and this piece was very distressed!  Lots of unknown substances were stuck all over it.  I'm talking get the putty knife out and scrape the unknown!!!  Then there was the beautiful nail polish stain too, ugh!

I started out by filling the many scratches and dents with wood filler.  I let that dry for a couple of hours and then I came back and lightly sanded over the wood filler areas.  I didn't sand the entire table because that's the beauty of ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT(aka...ASCP)!  You don't have to sand or prime before you paint.  Actually, it's been my experience that the paint applies easier if you don't sand!  Can you hear the HALLELUJAH CHORUS in your head right now?  (I don't enjoy sanding... at all!)  Here's a link to Annie Sloan's website telling all about her amazing paint...http://www.anniesloan.com/

Now it's time for the first coat of paint.  I painted this with  "Old White" Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) & I applied it with a regular paint brush and I tried to keep my brush strokes all going in the same direction...although after it's sanded and waxed, you can't really see any brush strokes but better safe than sorry on the top part.  The legs are another story!  

I let my paint dry (about 5 seconds)  JUST KIDDING!  No, but seriously!  THIS PAINT DRIES SOOOOO FAST! I started painting the top first and then by the time I finished painting the legs, the top was dry.  I know, right!???!!?  I'm not a patient person so it thrilled me to be able to start applying the second coat immediately.  

You can see here that my brush strokes are going all crazy directions and you can also see how thin that first coat is.

Now, here's the problem area... Every project has it's little glitch and here's the GLITCH for this one.  Remember that pretty nail polish that was spilled on top of the table?  Well, I SHOULD've, COULD've, WOULD've been much better off if I'd applied a primer before I painted the top of the table because the nail polish bled through... as it would under any type of paint!

So I put the primer right on top of my second coat and left it there and unfortunately I had to wait several hours for it to dry (cause it's not Annie Sloan Chalk Paint... ugh!) 

Then I painted ASCP over the top of it and VOILA... you can't even tell.  This paint is so amazing and forgiving and EASY to work with.  WOWSERS!

Now for my favorite part...the sanding... HUH?  DID I JUST SAY AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS POST THAT I HATE SANDING? Yes I did... but this is not like normal sanding, it's so easy, you hardly have to do any work.  I started by using a fine grade sanding block, I went over the entire thing to make it smooth.  I kinda sanded in circular motions (think karate kid... "wax on, wax off") and then when the whole thing was smooth looking and I didn't see any brush strokes... I got out the medium grade sanding block and I started distressing.  I concentrated on the edges and then random splotches on the top and legs... the wood should show through to achieve a really good distressed look. After I was finished with the sand blocks, I dusted the entire thing and then wiped it down with a slightly damp cloth.

Then I applied ASCP clear wax very thinly using a stiff bristled brush.  After I applied it, I used an old white t-shirt to rub it in really good all over!  Then I let it sit for 24 hours and I went back over it and buffed it to the slight shine that I was looking for.  I used another old white t-shirt for a rag.  When the husband gives you a pile of his old white undershirts with the deodorant stains under the arms... you know what I'm talking about!  Don't throw them away, cut them up to use as rags for all your furniture projects. They're the best.

 I left my table in the garage for 3 days just to let the wax cure really good before I carried it in.  I know myself so well...I wouldn't be able to wait to set decor on the table and I'd scratch it so I removed the temptation and left it out in the garage.

Well, here's the finished table.  I'm so happy with it.  If I had known then, what I know now, I would've paid $16 for it.  Hahaha!

I purchase my ASCP at Shades of Amber.  They ship very quickly and they have great customer service. You can enter into their weekly chalk paint contest if you paint a piece using ASCP.  Check them out at...

http://shadesofamberinc.blogspot.com/

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