Monday, August 9, 2010

New/Old Entry Table....

Let's start with a before shot:


There's not really anything wrong with this table, but it wasn't working for me. The rest of the furnishings in my living room are a very fancy-traditional. I have a large hutch with nice dentil/crown trim and sits up and nice bun feet and the coffee table has a lot character with a lot of detail and and claw feet, so I've been looking for something to complement them and this table was not making the cut. Then I found this little old dresser on craiglist, that was in need of a little love and attention:





She was battered and bruised, used and abused. I would have loved to paint her a lovely cream then distress it with a walnut colored brown, but it looked like she had had enough distress in her life. And I feel like a black table would relate better in my living room. So I started by sanding the rough spots and removing the handles (some of which refused to be removed) and coating it with a few coats of Krylon Primer Spray Paint (I'm all for simplifying my life with spray paint, no sense in breaking out the brushes and supplies). Here is a shot of the primed drawer front:



Sometimes the primer can leave a rough texture, so after it is primed, I go over it with a finer grit sandpaper (not too rough, because you don't want to undo what you've just done). Next, comes the fun part. I love to see the color go on. I chose a gloss black. I like to do several light coats, to avoid runs. Whenever I get a second during the day, I just run out to my (well-ventilated) garage and spray away. I also love glazing things. I've discovered that my favorite product is something called "Old Masters Gel Stain" in dark Walnut. You can find it at paint specialty stores, and a can will last you forever. Here is what it looks like:


I have tried other gel stains, but this one is my favorite, because it seems to be pretty forgiving---letting you rub it into grooves and work with it for a minute, and then come back and wipe some off. It needs to cure for a day or two after you are finished. I have rubbed it directly onto plastic flower pots, or metal lamp bases and it works wonders----love it! I'll have to show pics of some of those things. Back to the dresser/entry table. Most people wouldn't glaze a piece of black furniture, but I think that beauty is in the details, so I did a Walnut gel stain over black, even on the hardware to give it some continuity. I think it makes it look old and warm, like it's been painted over and over. Here it is:





My camera doesn't do it justice, she's beautiful again, now I just need to rethink the arrangement on the top of the table. I welcome ideas. Here is a shot of the detail on the handle and drawer:



Oh, I so need a Nikon D5000, if anyone has one laying around.



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