A happy accident
When I originally purchased this set, I was excited to sand and stain the table top. The grain is so pretty, I could not wait for the fresh look. Little did I know, the entire plan I had formulated in my head would soon be foiled!
This table top was pretty banged up, so I knew I had some hard work ahead of me!
I started sanding the table top with my Porter Cable orbital sander. I love this little guy. It fits right in the palm of my hand, is lightweight and easy to use. (You can buy one here). Because the original finish was fairly thick, I started with an 80 grit sandpaper, then progressed to a 120 grit, then ended with a 220 grit. The 220 leaves a perfect surface for staining (or in this case painting!).
UGH!! I soon discovered that the deepest scratch on the table top went deeper than the veneer, thus leaving me no choice but to ditch my plan of staining, and I had to quickly come up with something new.
Soooooo, after staring at the whole ginormous table, I started to think that with all of the beautiful crevices and and the pretty curved base, that a paint/glaze combination would be perfect. My first thought was an antique white milk paint with a gray glaze. Ohhh! I could just picture it! It was going to be such an amazing contrast of light and dark. I was super excited (again) to get started!!
Well, the awesome plan I just formulated just got foiled again!! I went into my paint supply area, and realized that I did not have enough Antique White Milk Paint to finished the entire table with two coats, and all six chairs with two coats. What to do, what to do!!??
I discovered a quart of General Finishes Milk Paint I recently had mixed in a custom taupe color. Quick on my feet, I realized that the Van Dyke Brown Glaze by the same maker would be awesome with the taupe. A new plan was born!!! (Want to try the glaze? You can buy it here).
Before applying the glaze, I applied a layer of High Performance Top Coat in Satin (buy it here!) over the entire table top, apron, legs and base. This is my very favorite top coat. It is easy to apply, nice and thin, and it is water based, so it dries very fast. On to the glaze!
I used a 2" chip brush to paint on the glaze, then immediately wiped it off. I had to work quickly and in very small areas as the glaze dries very fast - and did I mention how HOT it was?? It was about 95 degrees (in June people). This is AUGUST weather! What the heck is going on? So, as sweat dripped into my eyes and down my back, I painted and wiped, painted and wiped.
Look at the glorious results as the glaze settles into the grooves and provides such a beautiful contrast of light and dark helping the eye to travel around the entire piece.
UGH!! After applying the glaze to the table top, I am NOT loving the result. It is sooooo streaky!! I started thinking about what I could do to remedy this streaky mess. The great thing about the General Finishes water based products, is that you can mix and combine different products together and get great results. I went over to my work table and got started. I combined a 50/50 mixture of the Van Dyke Brown glaze and the High Performance Top Coat in satin. Then, I added a few drops of the taupe Milk Paint.
My caramel colored result. Because i only added a few drops of the milk paint, the glaze mixture is still super thin, and I began to apply it to the table top. Again, working in small areas, and wiping off as soon as it was brushed on.
And WAH LA! The mix was perfect! It blended so well with the rest of the table. I can't tell you how happy I was!! (and totally covered in sweat. Yuck!!) I decided to take a break until the next morning to get started on the chairs.
Close up of the top.
Close up of the legs and base.
My son Alex LOVES helping me (can you hear the sarcasm?). He really is a good sport though, and takes over like a champ if Mike is at work. It saves so much time to have someone else take the seats off of the chairs, and pulls off of drawers. (Did I mention the promise Starbucks bribe? tee hee).
Here is a close up of the chair with two coats of the Milk Paint. Notice that some of the areas are intentionally left unpainted (like in the grooves and inlays). I LOVE how the glaze intensifies these areas, and they give an even darker tone to the overall piece, again helping the eye travel (and enjoy!)
The chair looks so inviting (even without the cushion!) And don't you just love my garage floor? If we ever move I will have to do something about this!!
Notice how the glaze sinks way into the all of the grooves and nooks and crannies! I am dancing a happy dance now!!
I knew I wanted to choose a solid color for the fabric because I thought a pattern would really take away from the pattern in the hair itself. I just love how this minty green upholstery looks with the taupe-y brown. SWOON!!!
I originally intended to bring this set into my booth space at The Bee's Knees Homestead, but what happened next was a huge surprise. As my husband and I were beginning to unload the set from my enormous trailer, a super great client of mine met us in the parking lot, and bought it from me right then and there! We agreed to bring it right over to their home (and what an amazing space!). The set is absolutely perfect in their dining area!
Kari and Mike are just starting to put this room together. I brought home a buffet of theirs to match the table. It is going to be sooo pretty!
What an amazing space for their beautiful family to gather together and enjoy a beautiful meal together. (PS, we will be right over! What are you making?) :)
