Antiquing Glaze

  

I have a new love: antiquing glaze. It is easy to use and instantly adds like 100 years of tasteful grime to any piece. I'll explain my methods and show you this (as yet unfinished) jewelry box. 

I used Valspar Antiquing Glaze which I applied straight from the bottle with a flat paintbrush to get it into all the crevices, then used a damp rag (okay, t-shirt sleeve) to wipe away the excess. I also made sure that I wiped with the wood grain to make it look more authentic. the glaze is workable for about 15 minutes, which is more than enough time to get it how you want it. Lastly, seal it with your finish of choice. I used Minwax Paste Finishing Wax. It is that simple!

A couple hints:
1. make sure your paint is dry before glazing (I'm starting with the obvious one here)
2. Start with more than you think you'll need and gradually keep wiping it away
3. A damper rag is better than drier

A bottle of the stuff will set you back a whopping 8 bucks, and even if you apply it generously, it will last a long time. I've done 2 end tables, a dresser, and a jewelry box with only about a quarter of the bottle.

I'll show more pictures of this box when I have knobs for the drawers and door, and I've relined the drawers. Stay tuned!

Table Rehab Take 2

Here we have a $6.00 Goodwill monstrosity. It's in terrible shape and the top is completely detached from the rest of the table. Not to mention the completely dated finish. But I could tell that it had potential. It had some nice details which just needed a bit of TLC to bring out.

See the "nails" in the top?

 I used my new power sander to strip off as much of the finish as possible. It took a long time, and wore through a LOT of sandpaper and still it wasn't completely stripped. Unfortunately I guess I forgot to take a picture post-sanding, but it's not actually that interesting. I couldn't use the power sander on the curved legs, so I just roughed it up by hand and didn't worry about removing the finish altogether.

Then I used wood filler to fill in some of the bigger gouges and divots. I wanted a distressed look though (and was not convinced I'd be able to get away with any other look) so I wasn't too meticulous with this step. Then I primed it and painted it with the same light seafoam as my first table. What can I say, I had a lot left over. Turns out one sample jar is more than enough for a project of this size.

After the two coats were dry, I painted the inlaid bits on the sides and drawer with a teal shade that looks great with the lighter green. I used painter's tape, and found that if I pressed it down really well on the edges, I didn't need to use the perfect paint line trick that's floating around the interwebs. It just required the slightest bit of touch up after I removed the tape and the paint dried.

You can already see the detail on the top better than before! When the paint was dry, I reattached the top. I had to use slightly larger screws than were there before to ensure a tight fit, but it definitely feels secure now.

Then I applied antiquing glaze very generously to create some contrast in the cracks and imperfections, and of course to bring out that faux nail/plank detail. After I made sure the glaze was in all the nooks and crannies, I used a damp rag to distribute it better and achieve a weathered effect. I definitely used a heavier hand with the glaze for this project than the last one. I then sanded down the corners and edges a bit, but in retrospect, I should have done this before glazing, because I had to touch up the glaze where the sanding sponge rubbed it off a bit.

Now look how clear those details are!I had planned to hammer in some decorative clavos (antique looking iron nail heads) but now that it's antiqued, I think I'll leave it as is. It'll save some money too!

Last thing I did was add some paste finishing wax and buff it to a satiny finish.

It's a pretty far cry from how it started out, isn't it? It's serving as my new TV stand, but it's not perfect there because the shape and size make it a bit awkward for a corner. I don't know where it will end up, but I'm pretty proud of it. I still have to line the drawer (which I kept the original hardware for) but I'm in no hurry.

And just for shits and giggles, let's see before and after next to each other:

Duquette

I'm loving these rooms designed by Tony Duquette. They still seem so current. If I had the budget (and guts) to make my house look like this, I would! (FYI: click photos to be redirected to the source)

This one is my favorite. It has so much color and pattern: red beams and chandelier, green trim and furniture, purple, orange! But it never seems overdone or blinding. It still seems somewhat muted and so inviting.

With a slight update in the chair's upholstery, this room, especially the color scheme, holds up really well.

This man was certainly not a minimalist.

Table Rehab

I've been working on a little project this week, and I'm proud to share it! I bought this little table at Goodwill for seven bucks or so. It was in pretty bad shape, but I revamped it and now I think it looks pretty great!

This is the before. It could be worse, but let's face it -- not much. There was almost no varnish on the top, but actually that's exactly how I wanted it. Less sanding.

 

I sanded it down and primed it with Kilz.

After the primer dried, I sanded it again and applied two coats of Olympic paint in Lime Meringue (B68-1) satin finish. It's a really light jade green. I bought two sample cans, but it only took about half of one for the whole table. I very lightly sanded the table again before the second coat of paint.

After the paint had thoroughly dried (I gave it 24 hours, which I thought might not be enough, but it was fine) I took the sanding sponges to the edges and distressed them. I made sure to not make the distressed patches too uniform and I considered where the paint would naturally get rubbed off over time.

Then I used Valspar antiquing glaze and rubbed it all over with a damp scrap of old t-shirt to give it more of a weathered, almost whitewashed appearance. It does look grungier doesn't it? Tastefully so, though.

Lastly, I painted on a layer of paste wax. I let it dry for about half an hour, then took a microfiber dust rag and buffed it. Before the buffing I was a little apprehensive. The finish was very matte and not particularly smooth, but after I buffed it, it gave it a very smooth finish with just a bit of sheen.

Looks nice for a first attempt, doesn't it? It's sitting next to the couch now. It's perfect as an end table. Now I just need to redo the rest of the room around it!

Salvage

I'm loving the idea of salvaged or reclaimed wood in floors and furniture. On a recent trip to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, I saw among the acres of gorgeous forest expanses of clear-cut stumps. Now, I understand lumber is a valuable commodity, and it's probably the number one industry on the Peninsula (if Twilight hasn't taken over) but it's painful to see those scars on the hillside. And what happens to wood from barns and other buildings after they're torn down? I love the idea of re-purposing it for furniture, floors and walls, and ...Vespas?

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I'm sort of seriously in love with this wall, including the little paper mache rhino head. I need a headboard for my bed, and I think a mini-version of this would do nicely. Now, how to make a free-standing version, because I'm pretty sure the landlord wouldn't totally go for me nailing it into the wall...

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Oh wait, here's an entire slideshow of reclaimed wood headboards. Number 9 is my favorite (the whole room, including the antler jewelry hanger, which officially makes me the worst vegetarian ever), and since it's just a wooden pallet, it would be so easy! Costco wouldn't notice if I made off with a pallet from behind the store, would they?

And if I didn't want a Vespa badly enough already....

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And one last little treasure: Reclaimed wood doesn't have to be used for big construction projects as evidenced by this absolute gem.

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