Quick and Easy Paint Transformations: 50 Step-by-step Ways to Makeover Your Home for Next

Introduction

PaintingfurnitureisatremendouslyrewardingexperienceWhenIbeginapieceof work, I usually have a very vague idea of what I want to do—the colorprobably,andsomebroadideaofthetechnique—butIdon’thaveareallyfirmideaoftheendresult.Ithinkitisveryimportanttoreacttothepieceoffurnitureandnothaveaplanthatyoufollowrigidly.Itisquiteacceptabletochangeyourmind because as you paint, the furniture starts to tell you what it wants andneeds.Theage, texture,andcolorof thewood,plus theshapeandstyleof thefurniture,arealldetermining factors inhowyouwillpaint it.As the firstcoat

goes on, characteristics start appearing and you will begin to have ideas that

mightdiffer a little from theoriginalplan.Partof the fun isworkingwith thenewinspirationanditisthisthatwillmakethepieceunique.

Another ofmy guiding principles is that I alsowant to paint a piece quickly.Likeeverybody,I’mbusywithlotsofactivities,soIstopworkingwhenIfindthatIamlaboringoversomething.IfIcan’t thinkofanythingtodotoapieceimmediatelyIwill takeabreak,sleeponit,andcomebacktoitfreshthenextday. Sometimes just leafing through some magazines or books, rather thanthinkingdirectlyabouttheproject,providesmewithinspiration.

Whatstartsitoff?

Iwantmypiece of furniture to have at least a nodding acquaintancewith thepast—witholdpaintedfurniturefromthe18thcenturyortheearly20thcentury—but Idon’twant tocopy theoriginal techniquesexactly. I love18th-centuryFrench,Swedish, and the less fancy Italian painted furniture and I continuallymakereferencetothem,butIalsoadorethecrazy,bohemian,expressiveartistsfrom the BloomsburyGroup, painting furniture in their Charleston farmhouseduring the 1930s. I want to make a unique piece that has character andindividuality so Iborrow ideas fromhowold furniture looksnowandusemyversatilepaintstocreatesomethingnew.Mytakeonfurniturepaintingistolookatalltheoldpieces,rememberingthatwonderfulpatinaofoldage,andthenstartpainting,allowingthefurnitureto“speak”andletahintoftherandomenterthework.

BeautyinimperfectionIdonotaimforfaultlessnessinmyworkafterseeingthemost charmingpieceofpainted furniture Ihadever set eyeson in theDoge’sPalace in Venice—a captivating découpage cabinet built in the 18th century.None of its lines were straight or measured and the paper cut outs were notcompletelystuckdown.Itwasdarkinsomeplaces,fadedinothers,andworninparts,butthesumoftheseinconsistencieswasacertainsortofperfection.Thiswasalessonforme.OfcourseIdon’twantfurnituretolookroughanduncaredforeitherandthereisafinelinebetweendistressinganddestroying.Partoftheabilitytoachievethislookislearningtoworkwithcolor.

Colorchoices

Color combinations are probably the most important thing to get right. Hardcontrasts, lots of colorswithout an anchor, toomany hot colors, or toomanysame-toned colors are all things I try to avoid when working. If you are notconfidentwithcoloragood rule is to tryusing just twocolors,or threeat themost.Itisbestiftheyaredifferenttones,withamiddlenoteortoneformostofthepieceandalightandadarktoneforahighnoteandabase.Thefashionatthe moment is for pale colors with some joyous color in parts. Maybe yourfurniturecouldbethecolorfulhighlightintheroom.Orpaintthewallinastrongcolorandhavethefurniturelightandsubtle.

ChoosingthefurnitureUsedecentfurniture tobeginwith.Don’t trypaintingateatrolleyandexpectittolooklikeitcamefromaFrenchchâteau.Thefurniturejusthastobetherightshape,soreproductionpiecesareperfect.Don’tbeputoffbyfurniturethathasabadfinishorsmallpiecesmissing,butdon’tgetcarriedawayasreplacingtoomuchcanbetimeconsuming,dull,andfranklynotworthitunlessthepieceisreallyexceptional.Woodgluewillstickdownliftedveneerand loose molding, and plaster can fill gaps. Remember that paint will hidewater-damage stains and horrible colored wood. Using my paint (see Paintcolors)meansIdonotusuallyhavetorubdownthepieceoffurnitureorprimeit,soIcanjustgetstuckrightinandstartdoingtheinterestingbit.

Enjoy,enjoy,enjoy!

toolsandmaterials

Make sure you get the right paint for the job. This will open up a lot ofpossibilitiesandmakepaintingyourfurnitureapleasantexperience,becausethepaintwillberesponsiveandyouwillbeabletoworkinapracticalflexibleway.TherearemanyhousepaintsonthemarketbutIbelievethatmypurpose-madepaints(seepages154–155)arethebestfortheprojectsinthisbook.Theyhavebeenspeciallycreatedtobeusedinawholevarietyofways—forexample,asawash, with or without texture, or applied thickly. The paint has a very matttextureandabsorbswaxeasily,plusyoudon’thavetoprimethefurnitureorrubitdowninpreparation,meaningyoucanstartpaintingeasilyandquicklywhileyouhavetheurge.Thepaint,despitebeingwaterbased,evenmixeseasilywiththesolvent-basedwaxtoo,soyoucancolorthefinalfinishtogettheexactcoloryouwant to achieve. For themost partwithmy chalk paint you only need toapplyonecoat,butwheretwocoatsarenecessaryapplythefirstonewithabigbrush.

Workingwithagoodpaletteofcolorsisimportant,asisbeingabletomixthem.I use a palette of ready-mixed neutrals with stronger colors, working on thepremise thatyoucan lightenstrongcolorsbutcan’tmakea lightcolor strong.My already-aged colors, such as Duck Egg Blue, can be lightened with OldWhite,butforcolors likeProvence,whichisratherclean, itmightbebetter toaddCountryGreytodullitandgiveitalittlecomplexity.Ofcourse,waxescanchangethecolortoo,sotakethisintoconsiderationwhenyouareapplyingyourchosenpaint.Colorisextraordinarybecauseitchangessomuchaccordingtothecontextwithinwhichitisused—acolorthatlooksgreatinoneroomcouldlooklikedirtypondwaterinanotherbecauseoflight(eitherartificialornatural)andthesurroundings.Don’tworryifyourinitialchoicesdonotgivetheeffectthatyouhopedfor—withthemethodsinthisbookyoucanchangethetoneandcolorofapieceusingwashesandcoloredwaxes.

BRUSHES

Your brush does not have to be expensive, but it does need to have certainqualitiesbecauseworkingwithbadbrushescanbeverydetrimental.Ifindthatusingabrushthatisamixofsyntheticandbristleisthebest.Thehairsshouldbefairlylongandflexiblewithalittlebouncetoallowyoutobeexpressiveinyourwork.

Idon’tusuallyliketohavealistof“donots”butthisoneseemsusefulandmayhelptohighlightanypossibleproblems:

Don’tworkwithbrushesthataretooshortsincethepaintwillnotflowwell.

Don’tuseabrushwithhardandinflexiblebristles,becausethepaintwilllookscratchy.Don’thaveafloppybrush,becauseyouwillhavetoworktoohardtomakethepaintspread.Don’tuseareallycheapbrushbecausethehairskeepcomingoutandthatisjustplainannoying!Don’tworkwithjustonerathersmallbrushsincethisquicklybecomestedious.Haveacollectionofbrushestohand,suchasalargeoneatleast3–4in(7.5–10cm)wideforpaintingontothefurniturewithspeedandasmaller1–2in(2.5–5cm)brushtogetintotheintricateparts,includingmoldingsandcorners.Intheprojectsinthisbook,Itendtoworkwitha2in(5cm)and1in(2.5cm)brush,butpickasizethatfeelscomfortableforyoutouse.

WAXES,SANDPAPER,VARNISHES,ANDCLOTHS

IwaxmoreorlesseverythingIpainttogettherightfinishformyfurnitureandwalls.Ifinditmakesmyprojectsstrongandpracticalandgivesthemabeautifulworkable finish. I recommend that you choose a softwax that can be appliedeasilywithabrush.Igenerallyusea1in(2.5cm)brushintheprojectstoapplywax, but you can use a large brush to get it done quickly if it feels morecomfortable. After adding a layer of clear wax to a piece, you can then startapplyingdarkwaxorcoloringtheclearwaxwithsomeofmypainttoalterthefinish. For the whole distressed look you need to be able to sand the waxedsurface to reveal the wood or another coat of paint—have a range of fine-,medium-andcoarse-gradesandpapersfor thispurpose. I tendtofindusing justthe fine-andmedium-grades is enough, but sometimes move onto the coarserpaperifIreallywanttodistressthefurniture.TheonlytimeIusevarnishison

floors,when I amdoing découpage, andwhen I use the crackle varnish set. Iprefertoapplywaxtomyworkattheendbecauseithassuchasoftfinish,canbecoloredandchangedasyouwork,andstopstheworkchipping.Finally,haveagoodsupplyofclothssoyoucanwipebrushes,polishwax,applyandwipeoffpaint, and generally use them to clean. I use old sheets from thrift stores andcharityshopsandtheyseemtobeabletoprovidemewithanendlesssupply.

distressedpinetableUSINGTWOCOLORSDISTRESSED

Thisisasimple,smoothpieceofpinefurnitureandIfeltitneededaquietlooksoitcouldbeusedasasidetable.IdecidedonOldWhiteandVersaillessincethesetwocolorsarecloseintone.

Myattitudetopaintingistofinishitquicklyandgetthejobdone,sodon’tmessaboutwithlittlebrushes.Useasbigabrushasyoucancopewithanddon’tworryifthepaintspreadswiderthanyouthinkyouwantitto.Whenyoudistresspine,theunwantedcolorcanberemovedevenifitdoesgobacktothewood.

Before

The table’s best features are its legs so I decided to give themmore focus byhighlightingpartsoftheseandthetableedging.

YOUWILLNEED

OldWhitepaint

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforapplyingpaint

Versaillespaint

Tinofclearwax

2in(5cm)paintbrushforapplyingwax

Clothforremovingexcesswax

Fine-gradesandpaper

TIPStartthepaintingwiththetableturnedupsidedown.Ifyoupaintittherightwayup,thenyouwillkeepdiscoveringbitsyouhavemissed.

STEPSTEP1

Oldpinethathasbeenstripped,likethispieceoffurniture,canbequiteadarkyellow or even orange, so it will probably need at least two coats of a lightcoloredpaint.IchosetopaintthewholetableinOldWhitefirst,eventhepartsthatwilllaterbepaintedinVersailles.

STEPSTEP2

The indented legs are the highlight of the table. Using a 1in- (2.5cm-) widebrush,dabandpulltheVersaillespaintalongthemolding.Don’tloadthebrushupwith toomuchpaintorhave it toorunny,otherwise itwilldrip. Inorder toachieveanevenfinishit’sbesttogettherightamountofpaintoneachsideoftheleg,ratherthantrytodoallfoursidesatoncewiththesamepaintload.Don’tworry if somepaintgoesonanareayouwant to remainwhite—thepaintwillnotbethicksoyoucanleaveitandremoveitlater.

STEPSTEP3

The edges of the table top are simple, and it’s tempting to use a really smallbrushonthesenarrowparts,butuseaslightlylargeronetospeedthingsup.

STEPSTEP4

Waxthetablebeforesmoothingandrubbingwithsandpapertoremovesomeofthe paint. I prefer toworkbywaxing a smallish but defined area, such as theedge of the table or the table top, rather than waxing the whole piece offurniture.Afterwaxing,wipetheareawithaclothtoremoveanyexcesswax.

STEPSTEP5

Sandthenewlywaxedareawithapieceoffinesandpaper.Rubgentlyatfirsttoseehowmuchpressureisneeded,thenpressharderinsomeareastorevealsomeoftheunderlyingwood.Althoughyoumayhavedecidedhowmuchtodistressthepiecebeforestarting,thisdecisionistemperedbythewaythepiecereactstothe paint,wax, and sandpaper. Initially I thought thiswould be a very lightlydistressed piece, but as Iworked it seemedmore characterwould look better.Tantalizingglimpsesofthewoodshowthroughinafewrandomareas,andthegreenisrubbedthroughtothewhiteinplacestoo.

carvedoakchestofdrawersUSINGONECOLORONCARVING

Ilovethesimplesquareshapeofthis1930soakchestofdrawers,butIlikefurnituretobelightandairyandwantedtheinterestingreliefcarvingonthetopdrawertobeeasilyvisible.

ThedesignandshapearestrongsoIdecidedtotrytobringthisoutbypaintingusingjustonesimplecolor.Ialsowantedtohighlightthecarvingandshapeofthelegsbyrubbingthemwithsandpaper.AllIhadtodotopreparewastotreattheplywoodsidesforalittlewoodwormdamageandwipeawaythecobwebs,thenIwasreadytopaint.

Before

Oakisnotasmoothwood,evenwhenitisvarnished like this chest of drawers. Thismeansthatyouneedtochooseatechniquewhere thepaint is thick soyouwon’t seethe grain or, as I chose here, a techniquewhere the textureof thewood ispart andparcelofthegentlydistressedlook.Ifyouare not sure if yourwood is oak, a goodtest is to pass your finger nail over thesurfacetoseeifyoucanfeelthegrain.

YOUWILLNEED

DuckEggBluepaint

OldOchrepaint

2in(5cm)paintbrushesforapplyingpaint

Tinofclearwax

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforapplyingwax

Clothsforremovingexcesswaxandpolishing

Fine-ormedium-gradesandpaper

I choseDuck EggBlue for the drawer interiors andOldOchre, a palemilkycaramel color, for the outside.With such dark brown wood you will need topainttwocoatstofullycoverboththecolorandthetextureofthewood.OnthecarvingIhadtoapply thepaintwithastipplemovementof thebrushtomakecertainallthegrooves,ruts,andindentswerecovered.

Whenthepaintisdry,applyalayerofclearwax.Thisisbestdonewithalargebristle brush to help reach the intricate carved areas.Wax the chest all over,wipingoffanyexcessasyougotoavoidawaxybuildup.

Forthecarvingtakesomefine-ormedium-gradesandpaperandtearoffapiecesoyoucanworkwith iteasily.Rubgentlyat first, thenharder ifnecessary, tosandawaythehigherpartsof thecarvingandallowtherelief toshowup.ThesidesofthechestarechamferedsoIrubbedthepaperalongtheedgeshere,andalso along the handles, drawer fronts, and top as a way of accentuating thecharacterofthispieceoffurniture.Ifinishedoffbyapplyinganothercoatofwaxandthenpolishedwithacloththenextday.

The chest of drawersnow looks light, fresh, and clean.The relief carvinghasbeen made more apparent by using one color and giving a gentle rub withsandpapertorevealalittlebitofthebrownwood.OldOchreisasoftantidotetothedarkwood—anddon’t forget thesurpriseof theDuckEggBlue inside thedrawers.

rusticseasidechairsUSINGVERYCONTRASTINGCOLORS

WhenIcameacross thesechairs theywerenotparticularlyelegantwith theirshortbacksbut I thoughtIcouldtransformthemintosomesimpleseaside-inspiredseating.Ihavechosentworatherobviouslymarinecolorsforthedistressingthatcontrastquitealotwitheachother.ForthisreasonIhavechosentousethewhiteononlypartofthechairsoitdoesnotlooktoobusy.Ialsoneededtorecovertheseatsanddidsowithsomesimplebluetickingusedhorizontally.

Before

These simple chairs with drop-in seatsprobably date from the 1940s, but theyremindedmeofpiecesIhadseeninbooksaboutoldpaintedfurniturefromSweden.

YOUWILLNEED

OldWhitepaint

GreekBluepaint

Tinofclearwax

Medium-gradesandpaper

ApplyOldWhitepainttothebackofthechairusingadabbingmotion.Thiswillmake the surfaceunevenoncedry andgive thepiece a different sort ofwear,makingitlessfussylooking.Waitforthepainttodrycompletelybeforemovingontothenextstep.Unfortunately,becausethepaintisthick,thiswilltakealittlelongerthannormal.

TakeGreekBluepaintandapplyitsmoothlyalloverthechairandthinnerthanthefirstcoatofwhite.

Waxalloverthepiecewithclearwax,usingabigbrushtoreachalltheintricatedetailsofthechairrails.

Wipeofftheexcesswaxwithacloth,takingextracaretolookforanybuildupsofwaxaroundtheverticalbars,astheycanbeeasytomiss.

Ruballoverthechairwithmedium-gradesandpapertogiveitawornlook.Rubgentlyatfirstsoyoucangaugehowmuchpressureyouneedtoapplytogiveawornlooktothepaint.

Onthelegs,rubthroughtothewood.Don’trubthroughintoomanyplaces—justafewedges,thebottomofthelegs,andalittlealongtheside.Finishwithafinalcoatofclearwax.

TIP When you paint a small piece of furniture with two contrastingcolorslikethisblueandwhitepiece,onlydothetwocolorsinonepart,like the chair back for this project. Paint the rest in just one color,otherwiseitwilllooktoobusy.

rustictableKEEPINGTHEGRAINOFOLDPINE

Iboughtthistablefromanoldfarmthatwasbeingsoldforredevelopment.Itcametomecoveredindirtandmess,butIcouldseeitcouldbemadetolookterrificwithalittlehelp.Iparticularlylikethefeet—likeducks’ feet—which I suppose were added so the table could be screwed to the floor for stability. Theinspiration for thepaintingwas a table I had seen in avery smartLondonantique shopandalso a littleHungarianchairIhadbought—bothpieceshadoriginal,verydistressedgreenpaintwork,andthetabletopwasnaturalwood.

Before

Sincethistablehadbeenusedasaworkbenchitneededabitofworktofillinallthedrillholesandmakethesurfacereasonablysmoothbeforepainting.

YOUWILLNEED

forthelegs

AntibesGreenpaint

2in(5cm)paintbrushforapplyingpaint

Tinofclearwax

Tinofdarkwax

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforapplyingdarkwax

Coarsesandpaper

forthetabletop

OldWhitepaint

Clothsforremovingexcesspaintandwax

Tinofclearwax

Tinofdarkwax

TIPWhenchoosingthepaintcolor,rememberthatit isagoodideatoselect a brighter color than you want to end up with because it willeventuallybe toneddownby thedarkwax.Toget theheavy, textured,darkenedlooktrytogiveyourpaintworkasmuchtextureasyoucan.

Paint the legsand the sidesof the tablealloverwithAntibesGreen.Give thepaintabitoftexturebyapplyingitthicklyandunevenly.Asthegreenisastrongcoloritshouldonlyneedonecoat,butaddasecondcoatifnecessary.

Applyacoatofclearwaxwithabrushalloverthelegs,wipingoffanyexcesswithacloth.

Next,applyacoatofdarkwaxusinganotherbrush,takingcaretopushthewaxintothetextureofthepaintmarks.Itisbesttoworkononeareaatatime,anddon’tallowthewaxtodrybeforeproceedingwiththenextstep.

Wipeoffthedarkwaxwithacloth.Thisbringsoutthetextureofthepaintsincethedarkwaxwillstayintheedges,grooves,andbrushstrokes.Ifyoufindthewaxcomesofftooeasilytryleavingitonforalittlelongerbeforewipingitoff.

Takesomecoarsesandpaper,presshardonthelegs,andrubawaylargeareassothe original color of the wood shows through obviously. Try to avoid thescratchedlookbyapplyingalotofpressurewhenrubbing.

Repeat the process of applying the darkwax, because youwill have removedsomeofitwiththesandpaperandthebarewoodmayneedtobedarkeneddown.

MakeamixtureofonepartOldWhiteandonepartwaterandpaintitoverthewooden table topwith a brush.Keep a cloth close at hand towipeoff excesspaintsothelookisevenandtranslucent.

Waxalloverthetabletopusingabrushandclearwax.Atthisstagethetabletopcouldbeleftwithwhitenedorbleachedlookingwood.

Idecidedtomakethe table topdarkerso thecontrastwith the legswasnotsogreat.To do this, Iwaxed the table topwith a layer of darkwax. See tips onusingclearanddarkwax.

STEP10

Wipeofftheexcessdarkwaxwithacloththenapplyanotherlayerofclearwaxwith abrush.Wipe thisoff aswell,whichwill also takeoff someof thedarkwax.Keepapplyingclearwaxuntilyouhaveachievedyourdesiredcolorforthetable top.Thedarkwaxwill stay in the recessesof thewood,highlighting thegrainandcharacter.

bookcasewithglassdoorsUSINGTHEWATERANDWAXMETHOD

IhadbeenlookingfortheopportunitytousethecombinationofBarcelonaOrangeandOliveforsometimeandthisbookcaseseemedliketheidealpiecetotryitouton.IpaintedtheinteriorwithOldOchretokeepitlightandneutral,soitwouldworkwiththestrongorangeandgreenshadesoftheexterior.IdecidedtousethewaterandwaxmethodbecauseIwantedtodosomethingverysoftanddelicatethatwouldshowoffthecolorcombination.

Before

Thisbookcaseneededjusta littleattention—thebottomcurvehadtobesawnoffsincehalfwasbroken,theglassreplaced,andasectionofwoodplaceddowntheback.

YOUWILLNEED

OldOchrepaint

BarcelonaOrangepaint

Olivepaint

Tinofclearwax

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforapplyingwaxandwater

Clothforpolishing

TIPChoosingtherightcolorcombinationisthemostenjoyablebutalsothemostdifficultpartofpaintingfurniture.Therearenohardandfastrulestofollow,suchaspaintingdarkonlightorcoolonhot,butthoseprinciples can be a starting point. Looking for something in the roomthat catches the eye or will complement the finished piece, such ascurtainfabrics,mightalsohelpyoutomakeaselection.

StartbyapplyingacoatofOldOchreinsideandout. Oncedrypainttheoutsidein Barcelona Orange, working the brush in different directions to make thesurface uneven. Some of the raised marks will show through when you startdistressingthepiece.

Whenthefirstcoatisdry,paintacoatofOliveallovertheexteriorandleavetodry.

Takeabrushdampenedwithwater,putadabofwaxonit,thenwipeitovertheOlivepaint,pressingharderinareaswhereyouwanttoremovethegreencolor,suchasthecornersandedges.Thewaterinthebrushwillverygentlytakeoffthetoplayerofpaint,whilethewaxactstoprotectit.

Leavethebookcaseovernight,thenpolishthepaintandwaxwithaclothtogivethefinishedpieceareallylovelymellowsheen.

chiffonierVERYTEXTUREDPAINT

Thegreatthingaboutpaintisthatitcanhidesomuchandimperfectionscanbemadeintovirtueswithafew simple techniques. This small late-Victorian chiffonier, a sort of slim sideboard, was in very badconditionwithpeelingoffveneerandamissingdrawer—nottomentionthericketystateofthetop—butIwasabletosaveitfromasadfatebyusingpaint!Thedrawerwasreplacedwithapieceofwood,lotsofgluewasusedforstickingdownthepeelingveneerandmendingbrokenjoints,andgapswerepluggedwithwoodfiller.

Before

Since the piece was quite complex and almost fussy, with curves, carving,moldings,andpillars,Ifeltthepaintingshouldberelativelyplain.

YOUWILLNEED

OldWhitepaint

Paintbrushesindifferentsizesforapplyingpaint

Tinofclearwax

Clothsforremovingexcesswaxandpolishing

Tinofdarkwax

Whitespirit

2in(5cm)paintbrushforapplyingwhitespiritmix

TIPWhenpaintingaroundamirror thebestway todo it is toplaceapieceofpaperalongtheinsideedge,replacingthepaperwhenonepiecegetstoosodden.Anypaintthatgetsonthemirrorcanberemovedlater.

BeginbypaintingthechiffonierinOldWhitewithabigbrush,usingajabbingratherthanasweepingtechnique.

AsIwasusinglightpaintondarkwoodandwantedtoaddtexture,IneededtoapplythreecoatsofOldWhite—leavingeachtodrycompletelybeforeapplyingthenext.

Apply clearwaxwith a brush over the paint and thenwipe itwith a cloth toremoveanyexcess.

Inabowlmakeamixtureofequalpartsdarkwaxandwhitespirittoformathinwateryliquid.

Working one section at a time, apply themixture over thewhite paintwith abrush.Wipe off the thin mixture with a cloth so the dark color is left in therecessesandtextureofthepaintandtheraisedareasareclean.

Insomeplacesyoumightwanttoremovesomeofthedarkwaxmixtureiftheresultistoodark.Todosojustuseatinyamountofclearwaxonyourclothandrub thewood until you are happywith the finish. See tips on using clear anddarkwax.

texturedpaintcabinetDISTRESSINGWITHBROWNWAX

ForthisprojectI’vechosenMonetBlue,abrightMediterraneancolorpostionedtowardthegreenendoftheblue spectrum,whichwill turn a beautiful, rich, sophisticatedbluewith the applicationof thedark, tan-coloredwax.Toachieveafinishinthisrichcoloryouneedtostartwithabrightpaint,butbearinmindtheeffectthatthetanwaxwillhaveonthefinishedpiece.

Before

Simple little cabinets such as this one are very adaptable, but they can look alittleblandifpaintedtooplainly.Ifeltitwasnecessarytoaddasplashofbrightcolor,thentoneitdownslightlywiththeapplicationofdarkwax.

YOUWILLNEED

MonetBluepaint

Tinofdarkwax

Tinofclearwax(optional)

TIP To achieve a good texture with your paint, allow it to thickenslightly as described here. Using brush strokes in many differentdirectionsandgoingbackoveranareathathasbeguntodrywillcreateadditionaltexture.Don’tworryabouttryingtokeepthefinishconsistentthroughout.

Paintalloverthecabinetunevenly,makingbrushmarksinalldirections.Allowthepainttodrythoroughly.Thismaytakeslightlylongerthanusualasthepaintwillbethickerinsomeplaces.

Applyasecondcoat,againthicklyandunevenly.Itisagoodideatoreturntoanareaofpaintthathasbeguntodryalittleandmakemoreapparentbrushmarks.Trystabbingthebrushinjustafewareastomakeadifferenttexture.

Whenthepaintis thoroughlydryapplythedarkwaxtothewholeofthechestonesideatatime,makingcertainthebrushgoesinseveraldirectionstogetintothetextureofthepaint.

Wipeoffthewaxwithacleanclothquitefirmly.Theideaisthatthedarkwaxstaysinthetexturedsurfaceofthepaint.Ifyoufindthat toomuchofthedarkwaxisbeingremovedthenleaveitontodryoutalittlemore.Conversely,iftoomuchdarkwaxisstayingonthecabinetthenusesomeclearwaxtocleanitoff.Ifyouleavethewaxuntilitdriesthenitbecomesdifficulttoremove.Seetipsonusingclearanddarkwax.

bathroomcabinetUSINGTHEORIGINALCOLOR

WhileI likedtheshapeofthispiece,Ifeltitdidn’tlookrightorhaveanyimpactinwhite.TorectifythisproblemIdecidedtopaintitbutstill incorporatesomeoftheoriginalwhite.Ihavechosenadarkergrayandalighterbluecolortomakethreedifferenttones.

Before

Thisisasimplelittlecupboardforthebathroom,whichIboughtalreadypaintedwhite.

YOUWILLNEED

ChâteauGreypaint

DuckEggBluepaint

Tinofclearwax

Clothforapplyingwaxandpolishing

Medium-orfine-gradesandpaper

TIPUse the sandpaper by taking a sheet, folding it into quarters, andtearingitintofourpieces.Foldaquarterinhalfandusethattoworkalloverthepiece.Whenitbecomesfullwithpaintandwax,turnitoverandusetheotherside.

Whensandingthefurnituretakecarenottorubawayareasofasimilarsize because this can make the piece look rather spotty. It should beevenlyuneven—inotherwords,thereshouldbebalance.

PaintalloverthecabinetwithacoatofChâteauGrey,workingthebrushinalldirections and applying the paint quite thickly to give texture.Don’tworry ifthereareanysmalllumpsofpaint,theseaddtothefinishedlook.

Whenthefirstlayerisdry,paintasecondcoatusingDuckEggBlue,whichismediumintone.Applythisfairlysmoothlyandallowtodry.

AsthispieceisquitesmallIappliedalayerofwaxwithacloth,butyoucanuseabrushifyouprefer.Wipethewaxalloverthesurface,thentakeoffanyexcesssoitdoesn’tfeel“wet”withwax.

Youcanstartsandingimmediatelyusingmedium-orfine-gradesandpaper.Startsandingsoftlyatfirst,thenapplymorepressureinplacestoremovethelayersofblueandgraysoyoucansee thewhite.Sandthewholepiece, thenrewaxandpolish.

paintedQueenAnnechairUSINGAKNIFETOADDTEXTURETOPAINT

ThisQueenAnnestylechairisbasedonfurniturefromthe18thcentury,whichgainedpopularitybecauseofitssimpleyetelegantshape.Suchchairsusuallyhavedrop-inseatsthatcanbetakenoutandrecoveredveryeasily.ThisoneisbasedonanoldSpanishpaintedchairIsawinaverybeautifulhousefilledwithantiques.Ichoseaterrifictechniqueforthispiece,butitdoesneedalittleforwardplanning.Makesureyouhavepreparedthethickenedpaint inadvanceor,alternatively, this isagreatwaytouseuppaint thathasthickenednaturally.

Before

This typeofchaircanbe found innearlyeverysecond-hand furniture storeasthestylewaspopular throughout the20thcentury.Theyareusuallywellmadeandperfectforpainting,justlikethisexample.

YOUWILLNEED

BurgundianRedpaint

Cutleryknife

Graphitepaint

Fine-hairartists’brush

Tinofdarkwax

Tinofclearwax

Clothforremovingexcesswaxandpolishing

OldWhitepaint

AubussonBluepaint

TIPTothickenthepaintyouneedtoleaveitwiththelidofftodryoutalittle.Tomakethishappenquicklypoursomeintoawidebowlsomoreofitisexposedtotheair.Thepaintwillnotformaskinbutwillthickenandbecomelessfluid.Ifitbecomestoothick,youcanaddalittlewaterandstirwell.

PaintafirstcoatofBurgundianRedalloverthechair. Ifitcanberemoved,takeaway the drop-in seat before painting, otherwise cover the fabric carefully toavoidanymisplacedbrushstrokes.Leavethepainttodryandatthesametimeprepareyourthickenedpaintmixture(seetipbox).

Takethethickenedpaintandapplyit tothechairusingabrush. Useaknifetoflatten andmark the paint, giving it texture bypressing andpushing the paintaround. This will give the look of many layers of old paint that have beenchippedandrepaired.

Usinga reasonably long fine-hairartists’brushandGraphitepaint, apply linesaroundtheedgesofthechairbackandthelegs.Makecertainthepaintisliquidenoughtofloweasily.Useyourlittlefingertoguideyourhandbutdon’tworryifthelineisnotcompletelyperfect.

Addalayerofdarkwaxalloverthechair,workingthebrushtoreachintoallthetextureofthepaint.

Wipeoffthedarkwaxfromtheraisedareasbyapplyingsomeclearwaxwithacloth andwiping it off lightly.Youwill notice thedarkwaxhas stayed in thepittedareasanddepressions.

Thechairwas looking rather even anddark so I decided to add somecoloredwax bymixing clear and darkwaxwith someOldWhite andAubussonBluepaintonthesurfaceof thechair.Applyavaryingamountofeachelementtoasmallareaatatime.

Work thecoloredwaxallover thechair in stages,makingsomeplacesa littlemoreblueandotherswhiterbyvaryingtheamountofeachpaintyouuse.Wipeitoffwithacleanclothsothelightercolourshowsofftheridgesofpaint.Nextdaypolishtoagoodsheen.

cloudedsidetableSTIPPLEDANDAGEDTECHNIQUE

Iboughtapairofmodernsidetableswithasimplebutelegantshapeandhavehadgreatfunpaintingthemtogivethefinishedpiecesquitedistinctcharacters.Thisonehasbeentreatedelegantlywithamixofviolet,white,andtheyellowed,duskygreenofVersaillesusedwithastipplingeffect. Theother,thepotato-printsidetable,israthermoreplayfulwithitsspots.

Before

Ifoundapairofwell-madeandsolidsidetableswithaverynicesimpleshape.ThewoodwasdarkandheavyandIthoughttheycoulddowithbeinglighteneduptomakethembothelegantandappealing.

YOUWILLNEED

Versaillespaint

OldVioletpaint

OldWhitepaint

Tinofclearwax

Tinofdarkwax

Handle(optional)

TIP Use three colors of paint in three different tones that work welltogether and are not too contrasting. These could all be tones of onecolorortonesofdifferentcolors,aswiththisproject.Ifusingdifferentcolors it is better towork in fairlymuted secondaryor tertiary colors.Alwayspaintthemidtoneasthebasecoloronthefurnituresoyoucangolighteranddarkerwiththeothercolors.

PaintalloverthetablewithVersailles,themidtonecolor,andleavetodry.Havereadyyour three tonesof color, eachwith theirownbrush. IhavechosenOldVioletandOldWhitetobethedarkandlighttones.

Using twoof thebrushesat a time,dip them in thepaintanddaballover thetable.Use the darkest color the least andmerge the three tones, but not quitecompletely,givingthepaintacloudyordappledeffect.Bymakingthedabbingorstipplingeffectwiththebrushthepaintwillhaveanuneventexture.Applyalayerof clearwaxwithabrush toget into the textureand seal thepaint, thenwork darkwax into the texture. Let thewax dry for tenminutes or so beforewipingoff theexcesswithacloth.Finally,cleanoff the“top” layerwithclearwaxsothedarkwaxstaysinthetexture(seetipsonusingclearanddarkwax).Ialso changed the handle on the front, because I thought themetal ring didn’tworkwellwiththenewcolor,butthisisoptional.

carvedchairDEALINGWITHCARVINGUSINGONLYTWOCOLORS

WheneverIseesomepatternorcarvingonfurnitureIamattractedtoitbecauseithassuchpossibilitiesforpainting,sothischairwasamustforme.AnotherreasonIlikethispieceisbecauseapaintedchairisaveryeasywaytoaddcolortoaroomfilledwithneutraltones.WhenIhadfinishedpainting,Ifirsttriedputtingclearwaxon to thepiecebut the resultwas tooclean looking, so I createdamixofdarkand lightwaxinsteadtogiveitamoreweatheredappearance

Before

This particular chair is a bit crazy because someone has trimmed the legs,perhapstoaccommodateanunevenfloor,andnowitislopsided.Formethoughitissuchquirksthataddcharmtoapiece.

YOUWILLNEED

CountryGreypaint

OldVioletpaint

Tinofclearwax

Tinofdarkwax

Fine-gradesandpaper

TIP I chose to do this piece in two colors, with the lighter coatunderneath.Choosingyourcombinationofcolorsisthetrickiestpartofan easypainting job like this.Make sure your choices are in differenttonestobringoutthecarvingwell,butnotsofarapartintonethatitisdistracting.

PaintalloverthechairinCountryGrey,makingcertainyoureachallthedeepestpartsofthecarvingbypushingthebrushinalldirections.Leavetodry.Thiscoatwillstopthewoodshowingthroughwhenyoustartusingthesandpaperinstep4.Remember,paintingachairisbestdonebystartingwithitupsidedown.

PaintthewholechairwithacoatofOldViolet.Oncethatisdry,applyasecondcoatalloverthechairtomakecertainallthecrevicesarefilled.

Makeamixtureofdarkwaxandclearwaxwhere theproportionsare roughly50/50.Applyalayerofwaxalloverthechair.ImixedthewaxinsmallbatchesasIwentalong,soinsomeplacesthewaxisalittledarkerthaninothers.

Wipeoffanyexcesswaxwithacloth.Takeapieceoffine-gradesandpaperandruboffthetopcolortorevealsomeoftheCountryGreybeneath.Workgentlyatfirsttohelpyoujudgehowmuchyouwanttoremove.

To finish, apply another layer of clear and darkwaxmix and polish the chairwithacloth.

distressedladderWORKINGWITHNEWWOODTHATHASKNOTS

Inspiredbyfruit-pickingladders,thisladderhasbeenmadefromnewwoodtohangtowelsorclothesinabathroomorbedroom.I likethisoneparticularlybecauseithasshapingontherungsasif theyhadbeenalreadyworn.Youcoulduseanold ladderhere,but findingonecanbedifficultandapurpose-builtoneworksjustaswell.ItisamodernideasoIhavechosenmodernstrongcolorstoreflectthis.

TIPIfyouareusingtheladderinabathroomusecolorsthatwillbeincontrasttothetowelsyouuse.

Before

Theshapeofthisladderwasperfect,butthecolorwasblandandneededtobemademoreinteresting.

YOUWILLNEED

Knottingsolution

Clothtoapplyknottingsolution

OldVioletpaint

Emperors’Silkpaint

Tinofclearwax

Coarsesandpaper

Ifyouareusingnewwoodyouwillneedtocheckforknotsinthegrain.Iftherearequiteafewthenyouwillneedtoapplyknottingsolution,otherwisethesapwillbleed though thepaint in a fewmonths time.Luckilyknotting solution ischeap,easy,andquicktouse.Justdabtheliquidontoaclothandwipeovertheknot.Itwillbedryalmostimmediately.

PaintacoatofOldVioletallovertheladder,rememberingtostartwithitupsidedownfirst.

PaintovertheOldVioletwithEmperors’Silk,theredsecondcoat,andleavetodry.Wipethesurfacewithadampbrushdippedinclearwaxtotakeoffsomeofthe top coat of paint (see step 3). This should cause the base coat to showthrough,but theeffectcanbeabitsubtle. Ifso, rub the ladderwithapieceofcoarsesandpaperasIdidheretoshowmoreofthebasecoat.

grayandwhitepaintedchestofdrawersCHANGINGTHECOLORUSINGWAX

IdecidedtomakethischestlookmoredaintyandelegantbypaintingthewholepieceinParisGrey,usingsomeOldWhiteinparts.TheParisGreyisadignified,slightlyrecessivecolor,whileOldWhiteneatensandmakesthechestlooksmart.Ithenusedlotsofdarkwaxtoaddshadetosomeareasandnotsomuchinothers.Inthiswaythepieceissplitintodifferentpartswithsomeareasemphasized.

Ifyouwant touse this technique then lookforapiecewith raisedmoldings—andperhapsabasewithashapedandraisedboard—sothatsomepartscanbepickedouteasilyinwhite.

Before

Thisisacharmingpieceoffurniturealthoughitisalittlecrudeandbulky,soIwas looking foraway topaint it thatwouldmake it appear smaller andmorerefined.

YOUWILLNEED

ParisGreypaint

OldWhitepaint

Tinofclearwax

Tinofdarkwax

TIPUsingwaxwell is reallyquitesimplebutyouneed toknowwhatyouare aiming for.Timesofdrying can’t begiven as the temperatureandtheabsorbencyofthesurfaceaffecthowquicklyitdries.Ifthewaxis toodry itcan’tbeworkedand if it is toowet it is justwipedaway.Don’twaxthewholepieceoffurnitureinonegobecausethelastbitwillprobablybetoodrybeforeyougetbacktoitbutinsteadworkonanareaatatime,suchasthesideofachestofdrawers.

Alwaysapplyclearwaxfirstevenifyouknowthatyouwillapplydarkafterwards.Thedarkwaxwillstain thepaint ifapplieddirectlyon thepaint and then it is impossible to get back to the original color.With

clearwaxunderneath,youcanapplythedarkwaxandif it is toodarkremoveitwithsomeclearwax,adjustingituntilyougettherighttone.The finished result of using darkwaxover clearwaxon light coloredpaintshouldlookasifthereisadiscerniblecolordifference,withsomedarkwaxinanylittlenichesorgroovesinthepaintworkorwood.Thewaxshouldnotlookstreakedorsmearedon.

Paint thewholepieceoffurniturewithParisGrey.Youmayneedtwocoats tocoverastrongcolorlikepine.

DecidewhichareasyouaregoingtopaintwiththeOldWhite;Istartedontheedgeof the chest first.Remember, if youarenot sureyoucan trypainting anareaandifitdoesn’tworkitcanalwaysbepaintedout.

Moveontotheedgesofthedrawers.Ifnecessaryapplyseveralcoatsofwhitesothatthegraycan’tbeseen.

Whenthepaintisdry,waxalloverusingabigbrushandsomeclearwax.Wipeoffanyexcesstoleaveafinelayerofwax.Thisactsasaprotectionforthepaintand as a base for the dark layer of wax. See tip box opposite for moreinformationonusingclearanddarkwax.

Beforeapplyingthedarkerlayeryoumayneedtoleavetheclearwaxforashorttimesothatitisstillstickybutnottoodamp.Thewaxshouldbewetenoughtoremovewith a cloth but not sowet that it all comes off in onewipe. Take asmallerbrushandwipedarkwaxoverthestilldampclearwax.Workoneareaatatime,suchasthemoldingsaroundthedrawers.

Wipeawaysomeof thedarkwaxwithacloth.Youwant thewoodtobequitedarksoyoudon’twanttotakeofftoomuchwax.

Applydarkwaxtothecenterofthedrawers,butthistimetakeoffmoreofthedarkwaxwiththecloth.Youmayneedtouseclearwaxtoremovesomeofthecolor.Theendresultshouldbethatthedrawersarealightercolorthantherestofthechest.

distressedmirrorWORKINGWITHCARVING

This isacarvedpinemirrorwithdelightfulsmall flowersand leaves. ItworkswellwithOldWhiteasacontrasttothewood.ParisGrey,oraverydarkblue,likeAubussonBlue,arecolorsthatwouldalsoworkwellwiththispiece,providingacoolcontrasttothewarmpine.Ifthecoloristoosimilarortooblue,itcandrawattentiontotheorangetingeofsomepine.Similarcarvedormoldedmirrorscansometimesbefoundmadefromothermaterialsandthesameideasaboutcolorshouldbetakenintoconsideration.

Before

Iwasattractedtothefloralcarvingsanddetailingonthismirrorframeandfelttheywouldbenefitfrombeinghighlightedbyalittledistressing.

WHATYOUWILLNEED

OldWhitechalkpaint

Coarsesandpaper

TIPThepaintdoesnotneedtobewaxedbecausemirrorsgetverylittlehandling.Alsothefinishneedstobeasmattaspossibletocontrastwiththemirror.

Paint the mirror all over with OldWhite, making certain you reach into thedifficult-to-reachcarvedintricacies.Tostopthepaintgettingonthemirroruseapieceofpapertuckedintothespacebetweentheglassandtheframe.Allowthepainttodrythoroughly.

Tear off a piece of coarse sandpaper and work it around the mirror, pressingfirmly to take largepartsof thepaint away. If you take toomuchoffyoucanalwaysreapplythepaint.

gardenchairDISTRESSINGPAINTINANATURALWAY

Thisproject is slightlydifferent to theothers in thisbookbecause theeffectachievedwith thepainthasdevelopednaturallyoverseveralseasonsinthegarden.Thisoldwoodenslattedgardenchairwaspaintedseveralyearsagoandleftoutinthegardenthroughallweathers—fromsnowtobakingsun.Thisisnotaneffectthatcaneasilybeachievedwithouttime,andissimplyamatterofpaintingthechairinthecolorofyourchoice—DuckEggBlueinthiscase—andleavingittograduallysuccumbtowear.Itwilllookgoodtobeginwithandgraduallyagewith time.Uprightareas like thebackof thechairwill take longer to startagingthanthechairseatoratable.Agardenshed,fence,orwallcouldalsobedoneinthesameway.

Before

Thischairwasunevenincolor,withtheseatuncoatedandthebackrestingreen.Ilikedthedistressedlookofthepaint,butwantedittoapplytothewholepiecesoIdecidedtorepaintthechair.

WHATYOUWILLNEED

Coarsesandpaper

DuckEggBluepaint

2in(5cm)paintbrush

TIPColorforthegardenneedstobecooltocomplementthefoliageandnotcompetewiththeflowers,whicharemainlylight,bright,andwarm.The softness of Old White is good, as is Paris Grey, Country Grey,ChâteauGrey,andtheDuckEggBlueI’vechosenhere.ForsomethingmorecontemporaryGraphiteandOldVioletwill lookstunning—thesearecolorsthatworkwellforbothfurnitureandwalls.Ifyoudowanttomakea statement,perhaps inanurbangarden, the shockofbright redsuchasEmperors’Silkalsolooksverysmartonagardenbench.

For a garden wall that acts as a backdrop and is made fromwoodenplanks,brick,orisrendered,morenaturalcolorslikeSiennaYellowandScandinavianPinkcanbeusedsothewallwillsetoffthegreenfoliageagainst it.Awall that ismorenoticeableneeds tobepainted incoolercolors,soitblendswiththefoliageratherthanstandingout.

Start by removing the peeling paint and smoothing the surface with coarsesandpaper.

PaintthechairwithacoatofDuckEgg Bluethenleavetodryandletnaturetakeitscourse.

limedlookoakchairHIGHLIGHTINGTHEMARKINGSINTHEWOOD

These chairs had been dipped to remove all the varnish, revealing a natural, soft brown-graywood andallowingeasieraccesstothehollowlinesofthegrain.Tobringoutthebeautifulmarkingsofthewoodthebestthingtodoisfillthegrainwithalightcolor.OldWhiteistheperfectchoicebecauseitiswhitewithoutbeing too sharp. The finished effect looks like bleached, weather-worn wood and works well with theseasideappearance.Tomatch this theme, Ichanged theseatcovers toablueandwhite ticking togiveamorejauntyandnauticallook.

Before

ThemarkingsofoakareverydistinctivesowhenIfoundtheseoldoakchairsIquicklyacquiredthem.

YOUWILLNEED

OldWhitePaint

Sponge

Clothsforremovingexcesspaintandpolishing

Tinofclearwax

ApplyathincoatofOldWhitewithafirmbrushtothewholechair,pushingthepaintintothehollowgrainofthewood.Applythepaintindifferentdirections,even stippling in certain places to make certain the paint goes into all thehollows,beforeleavingtodry.

Takeadampspongeandwipethepaintoffthepiece.Althoughthepaintisdry,themoistureonthespongemeansthepaintwillberemovedeasily.Havesomewaterneartohandsoyoucankeepwettingthesponge.

Inyoursparehandholdapieceofdryclothanduseittotakeawaythenowwetpaint.Thisprocesskeeps thepaintdry in thehollowsbut removes it from themainsurfaceofthewood.

TIPThespongeneedstobedampbutnotwet. Asitfillsupwithpaintyouwillneedtorinseitout,butbesuretosqueezeitalmostdrybeforeyoustartworkingonthepieceagain.

Applya layerofclearwaxallover thesurfaceof thechairwithabrush.Thiswill bringup the colorof thewood,helping tomake the contrastbetween thepaintandthewoodmoreapparent.Polishthesurfacealloverwithaclothtogiveasmoothfinish.

smalloaktableBRINGINGOUTTHEOAKGRAIN

AssoonasIsawthislittleoaktableIthoughtIcouldreallyenhanceitasithassomanygoodfeatures.IlovethemarkingsinoakbutI’dratheritwasnotbrown,sobeingabletopaintitandbringoutthemarkingsisverypleasing.ThetechniqueIusedhereisawayofachievingalimedoaklook,wherethenicheofthegrainisfilledwithwhitepaintandclearwax,onacoloredsurfaceratherthanonthenaturaloak.IchosetouseChâteauGreyonthetable,whichisashadeofkhakithattakesonabeautifulserenitywiththewhitewaxwash.

Before

Thesimpleplankedtopcombinedwiththeshapelydecorativeedgingmadethisaperfectpieceforpainting.

YOUWILLNEED

ChâteauGreypaint

Tinofclearwax

OldWhitepaint

Clothforremovingexcesswaxandpaint

TIPToachievethelimedwoodeffectyouhavetouseawoodwithanopengrain,suchasoakorash,ratherthanaclosedgrain,suchaspineorbeech.Not only does the paint fill the grain, but the open-grain areaswillalsoabsorbcolormorereadily.Theharderareasaremoreresistantto paint, so the general pattern of the grain is accentuated when youcolorit.

StartbyturningthetableupsidedownanduseChâteauGreytopaintthewholepiece;startingwithitupsidedownwillhelpyounottomissanyparts.Becauseoak is awoodwitha texturedgrain, takecare tocoverall theareaswellwithpaint.

Usingabrushapplyclearwaxtoasmallpartofthetable.Thewholetablewillneedtobewaxed,butfocusononeareaatatimebecausethewaxstillneedstobewetwhenyouapplythewhitepaintinstep3.

DipyourbrushinsomeOldWhitepaintandworkitintotheclearwax—thereshouldbeequalpartswaxandpaintonthetable.Alwaysensureyouhaveclearwaxonthesurfacebeforethewhiteisadded.Pushyourbrushintothegrainofthewood,workingindifferentdirectionstomakecertainthegrainisfilled.

Wipeoff the excesswaxandpaint asyouwork.Add somemoreclearwax ifyourmixturefromstep3becomestooopaque.Itendtoworkinsmallsectionsdirectlyontothepiece,butyoumightprefertomakeupalargerquantityofthewaxandpaintmixandworkwiththis—justremembertoapplyclearwaxfirst.

chestofdrawersinastrongcolorSMOOTHPAINTFORAMODERNFINISH

The bold strong shape of this chest is perfectly suited to a modern no-frills finish. It also presents anopportunity to use a clear contemporary color rather than an antique or traditional one. I’ve chosenProvenceblueandpaintedtheinteriorofthedrawersinMonetBlue.Ihavereplacedthehandleswithsomeclearcrystalonestoo,andtheresultisacheerybutsophisticatedfocusforaroomthatissoftenedbycoolgreenorcreamonthewallbehind.

TIPUsingastrongcolorinaroomcanbeoverwhelmingiftheroomissmallandtherearetoomanycolors.Makesureyouchoseastrongcolorthat is from the samepart of the color palette as the soft color on thewalls.Acolorwithabitofstrengthinitratherthanpastelsorneutralsgiveslifetoaroom.

Before

Iamoftenattractedtoratheroldfurniture,butthischestofdrawersisonlyafewyearsoldandinprettygoodcondition,apartfromthemissingknobsatthetop.

YOUWILLNEED

Provencepaint

3in(7.5cm)flatpaintbrushesforapplyingpaint

MonetBluepaint

Tinofclearwax

1in(2.5cm)brushorclothforapplyingwax

Crystalhandles

AsIwantedaverysmoothfinishandverylittledistressingIsandedthispiecedown just a little, especially at the edges and corners, using medium-gradesandpaper.

Apply theProvencepaint smoothlyandevenlyallover thechest,working thebrushinthesamedirectionasthewoodgrain.Thepaintshouldbesmoothandflowingsoaddalittlewatertothepottodiluteifnecessary.Leavethepainttodrythenapplyasecondcoat.Thefirstcoatshouldalmostcoverthecolorofthewoodandasecondcoatshouldmakethecoloropaque.PainttheinsidesofthedrawerswithMonetBlue.

Usingabrush,applya thin layerofclearwaxallover thechest, including theinsides of the drawers, using either a brush or a cloth,whichever is easier.Abrush is best when there is intricatemolding because the bristles get into thenichesmoreeasily.

Wipeofftheexcesswaxusingacleanfreshcloth,polishingalloverasyougo.Forahighshine,polishthenextdaywithacloth.

To add a finishing touch to the chest, screw the clear crystal knobs into thealreadyexistingholes.

modernmahoganytableAPPLYINGAWASHEFFECTTOWOOD

Ilovetheunusualshapeanddesignofthistable—thebarsaroundtheedgeremindmeofaclassicalempirepiece,perhapsSwedish.Idecidedtobringthisaspectoutbypaintingthepieceingrayblueswithawashofpaintoverthetop,justasIhaveseendonewitholdScandinaviantables.

TIPThewashonthis table topisa lovelyeffect tobeusedwhenyouwanttokeepaninterestingwoodgrainwithoutitbeingtoobrownanddark.Tocomplement thewasheffect I recommendusingopaquepainton the legsbecausewalnutcanbeaveryyellowwoodandmahoganyveryred.

Before

Thesellerofthistabledidn’tknowtoomuchaboutitshistory,butitisprobablyfairlynewandseemstobemadefrommahogany.It ispossiblyimportedfromIndonesiaorThailand.

YOUWILLNEED

Coarse-gradesandpaper

Paris Grey paint

OldWhitepaint

Versaillespaint

Clothsforwipingpaintandremovingexcesswax

Tinofclearwax

OldVioletpaint

Tinofdarkwax

Removeanyvarnishonthesurfaceofthetablewithcoarsesandpapersothatthewoodisreadytotakeawash.

TurnthepieceupsidedownandpaintthewholethinginParisGrey,exceptforthetabletop.

Paintanon-dilutedcoatofOldWhiteontothesurfaceofthetable,whilehavingaclothreadyforthenextstage.

Assoonasyouhaveapplied thepaint,startwiping itoffwithyourclothuntilyouarehappywiththelookofthewash.Ifoundthatbecausethemahoganyisred,theeffectoftheOldWhitewastomakethetopslightlypink.Tocounteractthis, once the first wash had dried I did a second wash using slightly greenVersaillespaint.Oncethetabletopisdryapplyalayerofclearwaxwithabrush.Wipeoffanyexcesswithacloth.

Prepareamixofclearanddarkwaxanda littleOldViolet tomakeacoloredwax. Iuse the lidof thewax tomix thepaintandwax,mixingas Igo,so thecolor varies.Make sure the wax is blended subtly so that it doesn’t look toopatchyorspotty.

Applythecoloredwaxtoallofthepieceapartfromthetabletop.Asthewaxismixedinbatches, insomeplacesthecolor isbrown,while inothers it ismoreviolet.Wipeoffanyexcesswithacloth.

wickerchairHOWTOPAINTWICKER

Wickerchairsarereadilyavailableandareagreatwaytodecorateabedroom,bathroom,ortouseinthegarden.Ifindtheylookbetterwithsomecolortothemratherthanintheirnaturalstate.Paintingtheminmattchalkpaintgivesthemasoftnaturalnessinkeepingwiththematerialstheyaremadewith.

Themostcommonwaytopaintthesepiecesistospraythem,butthisisusuallyaverymessyandsmellyjob.My solution is to do a simple and relaxed paint job on them, aiming not to cover every nook andcranny.

TIP Wicker furniture just means a piece that is woven from plantmaterial—cane,bamboo, rattan, andwillow—or from twistedpaperorsyntheticmaterial.

Before

Wickerchairslooklovelybuttheycanbeabitofatrialtopaintasthejobcansometimesseemtobeendless.

WHATYOUWILLNEED

DuckEggBluepaint

Painttray

OldWhitepaint

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforpaintingthedetail

Mix the Duck Egg Blue in a tray with about one third water so it is reallyworkableandfairlysloppy.

Applyacoatofpaintalloverthechairwithabrush.Usejustthetipofthebrushwhenwipingoverthetopofthewickertobringouttheweaveratherthantryingtocoverthewholething.

Varythedensityoftheapplicationbyapplyingmorepaintonareaswherethereisadifferentweave,suchasalongtheedges.

Thisparticularchairhasadiamond-shaped lozengeon theback,which IhavepaintedinOldWhitewithasmallerbrush.Thereisnoneedtovarnishorwaxthefinishedresultbecauseamattqualityiswhatiswanted.

ironworklampsDEALINGWITHRUSTANDPAINTINGMETAL

Althoughtherustinessofthesetypesoflampisoftenpartoftheircharm,thesepieceswerejustplaindirtyandneededwork—butIstillwantedtoretaintheagedvintagelook.Theusualthingtodoistocoverrustwithpainttostopitspreading,butthiswouldmakethemlookcharacterlessandnew,definitelynotaneffectIlike.Mymethodisreallyjustapatchupanditisprobablynotthebestlong-termsolution.However,Ifinditsealstherustandbykeepingitinsideitwillslowdownthecorrosionofthemetal.I’vekeptoneofthestandsasalampbuttheotheroneIconvertedbacktoaromanticcandleholder.

Before

I found these two romantic-looking ironwork lamp stands, with their lovelyscroll work, in someone’s shed. One of them was particularly lovely, with awroughtironbarleytwiststand.Theywerepaintedwhitebuthadstartedtorust.

YOUWILLNEED

Coarsesandpaper

OldWhitepaint

Clothforremovingexcesspaint

Tinofclearwax(optional)

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforapplyingwax(optional)

TIP If you findametal lamppaintedblack, asmanyare, then try thesametechniqueusingGraphite.

Usesomecoarsesandpapertorubthesurfaceofthemetaldown,gettingridofanyloosepaintandrust.

ApplyOldWhitetothelamp,workingononedefinedareaatatimeratherthanapplyingallthepaintinonego.Oncethesectionyouarefocusingonisfinished,moveontothenextstepwhilethepaintisstillwet.

Wipe off the paint with a cloth to leave a film of white. This will allow theimperfectionstoshowbuttheywillnotbequiteasobvious.Repeatfortherestof thelamp.Oncethewholelamphasbeenpaintedyoucanleaveitas it isoralternativelyapplyacoatofclearwaxwithabrushtohelpsealthesurface.

Frenchworkman’sshelfREVEALINGTHEGRAINOFTHEWOOD

Thisisacopyofshelvesthatcanoftenbefoundinthefleamarkets,or“brocantes,”ofFrance.Originallytheywere aworkingman’s simple openwardrobewith a shelf for hats and pegs and a rail for hangingclothes.Nowtheyareusednotonly in thebedroom,butalso in thehallway, thebathroom,andeventhekitchen.Thereareanumberofwaysthatthisonecouldbepainted,butIdecidedtousethefactthatitisnewsmoothwoodandshowalittleofit.

Before

ThisshelfhadalovelywoodgrainthatIfeltshouldbeonshowandnotcoveredwithtoomuchpaint.

YOUWILLNEED

ParisGreypaint

Fine-gradesandpaper

Tinofclearwax

TIP New pinewood is pale andwarm—although it will darkenwithtime—so bear this in mind when you choose a paint color. On thissurface a cooler color will probably give a better result than a muchwarmerone.

Apply a thin coat of Paris Grey paint evenly on the shelf going in the samedirectionasthewoodgrain.Leavetodry.Whenthewoodiswaxedthepaintwillbecomeslightlytranslucentallowingyoutoseethegrain.

Withsomefine-gradesandpaperrubdownpartsoftheshelf,focusingonareasthatcanbeeasilyseenorwherethewoodgrainismoreapparent.Rubsmoothlyallovertomakethewoodandpaintveryflat.

Worksomeclearwax into thepaintwithabrush toachievea thineven layer.Youcoulduseaclothherebutabrushisbetterbecauseitwillallowyoutoreachthemostinaccessibleareasmoreeasily.

Wipethepiecegentlywithaclothtoleaveasmoothlayerofwaxalloverandtobring out the grain of thewood. Depending on the thickness of the paint thegrainwillbemorevisibleinsomeareasthanothers.

Finally,rubthewholeshelfwiththesandpapertogiveareallysmoothandflatfinish.Atthisstageyoucouldalsotakemoreofthepaintoffifyoufeelthatnotenoughwoodisshowing.Finishwithafinalthincoatofwax.

washedpinebookcaseDEALINGWITHORANGEPINE

Somepeoplehatetheideaoflosingthewoodgrainwhenyoupaint,soIhaveusedawashofcoloronthisbookcase.Tomake the piecemore interesting I have given it a look inspired by a side table I saw in aFrenchantiquesshop,whichhadinlaidwoodtocreatethestripeddrawerfront.ToreplicatethetextureofinlaidwoodIhavesoftenedtheedgesofthemaskingtapebytearingthem.

TIPUseonlyneutral colors todulldownpineasanyadditionalcolormayhighlighttheorange.IhaveusedCountryGreyformywashastheputtytonedullsdownthecolorofthewood.

Before

Thisisaveryusefulsmallbookcasebutwithoutmuchcharacter—andthecolorisveryorange,likeallmodernpine,andoutofkeepingwithamoderninterior.

WHATYOUWILLNEED

CountryGreypaint

Painttray

2in(5cm)paintbrush

Clothforremovingexcesspaint

Maskingtape

Tinofdarkwax

Tinofclearwax

Clothsforremovingexcesswaxand

polishing

PouroutsomeCountryGreypaintintoacontainerandsetasidetodryslightly,readyforuseinstep5.Seetipfordetailsofhowtothickenthepaint.WiththeremainingCountryGrey,paintthebookcaseonesideatatime.Whilethepaintisstillwetmoveontothenextstep.

Wipethewetpaintwithaclothsothepaintisevenbutdispersedandthewoodgrain isvisible.Remember that thewaxcancause thepaint tobecomea littlemoretransparent,soleavethepaintslightlymoreopaqueatthisstagethanyouwantthefinishedcoattobe.

Forthedrawerfront,takesmallpiecesofmaskingtapeandtearthemcarefullydownthecentersothateachstripwillhaveatornedgeandastraightedge.

Sticktwopiecesofmaskingtapeontothedrawerfront,buttingstraightedgetostraight edge, to create a stripewithuneven sides runningvertically down thedrawer. Leave a gap and repeat, to give a series of uneven and rough edgestripes.

PaintthedrawerfrontwiththeCountryGrey,butthistimeusingthepaintyousetaside todry instep1.Makesure there isgoodopaquecoverageacross thewholefront.

Oncethepainthasdried,removethemaskingtapecarefullytoleaveaseriesofstripesonthedrawer.

Prepareamixtureofonepartclearandonepartdarkwax.

Apply a thin layer of waxwith a brush all over the piece to give it a warm,knocked-backlook.Wipeofftheexcesswithacloth.

candelabraWORKINGWITHBRASS

I found the shapeof this piece,with its twisted flowing arms, particularly inspiring and I knew it couldeasilyberestoredtoitsformerglory.BypaintingitinGraphite,thecandelabratakesonabaroquelookthatgivesitmoreweightandpresence.

Before

This type of candelabra is often found in thrift stores and fleamarkets, oftenoverlookedasthedecorativemetalplatehasallbutwornaway.

YOUWILLNEED

Graphitepaint

Tinofdarkwax

Fine-gradesandpaper

TIPChalkpaintcanbeusedonavarietyofmetalitems,includingbrasscandlesticksorsilverchandeliers,andwipingawaytheblacktorevealalittleofthegiltalwayslooksveryelegant.

Oldcandlesticksoftenhavedry,drippedwaxonthemthatneedstoberemoved.Thebestwaytodosoisbypaintingtheareawherethecandlesgofirsttoshowup the wax, then scrape it off. Then paint all over the rest of the piece withGraphite,turningthecandelabraupsidedownandstartingatthebasefirst.

WhenthedarkgrayGraphiteisdry,takeawell-chargedbrushofdarkwax,andapplyallover.Thewaxwilldarkenthecolorofthepainttoasoftblack.

Wipe off the excess wax with a cloth then gently sand some parts of thecandlestick, such as the edges with decorative molding, so the brass showsthrough.Polishwiththeclothtoachieveasoftsheen.

staircasePAINTINGANDVARNISHINGAWOODENFLOOR

Paintingawholestaircaseisaquick,practical,andeconomicalsolutiontocamouflaginganewstepaddedtoanexistingstaircase,andalsoallowsyoutoaddsomeextracolortothearea.Addingacoatofpainttothestairsopensupmanypossibilities—fromhighlightingtheedging,asIhavedone, toapplyingverticalstripes,paintingthestepsadifferentcolortotherisers,orsimplyusingoneboldcolor.

TIP Ifyourfloorboardsareingoodenoughconditionyoucouldapplythepaintthinlyasawash,paintingitonandwipingitoffifyouwantaslightly more opaque effect. The same application of lacquer wouldfollow.

Before

Ihadtoaddanextrastep to theratherwornexistingstaircase inmyVictorianhomewhenwebuiltournewgardenroom,anditrequiredacoatofpaint.

YOUWILLNEED

ChâteauGreypaint

Painttrays

ScandinavianPinkpaint

Extra-strongsemi-mattlacquer

4in(10cm)brushforlacquer

I have chosen two colors that work well together, Scandinavian Pink for theedgingandChâteauGreyfortherest.Simplypaintthewholestaircasefirstwiththegray,thenonceitisdrypainttheedginginthepink.

Whenallthepaintisdry,varnishthestaircasewithastronglacquer.Ihaveusedawater-basedsemi-mattproduct.

gardenplanterPAINTINGCEMENTTOLOOKLIKELEAD

IconsideredpaintingthisplanterwithawashofOldWhitebutbecauseitwassoclassicinshapeIfeltitneededtobealittlemoretraditional.Idecidedthebestoptionwastomakeitlookasthoughitwasmadeoflead.ThisissimplydoneusingGraphiteandrubbingwithfinesandpaper.Wherethereisastraightridgethe fine sandpaper smooths the paint andmakes it look silverygray, rather like pencilmarks.This is incontrasttothemattpaintworkanditisthissubtlecontrastthatcreatestheeffect.

TIP I have left this pot out in torrential rain and the finish stayed thesame,butIhavenottesteditforalongperiodoftime.Itcouldbeusedinsideasaplanter,orthesametechniquecouldbeusedonotherpiecesofcarvedfurniture.

Before

Ifoundapairofparticularlyshapelycementplantersbutwantedtomakethemabitspecial.

YOUWILLNEED

Graphitepaint

2in(5cm)paintbrush

Fine-gradesandpaper

BrushallovertheplanterwithGraphitepaintandleavetodry.Applyasecondcoattomakecertainyouhavecoveredeverywhereincludingallthelittlenooksandcrannies.

With fine-grade sandpaper rub all over the paintwork, or at least the raisedmoldedparts.Herethetopedges,whicharelonganduninterrupted,wererubbedfinelytomakethemsmoothandgivethemaslightsheen,likethefinishonthecowparsleychestofdrawers.Stopsandingwhenyouaresatisfiedwiththelook.Therewillbetwodifferent-coloredgrays;thelightershadewillbeverysmoothwithalovelysheen.

paintingandwaxingawallADDINGTEXTURETOAFLATWALL

Iwantedtogivethiswallareallysmartpolishedlook,butwithalittletextureinthepaintsothatitdidn’tlooktooflat.Graphitepaintlooksverygoodwiththewhiteplasterstatueagainstitandcertainlymakesagreat statement. In contrast, OldWhitewith clearwax also looks very appealing as a polishedwall. Astrongercolorwithclearanddarkwaxcouldalsolookgood.

TIPIfyouhaveareallylargeareatopaintandwaxyoumightfindthepolishingisbestdonewithanelectricbuffer.

Before

This wall was very smooth because it was relatively new plaster that hadreceivedjustoneapplicationofpaint.

YOUWILLNEED

Graphitepaint

Spongerollerandpainttray

Tinofclearwax

Clothor2in(5cm)paintbrushforapplyingwax

Clothforpolishing

ApplytwocoatsofGraphitepaintusingaspongeroller.Havesomesolidareasofpaintbutdon’ttrytomakethewholewallcompletelyopaque.Avoidcreatingapatternortextureasthiscanbecometoobusy.Rememberthatwhenyouapplytheclearwaxanypatternwillbecomemuchmoreapparent.

Usingaclothoralargebrushapplylotsofclearwaxtothewall.Spreadthewaxalloverthesurfacetocreateathinlayer—thereshouldn’tbeanyexcessbecauseitwillbeworkedoverthewholewall.Don’tleaveanythickareasofwaxasthismightdrywhite.Polish thenextday—this iseasieron thesecondday—forareallygoodsheen.

polishedplasterMAKINGAROUGHWALLSMOOTHWITHCHARACTER

Iwantedtogivethiswallcolor,depth,andinterest.Thefinishedresulthaslittleflecksofwhitefromthebasecolor,aswellastouchesofSiennaYellowandOldOchre,butstilllooksandfeelsverysmooth.Therearemanycoloroptionsforthistechnique,suchasBurgundianRedunderSiennaYellow,withsmallpatchesofdeepredcomingthrough.

TIPIfyouwanttocreatethisfinishonaverylargeareathenyoumightfind an electric sander cuts down the work. Wait until the wax iscompletely dry before sanding as it can clog up the sandpaper veryquicklywhenstillsoft.

Before

Mykitchenwallwas painted inwhite andwas rough,with uneven and pittedplasterinsomeplaces.

WHATYOUWILLNEED

SiennaYellowpaint

Woolenrollerandpainttray

OldOchrepaint

4in(10cm)paintbrush

Tinofclearwax

Fine-ormedium-gradesandpaper

Apply the SiennaYellow using awoolen roller so that the paint is rough andtextured.Don’trollouttoofarbecausethiscanmakethepainttoosmooth.

Once the first coat is dry, apply a wash using Old Ochre diluted 50/50 withwater.TakealargebrushinonehandandpaintthewallwiththeOldOchremix.Withtheotherhand,useaclothtospreadthepaintthinlyandmutetheSiennaYellowunderneath.Allowthepaint todryforhalfanhourorso—afewdampspotscanmakeinterestingmarks.

Paintalayerofclearwaxonthewallusingabrushandthenwipeoffanyexcesswithacloth.

Takefine-ormedium-gradesandpaperandrubthewall.Thiswillbothpolishandtakeoffthetoplayerofpaint,revealingthebasecoatandevensomeofthewhiteunderneath.

patchworkdrawersMAKINGBRIGHTCOLORSWORKTOGETHER

Tomakelotsofcolorsworktogetherwithouttheendresultlookingtoogarish,chooseonesthatareroughlyinthesametoneband.Thatwayyoucanavoidonecolorbeingmuchlighterthantheothers.FormychestIhave chosenmainly cool shades, butwithwarm colors for the top two drawers.The deeper tone of theframeworkwillhelptosoftenthebrightnessofthedrawers.

TIP If youwant the colors to lookmore vibrant, choose a very lightcolorfortheframework. Avoidusingwhitebecauseunlessthewallthatthe chest stands against is a strong color, the framework would not“hold” the colors. Instead try using a pastel color such as Duck EggBlue.Adarkerpaintdoeshelptocontainthecolors,althoughsomethinglikeGraphitewouldbemuchtoostark.

Before

Ihadbeenlookingforatallchestofdrawersthatwouldgivemetheopportunitytopaintthedrawerfrontsinarainbowofcolors.WhenIsawthispieceI knewitwouldbeperfect.

YOUWILLNEED

BurgundianRedpaint

OldVioletpaint

GreekBluepaint

MonetBluepaint

AubussonBluepaint

Provencepaint

AntibesGreenpaint

2in(5cm)paintbrush

Tinofclearwax

Clothforpolishing

Beforeyoubegin,planthecolorsandtheirorderonthedrawers.Afterchoosingmysevencolors I arranged thepots inorder,moving themarounduntil Iwassatisfied.Idecidedonaverylogicalorder,whichis thehotredsfirst, thentheblueswith themostred in them, theOldVioletand theGreekBluefollowing,thenthebluesmovingtowardgreen,andendingwiththefinaldrawerpaintedinAntibesGreen,abrightMediterraneancolor.

Takeoutallthedrawersandstartpaintingtheframeworkofthechestinastrongcolor;IchoseAubussonBlue.Thisiscool,likemostoftheothercolors,sowillabsorbtheirbrightness—butisslightlydeeperintonesoitframesandcontainsthem.

Painteachofthedrawerfrontswithtwocoatsofyourchosencolor.Pickoneofthebrightercolorstousefortheinteriorsofthedrawers.

Apply a layer of clear wax all over the chest, including the insides of thedrawers.Finishbypolishingwithacloth.

pastelchestofdrawersCOMBININGCOLORSTOPULLAPIECETOGETHER

Thischestlentitselfperfectlytopaintinginadelicatepaletteofpastelcolors,usingParisGreyasabasecoat tounite themall.Thebeadingaround thedrawerscreatesaclearborder so this is agoodpiece forpainting.Ifyoupreferstrongercolors,seethepatchworkdrawersonpage86.Whenchoosingyourcolors,lookatotherfurnitureandfabricsintheroomforinspiration.

TIPPaintistoacertainextenttranslucentsotheunderneathcolorwillchange the top coat. For instance, if you paint red on one drawer andblue on another, then paint them both in the same neutral color, theneutralcolorwilllookdifferentdependingonthebasecoat.

Before

Ichosethispiecebecauseit iswellputtogetherandagoodshapethat is idealforexperimentingon.

YOUWILLNEED

Fine-gradesandpaper

ParisGreypaint

Versaillespaint

DuckEggBluepaint

LouisBluepaint

Tinofclearwax

Clothforpolishing

Istartedbysandingthepiecequitelightly,especiallyontheedgesandcorners,as the finishwas a little bit shiny and Iwas certain I didnotwant anyof theorangecolorofthewoodcomingthrough.IthenpaintedthewholepieceinParisGrey,includingthehandlesastheseshouldnotbeapparentandgetinthewayofthecolors.

PickcolorsthataresimilarintonebothtoeachotherandtotheParisGreybase—IchoseVersailles,DuckEggBlue,andLouisBlue.Allarenotonlysimilarintonebutalsooccupythesamecoolpartofthecolorwheel—VersaillesandLouisarefurthestapart.

Painteachdrawerfrontinacolorusinganycombinationyoulike.Idividedthebluesandhadthegreenercolorontwodrawers.Applyalayerofclearwaxwithabrushandthenbuffitupafterwardsusingaclothtoremovesomeofthewax.ForthispieceIfelttheemphasisshouldbeonthecolorsratherthanthefinish.

sidetableinorientalcolorsUSINGWAXTOTHINTHETOPCOATOFPAINT

Therichreds,browns,andblacksofChinesepaintedandlacqueredfurniturearesoinspiringandIoftenlookforpiecesonwhichIcanachievethislook.Apartfromthecolor,thedistinctivethingaboutthisfinishis the sheen,which is unlike traditionalEuropean finishes. It is not hard andglossy, but has a soft highsheenthatisbestachievedwithalotofwaxandelbowgrease.Oryoucouldcheatanduseanelectricbufferinstead!

TIP I have chosen to do this in red and black—Emperors’ Silk andGraphite—but other colors would work equally as well, includingBarcelonaOrangeorPrimerRed.

Before

Ifoundthisveryunusuallowsidetableandthoughtithadafaintlyorientallookwithitssquareshape,angledsides,andproportionsthatarenotintheEuropeantradition.

YOUWILLNEED

Graphitepaint

Tinofclearwax

Fine-gradesandpaper

Paint all over the tablewith Emperors’ Silk paint, including the inside of thedrawer.This color is a pure red soyouwill find that it needs several coats tocover the wood. The reason for this is that reds are notoriously lacking inopacity,especiallywhenpaintedoveroak,whichhasalotoftexture.

Oncethepaintisdry,applyasingleevencoatofGraphite.Don’thavethepainttoothickanddon’tpainttheinsideofthedrawer.Theideaisthatthepaintwillbethinenoughtocoverthetablecompletelybuttheredwillstillshowthrough.Don’tworryiftheredismorevisibleinsomeplacethanothers,justtrytoavoidbrushmarks.

Oncethepaintisdry,waxthewholetablewithabrushonesideatatime.YouwillnoticethatthewaxmakesthethincoatofGraphiteslightlytransparentandtheredwillmakeitappearslightlybrown.

Wipeawaytheexcesswaxwithacloth,rubbingquitehardtoseeifyoucantakeoffanyGraphitepainttoaddtothedistressedlook.

Use a little fine-grade sandpaper andwork it gently on the surface, taking offsomeoftheGraphitetoexposethebrightredoftheEmperors’Silkunderneath.Polishwell,especiallythenextday,togetahighshine.

Swedish-coloreddresserMIXINGPAINTONASMALLSIDETABLE

The dresser that this project is based on was finished just in white and deep blue, and the decorationconsistedofvery looselypaintedmoldingswith somehandpainted fiftys. I thought Iwould recreate thisfrommemorybutwithoutthefiftys.TheparticularaspectofthispieceoffurniturethatIlikedwastheloosestyleofbrushstrokesandthespecificSwedishbluethathadbeenusedwiththeOldWhite.

TIP To achieve the Swedish look the right colors need to be used.Aubusson Blue is a particularly Swedish-style shade—it is based onPrussian Blue, a color that was discovered in the 18th century andbecame available to all. Other Swedish-style colors include ChâteauGrey, a natural brownish-green, Scandinavian Pink, an earthy naturalbrownpink,andocherssuchasSiennaYellow.

Before

Itwassomethingabouttheraisedbackwithitsovalonthissmallsidetablethatremindedme of a beautiful old painted dresser I saw in a book about painted18th-centuryhousesinSweden.

YOUWILLNEED

OldWhitepaint

AubussonBluepaint

Tinofclearwax

Tinofdarkwax

ThetricktopaintingthispieceinaloosewayistoaddalittleblueontothesideofapaintbrushthatisalreadyloadedwithOldWhite(seeDistressedcupboard).Usethebrushtocoatthemoldingswithblue,butallowsomebluetospreadontothe main parts of the furniture where it can be blurred and blended into thewhite.

Ipaintedthewholetable,givingthecentralovalshapeemphasisbyworkingtheblueintothemolding.Allowthebluetomakeagentle“blush”inandaroundthemiddleoftheoval.Iappliedclearthendarkwaxtothewholetablewithabrush,againemphasizingtheovalshapebyfillingthemoldingwithdarkwax.Removeanyexcesswaxwithacloth.

distressedcupboardMIXINGPAINTDIRECTLYONFURNITUREANDCOLORINGWAX

WITHPAINT

I have noticed that on old painted furniture the color of the paintwork is notalwaysasevenasmightbeexpected.Isupposethisisbecausepartshavebeenrepainted or have faded over the years. I wanted to recreate this look in mypaintingofthislargepinecupboard.

TIP IchoseChâteauGreyasmymaincolor towhich Iaddedvariousamounts ofOldWhite, but you could easily reverse the two andhaveOldWhiteasthemaincolor.

Before

This pine cupboardwas very large and looked a little uninteresting. It neededsometexturedpaintworktoavoidappearingtooflat.

WHATYOUWILLNEED

ChâteauGreypaint

OldWhitepaint

2painttrays

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforaddingdetail

Tinofclearwax

Clothsforremovingexcesswax

PrimerRedpaint

Tinofdarkwax

Afterdecidingonyourtwocolors,fill twotrayswiththepaints inaboutequalmeasures.Havealargebrushandasmallerbrushready.

Takethelargebrushfirstanddiponecornerintoonetrayofpaint. Repeatwiththeothercornerandthesecondtraysothatyouhaveequalamountsofpaintoneachend.

TIPthebrushtotheChâteauGreysidetobeginwithandapplythepainttotheinsetstrips,thentipthebrushtotheothersidetoapplymoreofthewhitetothepaneledarea.

Havingstartedoffwithaboutequalamountsoneachcorner,starttotakemoreofthedarkerChâteauGreyonthebrushandcontinuetopaintthepiece.AddmoreofthelighterOldWhiteonthebrushandwipethepaintoverthepanelstomakethemalittlelighter.

Usethesmallandthelargebrushtomakevariousmarkswithbothpaints.Trynottoworryiftheyareabitobviousastheywillbetoneddownlaterwithwaxandsandpaper.Thesemarksshouldnotbeevenlyplacedallover,justonpartofthecupboard.Blendandmergethepainttogetherontherestofthecupboardsothecolorvaries,butkeep itsubtle.Use thesmallbrush toreachdifficultareasandtomakesmallermarksthanthelargerbrush.

PainttheinsideofthecupboardanddrawerwithPrimerRed.Don’tworryifitslightlybleedsthroughtothefrontofthecupboard,asitdoesaroundthetopofthedoorsandnear thehinges (opposite),because thishelps togivepatinaandinterest.Applyclearwaxtoonecupboarddoorata timeandthenwipelightlywithaclothsothewaxisn’ttoowet.

Whiletheclearwaxisstillsticky,startapplyingthedarkwaxinplaces.Wipeitwithaclothasyougosoyoudon’tmakeittoodarkandpatchy.

NowapplyjustalittleoftheOldWhitepainttothewax.Toomuchanditwon’tmix;toolittleandthewaxwillhavenocolor.Spreadthepaintandwaxmixtureall over the piece in stages, concentrating on areas of darkwax.Wipewith aclothandaddmoreclearwaxifnecessaryuntilyouaresatisfiedwiththelook.The“whitewax”willgointothebrushmarksandpittedpartsofthebrushwork,andsoftenthecolorofthedarkwax.

Usesandpaperlightlytohelppolishandsmoothoutthesurfaceofthecupboard.

Venetian-inspiredcupboardUSING18TH-CENTURYCOLORS

Thispieceisfairlysimplebutitdoeshavenicelyshapeddoorpanelsandthereisagentlecurvealongthefrontthatgivesitsomeelegance.ThecolorsIhaveusedareOldWhite,DuckEggBlue,andPrimerRed,but insteadofpainting themflat Ihavemade theblue lighter in someplaces.Todo thisadda littleOldWhite by dipping the end of the brush into the paint and thenmerging the two colors on the piece offurniture(seeDistressedcupboard).

TIP The hinges on the cupboard were black and particularlyunattractive.LikeallmypiecesIusuallyjustpaintoverallhandlesandhingesandthenwaxthem.Someofthepaintdoescomeoffbutthisisbetterthanseeingbaremetalworkglaringatyou.

Before

Thiscupboardhadbeen inmy living room in itsoriginalwhite state for sometime,waitingforinspiration.Finally,theideacametopaintitinthecolorsofafavoritepieceof18th-centuryVenetianfurniture.

YOUWILLNEED

DuckEggBluepaint

OldWhitepaint

PrimerRedpaint

Smallsoftbristleartists’brushforpaneledges

Medium-andfine-gradesandpaper

Tinofclearwax

Tinofdarkwax

Clothforpolishing

I painted themain part of the cupboard inDuckEggBlue.Vary the color bydippingacornerofthebrushintotheOldWhiteandapplyingitontotheblue,causing the colors to almostmerge. The finishwill be uneven all over—verylight in some places and darker in others. Apply a coat of OldWhite to thepanels,havingtakenthelidoffthenightbeforetoallowthepainttothickenandgiveittexture(seetip).

Ipaintedtheinsideofthecupboard,thecornice,andtheedgesoftheinnerpanelinPrimerRedtohelpdefinetheshapeofthecupboard,asontheoriginalpieceIwasinfluencedby.Tokeepthefinishneatonthepanelsyouneedtouseasmallbrush.Don’tworrytoomuchifpaintgoesovertheedgesasthishelpstomakeitappearmorehandpainted,andanyexcesscanberubbedawaywithsandpaper.

Applyacoatofclearwaxalloverthepaintedareaswithabrush.Addsomedarkwaxtoafewplacestodeepentheshadeincertainpartsofthecupboard.Next,makeamixofonepartclearwaxandonepartOldWhitetoformacoloredwax(seestep8,Distressedcupboard).Putalayerofthismixtureonthesurfacewithabrushtosoftenthepieceandlightenareasthatlooktoodirty.Rubthesurfacelightlywithsandpaperandfinishbyaddingafinalcoatofclearwax.

paintedfloorUSINGASPONGETOPRINTSQUARES

Theoriginal paint onmykitchen floorwas starting towear away and the concrete underneath began toshowthrough.RatherthansimplyapplyonecolorIwantedtotrysomethingnewtogivetheflooramoreinteresting look. Idecided togo for a rustic approach, selectinggrayasmybasecoat and thenapplyingsquaresofbutteryCreamandOldWhitequicklyandsimplywithasquaresponge.

YOUWILLNEED

Painttrayandroller

Maskingtapeandstring

ParisGreypaint

OldWhitepaint

Creampaint

Squaresponge

2in(5cm)paintbrush

Clear,extrastrongvarnish

Use a roller to cover the floorwith the base gray color.Make sure you havevacuumed the floorbeforeyou start to avoid anyunwanteddetrituswhenyouapplythepaint.

Starting in thecenterof the room, tapeapieceof string to the floor fromonesideoftheroomtotheother.SpreadtheOldWhiteevenlyinthepainttray.Dipthesquarespongeintothetray,makingsureitiswhollycovered,andpressontotheflooratregularintervals,usingthestringasaguide.Repeatontheothersideofthestring.Whenyouhavedonetwolinesofsquares,movethestringforthenexttwolinesandcontinueuntilthewholeroomisdone.

Go over some of the squares you have alreadymadewith a third color. Printsomenexttoeachotherandleavegapsinotherareas.Thespongewillcoverthesquaresunevenlysosomeofthewhitewillshow,butitisthisrandomnessthatlookssoappealing.

Givethefloortwocoatsofextrastrongvarnish,usingabrushattheedgesandarollerovertherest.

elegantchairlegsMAKINGLINESTOEMPHASIZECURVES

Ibought thisdelightfullyelegantsetoffourchairs,withtheirshapelybacksandsimplifiedcabriole legs,fromafriendwhowasmovinghouse.IchoseaneutralcolortoworkwiththegoldfabricanddefinedthelegcurvewithalineofOlivepaint.Ialsoreplacedtheoriginalbraidwithblueribbon,aimingtomakethefinishedchairsverysmart.

TIP Characterless brown varnished wood on the legs of upholsteredchairsdoesnotusuallybringoutthebestinafabric’stexture,color,orpattern. If the chair is undistinguished with a patterned fabric, pick acolor from the fabric and use it to paint the legs. Alternatively, tryapplyinga colorwith impact tomake thechairmoreappealing, like aredorastronggreen.

YOUWILLNEED

Scissors

ParisGreypaint

OliveGreenpaint

Smallartists’brushforapplyinglines

Tinofclearwax

Clothforpolishing

Measuringtape

½in(1cm)wideribbon

Fabricglue

Before

Removethegoldbraidfromtheedgeofthechairsothatyoucanpaintrightupto the fabric edge.This is easily done as thebraid is fixed in placewithonlyglue.

PaintthechairsmoothlyalloverwithParisGrey,takingcarenottogetanyonthefabric.

Thechairhasa simplifiedcabriole shape that Ihavehighlightedat the topbypainting a thin line ofOliveGreen along the edgewith an artists’ brush.Youmightwant to lightlydraw the line firstwithapencilbeforepainting toavoidmistakes.Repeatontheotherfrontleg,paintingalineonbothedgesofeachleg.

Apply a layer of clear wax all over the legs using a brush.With a cloth rubgentlyontheoliveedges.Thiswillremovesomeofthepaintandhelptosoftenthehardnessoftheline.

Measure around thebaseof the seat.Cut a slightly longer lengthof ribbonasthereneeds tobeanoverlapat thebackof thechair.Applyfabricgluearoundthebaseoftheseatandcarefullyfixtheribboninplace.

shelveswithspotsHOWTODOHANDPAINTING

There is somethingcharmingaboutahomemadepiece like theseshelves andalthoughslightlydamaged,theyareperfectforpainting.Theedgeswereprobablycutwithajigsawandthepatternsmadebydrillingholesintheside,creatingapiecethatwasachingforsomedecorativepainting.Itisoftenquitedifficulttomakeshelveslookinterestingsincethereislittletosee,butdots,lines,andspotsarequiteachievable,evenforanamateurwithlittleexperience.

Before

This attractive decorative shelving unit was unfortunately ruined because thebottomshelfwasbadlywarped,probablythroughexposuretowaterorheat.

YOUWILLNEED

CountryGreypaint

ScandinavianPinkpaint

Smallartists’brush

Tinofclearwax

Paint thewhole piecewithCountryGrey and allow to dry.Youwill probablyneedtwocoatsasthebrownwoodunderneathisquitedark.

Whereandhowyoupaint thelinesandspotsdependsa lotontheshelvesyoufind.Theseshelveshadamoldingwithagrooveinit,soIsimplypressedlightlywiththesideofthebrushandranitalongtheraisededges.

MixasmallamountofcleanwaterwiththeScandinavianPinktomakethepaintfluid,butnotsothatthemixturedrips.Addafewdropstobeginwith,thensomemoreifnecessarytoachievetherightconsistency.AlongthewavyedgeofthebottomshelfImadeaseriesofdots,andthenaddedotherspotstotherestoftheshelves.Apply a layer of clearwaxwith a brush to protect and finish off thepiece.Removeanyexcesswaxwithacloth.

TIP Choosing a brush for the painting of fine dots and lines isimportant.Thisdoesn’tmeanyouhavetogooutandbuyanexpensivesablehairbrush,butyoushouldavoidaverycheapchild’sbrushastheyhaveno“spring”inthehairs.Findabrushthathasabitofspringandcomestoareasonablepoint.Presstheendofthebrush—itshouldresista little, and the hairs should return quickly back to their originalposition.

potato-printsidetableADDINGSIMPLEDECORATIVETOUCHES

ForthissidetableIwantedtodosomethingwithspotsandoneoftheeasiestwaystodothisiswithpotatoprinting.Apolka dot design can look very childlike, but by choosing a smart graywithwhite spots thefinishedresultischarmingandsophisticated.ForthedrawerinteriorsIchoseasplashofastronggreen,butyoucouldtryasoftercolorthatwillworkwellwithyourinteriorinstead.

Before

Ifoundapairofwell-madeandsolidsidetableswithaverynice,simpleshape.ThewoodwasdarkandheavyandIthoughttheycoulddowithbeinglightenedup to make them both elegant and appealing. See Clouded side table for analternativeidea.

YOUWILLNEED

ParisGreypaint

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushesforapplyingpaint

AntibesGreenpaint

Potato

Non-serratedknife

Felt-tippen

OldWhitepaint

Scrappaper

Tinofclearwax

Fine-gradesandpaper

Paint the outside with the Paris Grey, including the uppermost edges of thedrawerandthemetaldrawerpull.Next,painttheinteriorofthedrawerwithonecoatofAntibesGreen.

Cutapotatoinhalfwithanon-serratedknife.Drawacircleonthecutsidewithafelt-tippeneitherfreehandorusingacoinasatemplate.Somepotatoescanbeverywetinsidesodabthecutendwithaclothtoabsorbthemoisturebeforeyoustartdrawing.

Usingthepenlineasaguide,pushtheknifeabout½in(1.5cm)downinto thepotatoandcutaroundthesidesofthecircle.

Next, cut into the side of the potato until you reach the point where you cutdown into the circle in theprevious step.Slice awaybits from the sideof thepotato to form a raised circle thatwill be used as a spot stamp.Alternatively,ratherthancuttingashapeintoapotatoyoucoulduseasmallerroundpotatocutinhalf,ormaybeeventryacarrot!

Testyourstampbydabbingsomewhitepaintontothepotatocirclewithabrushandpressingitonsomescrappaper.Thespotsformedmaybealittleuneventhefirstfewtimes,soitisbesttopracticeuntilyouworkoutthecorrectamountofpaintandpressureneeded.

Whenyouarehappywithyourpracticespots,startprintingthemonthetable.Ihave applied mine randomly, starting where I knew I wanted one and thenleavingacomfortablegapbetweenthatandthenextone.

Once I had finishedwith thepotato I painted themolding around the topOldWhitetogivethepieceaneatedging.Thishelpstooffsettherandomnessofthespots.

Usingabigbrush,applyathinlayerofclearwaxalloverthetableincludingthedrawerhandle.

Rubthehandlelightlywiththesandpapersothatjustalittleofthemetalshowsthrough.

TIP Printing with a potato will always give you an uneven finish sodon’t be disappointed if the spots are not smooth and uniform. If youwantyourspotstolookflatandidenticalthenyouwillneedtodothemwithastencil.

VictoriantableTWOWAYSTOMAKELINES

RecentlyIrememberedtheVictorianfashionforpaintinglinestoembellishfurnitureinaverygentleandunderplayedway. Thesewould have been painted by hand, but this is a difficult skill tomaster. I havedevelopedagreattechniqueforachievingsomethingthatimitatestheunevenessofoldpaintedfurniture,byusing masking tape. I have also done some handpainted lines on the drawer using a small brush. Thefurnitureisoldandunevenand,ofcourse,thatisitscharm,sothemaskingtapelinesmustbemadealittlerandomanduneven,too.

Before

This little Victorian pine table probably was painted originally but had beenstrippedwhenIfoundit.SometimeagoIbegantogiveitbacksomecharacterbypaintingitwithDuckEggBluebuthadthenabandoneditbecauseIcouldn’tthinkoftherighttechniquetomakethemostofit.

YOUWILLNEED

DuckEggBluePaint

1in(2.5cm)widemaskingtape

Smallscissors

OldWhitepaint

Smalllong-hairedartists’brush

Tinofclearwax

Clothforbuffing

PaintthewholetablewithacoatofDuckEggBlueandleavetodry.Markoutarectangle about 1in (2.5cm) from the edge of the table top using themaskingtape. Don’t make the lines too close to the edge since this will look tight.Leaving a gap of about ½in (1cm), tape a second rectangle inside the first,cutting the tapewith a pair of scissors tomake square corners. The tapewillstretch naturally so bend it slightly tomake the line slightly irregular and notcompletelystraight—althoughdon’tmaketooobviouscurves.

TakeacleanbrushanddipitintheOldWhitepaint.Wipethebrushgentlyonsomepapertoremovethewetnessofthepaintanddabitbetweenthetape.Pressfirmlyinsomeplacesandlightlyinotherssothatthelineisslightlyuneven.

TIPMaskingtapeisnaturallybendysoitiseasytomakeunevenlinesof varyingwidths. This is important as in these days of factory-madeperfection we have forgotten the warmth of characterful handmadefurniture. When you remove the tape a little bit of paint comes off,whichhelpstowardscreatingthedistressedlook.Thelongeryouleavethetapeon,themorepaintwillberemoved.

Forthehandpaintedlinechooseasmallarealikethefrontofadraweranduseyour little finger as a rest to keep your hand steady. Make a mixtureapproximately⅔paint and⅓water. It should be liquid enough to drip gentlywhenyoupressachargedbrushagainstthesideofthepaintpot.Diptheartists’brushlightlyinthemixture,takingcarenottopickuptoomuchpaint.Restyourlittlefingeronthesideofthedrawerandslideitalongtheedgeasyoumovethebrush. The line won’t be perfect but will be in character with old paintedfurniture.

Applya thincoatofclearwax to the tablewithabrush.Polish thesurfacealloverwithaclothtogivethetableasmoothfinish.

color-washedshelvesPAINTINGOVEROLDGLOSSPAINT

Theseshelvesaresoprettywiththeirarchedandcurvingsides.Ireallywantedtousethem—butnotonlywere they covered inwhite gloss paint, therewas also another layer of dark brown paint underneath. Idecidedtokeepthewhiteglossasabaseandmakeawashofsoftblueoverit.

TIP Completely avoid stripping paint or varnish because it is far tootimeconsuming,messy,smelly,and,aboveall,boring.Ididneedtosandtheseshelveswithcoarsesandpaperbutonlywentasfarasremovingtheloosepaintandsmoothingoutchips.

Before

I often find really nice bits of furniture that have been painted in gloss paint,oftenwhite.IknowIcan’tbebotheredtoremovethepaint—itisaterriblejobinvolvingpaintremoversandscrapers.

YOUWILLNEED

Coarsesandpaper

OldWhitepaint

Provencepaint

Tablespoontomeasurepaint

Painttray

Flatpaintbrushforapplyingpaint

Clothforwipingpaint

Tinofclearwax

Clothforpolishingwax

ChâteauGreypaint

Rub down the piece with some coarse sandpaper to remove all the loose oldpaintwork. The sandingwill allow the new paint to adherewell to the glossysurfacebygivingabetterbaseonwhichtowork.

The color I wanted to use is a soft pale shade of Provence blue. Using atablespoonasameasure,mixtogetherthreepartsoftheOldWhiteandonepartofProvencepainttomakethecolorIcallCricket.

Takea flatbrush,asbigasyoucancomfortablymanage,andspread thepaintmixevenlyandthicklyalloverthepiece.Focusononeareaatatimeanddon’tputalotofpaintinthecorners.Whilethepaintisstillwetmoveontothenextstep.

Usingaclothwipesomeofthepaintofftheshelf,gentlyatfirst,untiltheright“wipedoff”effectisfound.Repeattheprocessallalongthebackoftheshelvestomakea continuous“wipedoff” effect, takingcarenot toget toomuchof abuild up in the corners. The idea is that the paint will look dragged on theshelves,whileontheedges—whereIwipedoffmorepaint—thereisasoftwashofcolorwiththewhitecomingthrough.

Asthepaintisthinitwilldryquicklysoyoushouldbereadytowaxthepiecealmost immediately. Apply a layer of clear wax and then polish the surface.Applya secondcoatofwax to reallyprotect the surfaceand takecare tobuffwell.

PaintthesidesoftheshelveswithChâteauGrey.Whilethepaintisstillwettaketheendofasmallbrushanduseittoscratchordrawintothewetpainttomakemarks—I used lines, crosses, and swirly spots in a random pattern. I did thesame along the back of the shelves, too.Apply another coat ofwax to reallyprotectthepieceandbuffwell.

cowparsleychestUSINGPRINTINGEFFECTSONFURNITURE

OakisoneofthefewbarewoodsIliketosee,butIalsoloveitwhenitissoftenedwithOldWhite.CowparsleyisaprettycountryflowerwithadistinctiveshapeandIfeltitwouldtransposewellintoprint.Theappealofhandprinting is theuneven randomquality thatyoucanachieve,which I feltwouldworkwellwiththeoak.

TIPChoosingthecardfortheprintingisquitecrucial.Averyhardthincardwon’tprintandaverysoftonewon’tbeeasytomanipulate.

IhadaveryvagueplanbeforeIstartedandhadimaginedonestemofcowparsley.IstartedtomakethisonewhereIthoughtitshouldgo,andthencarriedonworkinguntilIhadafewstems.

Before

Theshapeofthisoldoakchestofdrawersappealstomebecauseithasasturdyfunctionalitybutalsoalotofcharm.

WHATYOUWILLNEED

OldWhitePaint

Painttray

Graphitepaint

Matchstick

Tinofclearwax

Mix⅓water and⅔OldWhite in a paint tray tomake a paint with a runnyconsistency.

Paint the mixture onto the surface of the chest, one area at a time. Oak is atexturedwoodsomakesureyoureachallthegrainwiththebrush.

Wipeoffthepaintwithaclothassoonasyoucanbeforeitdries,togiveyouawasheffect.

Toprintthecowparsleystems,tearoffareasonablystrongpieceofcardfromacerealboxorsomethingsimilar.Tearingisbetterthancuttingsothecardedgeissofterandmorerandom.LoadthebrushwithGraphiteanddabthepaintalongtheedgeacoupleoftimessothereisagoodquantityofpaintthere.

Printthestemsbypressingdownlightlywiththeedgeofthecard,andthenmorefirmly.Bendthecardslightlytogetthenaturalbendofthestem.Youwillneedseveral lengthsofcard fordifferentpartsof theparsley.Change thecard forafresh piece when it becomes saturated—if it is too soft it will slip and printblurredlines.

Usetheflatendofamatchsticktoprintthedottyflowersofthecowparsley.Dotthem on randomly so that some are heavy and others not so pronounced.Remember less ismore!Apply a layer of clearwaxwhenyou are finished toseal,protect,andgiveagoodevenfinish.

Addalayerofclearwaxwithabrushtothedrawersandhandleandruboffanyexcesswithaclothtofinish.

Once I’d finished thechest I found that it lookedslightly insipidwith theOldWhitetop.WhenI initiallybegantheprojectIconsideredthreecolorsforthetopsoIreferredbacktotheseandoptedforGraphiteinstead,andwasmuchmoresatisfiedwiththeresult. Thisisagreatexampleofhowprojectsneverhavetoberigidandset,socansometimesevolveasyougoalong.

découpagechestUSINGPRINTEDMATERIALTODECORATEFURNITURE

Theworddécoupagederives fromtheFrenchwordmeaning“tocutout”anddescribesanold techniqueusedtoapplyprintedmotifstofurniture. ForthisprojectIchoseanoldchestthatIhadpaintedafewyearsago, which needed an update. I was still happy with the distressed look, so I felt a simple découpagetreatmentusingafloralwatercolorprintwouldembellishitperfectly.

TIPTryusinggiftwrapfordécoupagesincetherearesomereallyprettyandunusualprintsinstores.Lookoutforwatercolorpatterns,thesewillgiveyourfinishedpieceacharminghandpaintedappearance.

YOUWILLNEED

Designfromaprintbookorothersource

Scissors

Sponge

Water-basedmattdécoupagemedium

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforapplyingmedium

Cutoutallyourchosenprintsusingapairofscissors,movingthepaperratherthanthescissorstokeeptheedgeniceandsmooth.

Takeoneofyourcutoutsanddampenbothsidesusingamoistspongetostopitfrombubbling.Makesureyoudon’tsoakthepaperbyapplyingtoomuchwater.

Applyacoatofdécoupagemediumto thefrontof thedrawerwhereyouwantthedesign. Stick thepaperdown, startingatoneendandpressingcarefully sothatnobubblesofairgettrappedundertheprint.

Paintovertheprintwiththemediumto helptofixthedesigninplace,thenleavetodry.Addasecondcoatofmediumandleavetodry.Repeatifnecessaryuntilyoubuildupenoughlayerstogiveyouasmoothsurface.

crackle-painthooksPAINTINGMDFTOGIVEITSOMECHARACTER

Forme,theproblemwithMDFisthatitlackscharacterandneverdevelopswithageinthewaywooddoes.ItisjusttooperfectsoIliketofindawaytogiveitsomeimperfections.Thistechniquecreatescracksinthe paint and is a greatway to lose the smoothness of theMDF finish.Chalk paint on its own appliedthicklyandthenheatedwithahairdryercracksnaturally.Withalittlepracticeyouwillbeabletocontroltheprocess,butdon’ttrytoaimforevenlysizedcracksalloverbecausethiswon’tlooknatural.Ichoseasoftpinktogowiththeheartshape.

TIP Do not confuse this crackle effect with “crackle varnish,” atransparentvarnishusedoverpaintthatcrackslikethevarnishonanoldmasterpainting. In the techniqueon thesepages, the cracks are in thepaint.There is aproprietarybrandcalledCrackleMedium that canbeusedtoachievethislook,butIprefertousethehairdryeronthechalkpaint.

Before

This shelf, like many other new pieces of furniture, is made from MDF, ormedium density fiberboard, because it is light, inexpensive, and easier to cutshapesfromthannaturalwood.

YOUWILLNEED

Antoinettepaint

Hairdryer

Tinofclearwax

Tinofdarkwax

Smallbristlebrushforapplyingdarkwax

Clothsforremovingexcesswax

PaintallovertheshelfinAntoinette.ThiswillactasabaseforthesecondcoatasMDFisveryabsorbent.

Oncethefirstcoatisdry,applyasecondcoat.Thishastobedoneinadifferentway to the application of a normal coat of paint. Charge the brushwell withpaintthenholditnearlyhorizontalontopoftheshelfandgently“lay”thepainton the surface. Work one small area at a time, applying the paint in a fewdifferentdirections—butdon’tmakeittoobusy.Addthepaintmorethicklyonsomeareasthanothers.

Quicklyuseahairdryeronthehighestsettingtoblowhotaironthefreshlywetpaint.Afterafewsecondsthepaintshouldstarttocrack.Ifthepaintgoesintoripplesinsteadthenyouaretoonearthesurfaceorthelayerofpaintistoothick.Itcanbedifficulttoseewhatisgoingonsomoveyourheadaroundtoseethesurfaceindifferentlights.Whenyouhavefinishedoneareamoveontothenext,untilthewholepieceiscoveredwithsmallerorlargercracks.

Thepaintisthickerthanusualsomakesureitiscompletelydrybeforeapplyingtheclearwaxwithabrush.Wipeoff theexcesswithaclothso there isa thinlayerofwax.

Nextapplythedarkwax.Thisshouldbedonewithasmallbristlebrush,pushingthewaxintothecracksbyworkingthehairsindifferentdirections.

Wipeofftheexcessdarkwaxwiththecloth.Youwillfindthedarkwaxisnowinthecracksandwillhavechangedthecolorofthepainttoo.

Takesomeclearwaxandwipeitoverthepiecewithaclothtoremovethedarkwaxfromthesurface,takingcarenottoremoveanyfromthecracks.Ifanyareaistoocrackedorbusythenusetheclearwaxtoremovesomeofthedarkwax.

crackle-varnishtable

WORKINGWITHTWO-PARTCRACKLEVARNISH

I decided to paint this table in OldWhite in order to make it lighter and prettier. The technique usedreplicatesthelookofvarnishthathascrackedovertime,likevarnishonanoldmasterpainting.Itisdonewithasetoftwodifferentwater-basedmediums,onelaidovertheother,thatcanbepaintedonanybasecolor.IprefertouseitonOldWhitebecauseitresemblesagedivorywhenfinished.Itiseasiertoapplythetechniqueonsmallpiecesoffurniture,partlybecauseitisdifficulttocontrolthematerialsoveralargearea.

TIP Crackle varnish and crackle paint can be confusing as they havebeengivendifferentnamesovertheyears.Thepreviousprojectusestheideaofpaintcracking,while thisproject isbasedontheapplicationoftwo transparentvarnishes, the secondofwhichcracks.Toachieve thislookyouneed twobottles: the first is calledCraquelureStepOneandthesecondCraquelureStepTwo.Botharetransparentandallowyoutoseethewoodbase.Itisagoodideatotestthemoutfirstsoyouaresureabouttherightthicknessofeachofthevarnishes.Byapplyingthemverythinlyyouwillgetsmallcracks.

Before

Thislittleroundsidetablehadanelegancethatwasunfortunatelyreducedbythecountrylookofunappealingorange-varnishedpine.

YOUWILLNEED

OldWhitepaint

2in(5cm)paintbrushesforapplyingpaintandCraquelure

BottleofCraquelureStep1

BottleofCraquelureStep2

Hairdryer

Tinofdarkwax

Clothsforapplyingwax

Tinofclearwax

StartbypaintingthetablealloverwithtwolayersofOldWhite.Itiseasierandmoreefficientifyouturnthetableupsidedownandpainttheundersidefirst.

Decide if youwant tohave larger or smaller cracks—ifyou apply the cracklevarnish thinlyyouwillendupwithsmallercracks than ifyouapply it thickly.ApplyacoatofCraquelureStepOne to the surfaceof the table.Allow todrynaturally.

Apply theCraquelureStepTwowith abrush.This is a viscous stickyvarnishthatcanbea littledifficult tospread,butbepersistentand try toavoid lumpy,thickareas.Asyouareusingaclearvarnishitiseasytomissoutareassotakecarewhenapplying.

Immediatelyafteryouhavefinishedapplyingthesecondvarnish,blowahothairdryer on the surface.After about aminute crackswill begin to appear—makesurethesurfaceisintherightlightsoyoucanseethemforming.

Allowthesurfacetocool thenapplyalayerofdarkwaxwithacloth,pushingthewaxintothecracks.Workoverthewholeareabutdon’tallowthewaxtodrytoo hard otherwise it is difficult to remove.Wipe off any excesswith a cleancloth.

Using a very small amount of clearwax,wipe off any darkwax lying on thesurface,sothatthedarkwaxisonlyleftinthecracks.

découpagechestofdrawersCREATINGADÉCOUPAGEDESIGNANDADDINGCOLOR

There are découpagemotif books, but you could also find a good image in amagazine or online. Thepicturecanthenbeadjusted,scanned,andprintedusingacomputer.Thepaperdesignisthencutoutandstuck downonto a surface andvarnished several times. I have chosen a design of people running to goalongeachdrawer.

TIPTrytoavoidhavingasinglesmallimageinthemiddleofadraweras it can look a little corny. If you have one good image perhaps tryusingitenlargedsoitfillsupthearea.

Before

While in Venice some years ago I was inspired by the most charming 18th-century découpage cabinet with sepia prints on it, colored gently andhaphazardly with watercolor. This chest of drawers was the perfect piece toemulatetheeffectIsawthatdayintheDoge’sPalace.

YOUWILLNEED

Designfromaprintbookorothersource

Computer,scanner,andprinter

Scissors

Water-basedmattdécoupagemedium

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforapplyingmedium

BarcelonaOrangepaint

MonetBluepaint

OliveGreenpaint

Tinofclearwax

IhavechosenadesignofahilariousmedievalchasewithskirtsflyingandarmswavingthatIsawinabookofdécoupageprints.Aftermeasuringtheheightofthe drawers I scanned and enlarged the design to the required size. The initialprintoutwasalittledarkformytastesoIchangedthecolortoabrownishblackandprinted itoutagain. Ialsoreversed thedesignon thecomputerso that thepeoplewillbe running theoppositewayon themiddledrawer. Ifyoustrugglewithcomputers,takeyourchosendesigntoalocalcopyshop;theywillbeabletohelpyouscanandprintitout.

Cutoutthefiftyswithasharppairofscissors,gettingasclosetotheedgeofthedesignaspossible.It’sbestifyoucuteverythingoutbeforeyoustartglueingsoyoucanplanroughlywhereyouaregoingtopositioneachfifty.Next,paintthewholeareaofonedrawerfrontwiththedécoupagemedium.

With the découpagemedium still wet, place a cut-out fifty at one end of thedrawer.At the same time brush over the designwith themedium,whichwillnowactasavarnish.Trytoavoidthepaperbubblingupbybrushingfromoneendtotheother.Ifabubbledoescomeuptrytopressitdownandouttheside,butdothisquicklybeforethevarnishbeginstodry.Repeattheprocessuntilthewhole drawer front is filled with images. Varnish the drawer twice more,allowingeachlayertodrythoroughly.

Forthepaintingofthepictureschooseonemaincolorandtwoorthreeotherstopartner it. I selected watered down Barcelona Orange asmymain color withsomeMonetBlueandOliveGreen—onehotandtwocoolcolors.Iappliedthecolors to the “clothes,” sometimes deliberately missing the area a little so itlooksmore like a painting. Use the paint like watercolor andmake the coloruneveninparts.Ifyoumakeamistaketakethepaintoffwithwater.

Whenyou’vefinishedcoloring,completethedrawerswithtwolayersofvarnish.Eitherwaxthewholepiece,includingthedrawerfronts,withabrushorcontinuewithvarnish—Ipreferwax.

I painted my main color Barcelona Orange inside the drawers, which is indeliberateandstrongcontrasttothecoolnessoftheoutsidedecoration.

gildedwallstencilsUSINGREALGOLDFORASTUNNINGEFFECT

Due to its position in the room thiswall deserved special attention. I felt itwouldmerit using a stencildesignandrealgoldtoattract theeye.Thesheenandlifeinrealgoldis incrediblybeautifulandwithoutcomparisontootherformsofleaf.Inkeepingwithmyspeedyapproachtoprojects,Idonotmeasureoutthestenciltomakeitcompletelyregular,eventhoughhereisapatternthatisrepeated.Ifeelthatifyouwantaunifrom print then use wallpaper instead—any slight irregularity makes the wall lively and interesting.Applythepaintbyeyeandfillinanygapswithpartofthestencil.

TIPRealgoldcomesinmanycolors(seeRealgoldgildedtray)soyoucanchooseagoldthatworkswithyourbackground.FormybackgroundIhaveusedtaupe,agraybrownthatworkswellwiththemid-toneandshadeofgoldIhavepicked.

Before

Thiswallwasovera fireplaceandwas the focusofattention in the room,butwasplainlydecoratedandboringtolookat.

WHATYOUWILLNEED

Stencil

OldWhitepaint

Rollerandpainttray

Water-basedgoldsizeglue

Smallartists’brushforglue

Goldtransferleaf

Smallartists’brushforapplyingleaf

Place the stencil on the wall after working out roughly where you want thedesign to go.Using a roller and a small amount of paint lighter than thewallcolor—I choseOldWhite—mark out the stencil over thewhole area you areworkingon.

Usingasmallbrushapplythegoldsizetotheareasyouwanttobegold.Oncethesizebecomesclearitisreadyfortheleaftobeapplied.

Useadrybrushtoapplytheleaftothewall.Haveapieceoftissuepaperbehindtheleafandpressagainstit. Thishelpstheleaftosticktothesizeandnottothebrushoryourhands.

Wipeawayanyexcessleafwithasoftbutfirmbrushandthencheckyourworkforanyareasyoumayhavemissed.

trumeaumirrorAPPLYINGBRASSLEAFTOCARVEDDETAILING

Thisisamodernreproductiontrumeau,aFrenchstyleofmirrorthattraditionallyhasapaintedorcarvedpanelaboveorbelowtheglass.Beforestarting,choosewhereyouwantyourgildingtobe.IhavechosentopainttheframeinDuckEggBlueinkeepingwiththestyleofmirror,butanothercolorcouldworkequallyaswell—perhapswhiteorgray,oramixtureofboth.

TIPIhaveusedbrassleafinthisprojectasitisveryinexpensive.Realgoldleafcouldbeusedbutitismuchmoreexpensive.Ifyouchoosetouserealgoldyoudonothavetowaxitbecauseitdoesnottarnishlikebrass,butyouwillhavetousethesheetsintransferform(seeRealgoldgildedtray).

Before

Thistypeofmirrorwasoftenbothgildedandpainted,soisideallysuitedforapainttransformation.

YOUWILLNEED

DuckEggBluepaint

Smallartists’brushforapplyingglue

Talcumpowder(optional)

Bookofbrassleaf

1in(2.5cm)paintbrush

Smallsoftbristleartists’brush

Tinofclearwax

1in(2.5cm)softbristlebrushforapplyingwax

Tinofdarkwax

Paint allover thewood inDuckEggBlue, takingcarenot togetpainton themirror.Useastabbingmotiononthecarvedareas toensureall thedetailingiscovered.Youmayhavetoapplyasecondcoattomakecertainthewholeofthemirroriscovered.

Whenthepaintisdrytakeasmallbrushandpaintthegoldsizeglueontoalltheareas where you want to apply the brass leaf. Be certain to cover everythingcompletelyandtakecarenottoapplythegoldsizetoothickly,orwithdripsandbumps.Atfirstthegoldsizeiswhite;leaveitafewminutesandonceitbecomesclearitisreadytouse.

Before using the leaf it is a good idea to dust your hands lightlywith talcumpowdertomakethemverydry,becausetheleafwillsticktoyourhandsiftheyare slightly damp or sticky. Take a sheet of the brass leaf from the book—itdoesn’tmatterwhichsidefacesup—andwithonehandlay iton theareawiththegoldsize.Withtheotherhandpresstheleafinplacewithabrush.

Usea small artists’brush toguide the leafand lay itdownas flat asyoucan,makingitsureithasadheredwelltothegoldsize.

Use thebrush topush the leaf into thecrevices,makingcertain it sticks reallywell to the surface so itwon’t comeoff at thenext stage.Sweepawayall theexcessleafyoudon’twantwiththebrush.

Take a soft brush and wipe the gilded areas with a thin layer of clear wax,pushingthewaxintothecarving.Covertherestofthemirrorwiththeclearwaxthenwipeoffanyexcesswithacloth.Acleansoftbrushwillremoveanyexcessinthecarving,too.

Applydarkwaxtothecarvedareasofthemirrorusingabrush.

Begentlebuttrytopushthewaxintothecornersofthecarvingsoitlooksasifitwasageanddirt.

Usea cloth and/or abrush towipeand spread theexcesswaxon thecarving.This is best done using some clearwax because it acts as a kind of “eraser,”takingawaythedarkwaxandsoftlywearingawaythe“gold.”Theharderyourubthemoreleafwillberemoved—itisuptoyouhowmuchofthedarkwaxandgoldyouleave.

STEP10

Using a dry brush stipple the area to take away any pockets of darkwax andmakethefinishmoreeven.

realgoldgildedtrayADDINGADISTRESSEDGOLDEFFECTTODETAILING

Thistraypresentedaperfectopportunitytouserealgoldleafratherthanbrassleaf.Goldis,ofcourse,moreexpensivethanbrass—butit’snotoutofthequestiontouseiteveryonceinawhile,especiallyonasmallprojectlikethis.Goldisunlikebrassinthatitdoesn’ttarnishifleftexposedtoairandwillcontinuetolookbrightandlustrous;it’sshineismelloweranddeeper,too.IlovethemattsimpledrylookofthistrayandthegoldisreminiscentofSwedishpaintedfurniture.

TIPOneof themanyattractionsof realgold is that it comes inmanycolors, fromverypaleyellow tocoppery red.Brass leafcomes in justonecolor.Toworkwithgoldyouneedtouseitintheformoftransferleaf because loose leaf is too fragile to use without specialist tip.Transferleafisaverythinsheetofgoldverylightly“stuck”toasquareof tissue.Golddoesnot tarnishsodoesnothave tobesealed,butyoumaywanttoputacoatofshellaconittoprotectit.

Before

IboughtthistraynewbecauseIlikedthemoldedleavesandflowersaroundtheedge,butIfounditratherplainanddecidedtoadornitwithsomegilding.

YOUWILLNEED

Smallartists’brushforglue

Goldtransferleaf(notlooseleaf)

1in(2.5cm)brushforapplyingleaf

Potofshellacorbuttonpolish(optional)

Cottonclothtoapplyshellac

Apply the gold size to the areas that youwant to gild.When the size is firstapplied itwillbewhitebeforebecomingclear,atwhichpoint it is ready tobeused.Ihaveappliedthesizealongedgesandcentersoftheplantdesignratherthansolidlyoverallthedetailing.

Takeasheetof transfer leafandplace itgoldsidedownon thegoldsize.Useonehand tohold the tissueand in theotheruseadrybrush topress the tissueandsticktheleaftothesize.Thecarvingistextured,whichmeansthecoverageof the leafwillnotbecompletelyevenunlessyouareprepared togoover thesameareamanytimes.

Withthedrybrush,wipeawayallthesmallpiecesofleafthatarehavenotstucktorevealtheresultofyourwork.Atthispointyoucandecidewhethertoleaveitasitisifyouwantanolddistressedlook,orapplymoresizeandleafforamoresolidgoldeffect.

Thisnextstepisnotabsolutelynecessary,butI usedadabofshellac(sometimescalledbuttonpolish)onthegoldtohelpmakeitslightlydarkerandprotectthework.Thisdriesextremelyquicklysoputa littleontoacottoncloth,dab,andwipeoncebeforemovingtothenextpart.

1920sglass-frontedcabinetMAKINGALUMINUMLEAFLOOKLIKESILVER

Glass-fronted cabinetswereverypopular in the1920s fordisplayingyourbest china.Theyhave largelygoneoutoffashionnow,butaspiecesoffurnituretheylookgreatwithalittleoverhaul.Tryusingoneinabathroomforperfumes,creams,andsoapsor,asIhavedonehere,inthelivingroomwithacollectionofglasscakestandsandajugalsofromthetwenties.Black,glass,andsilverisacolorcombinationfromthethirtiesthatalsohasacontemporaryfeel,soIusedablacktickingfabricfortheinside,gildedthetopedgewithaluminumleaf,andcoveredtheedgingswithablackribbon.

Before

This cabinet has lovely little ball-and-claw feet, a very stylish yet definitelyshabbyglassdesignonthedoor,andadelightfulborderrunningalongthetop.Traditionally these cabinets have fabric, or sometimes paper, on the back andfloor,and true toformthispiecehadaverydusty,mottledfabric,whichsadlyhadtobecoveredasitcouldn’tberescued.

YOUWILLNEED

Graphitepaint

Stickytape

2smallsoftbristleartists’brushes

Bookofaluminumleaf

Smalldrybrushforapplyingleaf

Tinofdarkwax

TIPAlittlesilvergoesalongwaysodon’tgettooenthusiasticwithit.I

had contemplated doing the ball feet of this cabinet but in the enddecidedthatlessismore.

ApplyacoatofGraphitetothecupboardwithabrush,butleavetheedgesthatarenexttotheglass.

Covertheglassonthecabinetwithpaper,fixingitinplacewithtape,andpainttheframearoundtheglass.TakecarenottogettoomuchGraphiteonthepaperandtheglass.Changethepaperwhenitgetstoowet.

Whenthepaintisdry,paintathinlayerofthegoldsizegluetothetopedgesofthecabinet.Takeyourtimeandavoidgettinganyglueonthetopofthecabinet. Don’tworryaboutthegoldsizedryingout,itremainsstickyforhours.

Leave the gold size to become transparent; this should take about five to tenminutesdependingonthesurfaceyouarepaintingon.

Applythealuminumleafbylettingtheleaffallontothegoldsizedsurface.Usea small, drybrush to guide it and to flatten it onto thewood.Dab rather thanwipe thebrush tostop the leaf frombreakingup.When the leaf is sufficientlystuck down, tear off the excess. It will not showwhere there is a join in thewood.

Using a brush, apply a layer of darkwax all over the topof the cabinet.Thismakesthepreviouslydarkgraypaintturnabeautifulblack.Thealuminumturnsfromsilverwhitetoalovely,slightlytarnishedsilverafterthedarkwaxhasbeenadded.

While thewax is stillwetwipeoff the excess,working it into thepaint.Takeextracarealongtheedgessoyoudon’tdamagethemetal-leafedareas.

bureauwithfloralmotifSTENCILINGANINTERIOR

Bureauxordeskslikethishavebeenoutoffavorforawhilebutrecentlyhavehadsomethingofarevival.This is because they are a good surface for using a laptop and when the lid is closed they have anunderstated,nobleappearance.Everyoneneedsaplacetokeeppaperworkandtheircomputerandthisistheelegantanswer.Havingtheoptiontopaintaninteriorisagreatopportunitytoapplyadecorativepatternorusesomeextravagantcolor.

Before

Theshapeofthisbureau,withitsdeepdrawersandfront,wasjustthesolutionIwaslookingfortohelptidymyoffice.

WHATYOUWILLNEED

ChâteauGreypaint

Creampaint

ParisGreypaint

Spongerollerandpainttray

Stencil

Tinofclearwax

Clothtoapplythewax

AubussonBluepaint(optional)

Paint the insideof thedeskand the interiorof thedrawerswithChâteauGrey.Oftenontheinteriorofabureautherewillbeasurfaceofleatherorsomethingsimilarbutdon’tworry,thiscanbepaintedovereasilywiththechalkpaint.

Paint the outside of the desk in a different color to the inside.You can eitherchooseaverydifferentcolor,brightredfor instance,orsomethingsimilar likethe Cream I chose. Use a generous amount of paint brushed in differentdirections to give it texture. For authenticity,make some areasmore texturedthanothers.

Paint over the Cream with Paris Grey, this time quite smoothly and with arestrainedamountofpaint.Workinthesamedirectionasthewoodandleavetodry.Thiscoatmeansthatwhenyousand,thetoplayerofgraywillcomeawayeasilytoshowthemoreunevenCreammarksunderneath.

Forthestenciling,pourtwocolorsofpaint,CreamandParisGrey,intothetraythenworkthespongerollersothatonehalfisonecolorandonehalftheother.Don’tget toomuchpaint on the roller so that it becomesheavywithpaint. Ifthereistoomuch,rollthespongeoutonapieceofsparepaper.

TIP Stenciling is a greatway tomake a pattern, but it is the randommannerofapplicationthatisquitedifficulttomasterifyouarenotusedtoit.It’sbesttostencilalmostblindly,asifyouarejusttryingtocoverthearea.

Here I chose touse the samecolors as theoutsideof thedesk for thestencilandadeepercolorforthebase.ForthestencilitselfIpickedtwodesigns that are very similar in style, shape, and size. Flip the stencilovertovarythedesign.

Placethestencildownontheinteriorinyourrequiredpositionandstartapplyingtherollergentlykeepingthepatternvariegated.Applythesamestencilinlotsofplaces all over the insideof thedesk.Allow the stencil todry—it should takeaboutfiveminutes—andturnitover.Theapplicationoftwocolorsontherollerat the same time and the turning of the stencil will help to make the patternrandom.

Applyalayerofclearwaxwithaclothtothewholepieceandthenlightlysandthesurface.Ifyoufeelyouneedtoadjustthecoloringandpattern,youcanaddsomeextracolorasIhavewithAubussonBlue.Ialsocoveredoversomeareaswithabitofthebasecolor,ChâteauGrey,usingthestencil.Finally,waxagainandpolish.

paintcolors

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint has been used in all the projects in this book. This is a unique paint in 24decorativeandhistoricalcolorsmadespecificallyforpaintingfurnitureandfloors,andforgivingwallsamatt, velvety finish. Please visit my website to find your local stockist or for mail order details:www.anniesloan.co.uk.

OldViolet Olive Graphite PrimerRed

BurgundianRed AubussonBlue GreekBlue ChâteauGrey

Emperors’Silk MonetBlue AntibesGreen Provence

SiennaYellow BarcelonaOrange CountryGrey OldWhite

ScandinavianPink LouisBlue Versailles Cream

OldOchre Antoinette DuckEggBlue ParisGrey

suppliers

AnnieSloanPaints33CowleyRoad

Headington

OxfordOX41HP

018652472966

www.anniesloan.com

paint@anniesloan.com

Find‘AnnieSloanPaint’onFacebook

ENGLAND

BedfordshireMakingtheBest

1BridgeStreet

LeightonBuzzardLU71AH

01525378022

BerkshireCountryMouse

MossEndVillage

WarfieldRG426EJ

01344422730

BuckinghamshireFairLilly

71HighStreet

GreatMissendenHP160AL

01494864101

HomeBarn

WiltonFarm

MarlowRoad

MarlowSL73RR

01628878771

Cornwall

CountryChic

4NorthgateStreetLaunceston

CornwallPL158BD

01566773223

SweetPea&Betty20HighStreet

FalmouthTR112AB

01326211246

DerbyshireAvantGarde

CalverRoad

BarlowDE451RD

01246583888

DevonVintageNowInteriors2–4EastStreet

NewtonAbbotTQ121AF

01626330593

DorsetShyViolet

27HighStreet

StalbridgeDT102LH

01963362428

GloucestershireBaileyPaints

GriffinMillEstateLondonRoad

NewStroud

ThruppGL52AZ

01453882237

HampshireInteriorAffairs6TheGrove

Westbourne

EmsworthPO108UJ

01243389972

HertfordshireLavendergreen

18LondonRoad

StAlbansAL11NG

01727839415

IsleofWightCrocus

51UnionStreet

RydePO332RF

01983611144

SmokeontheWater9MarketStreet

SandwichCT139DA

01304611600

LincolnshireDesignworks

23LondonRoad

GranthamNG316EX

01476570170

LondonSallyBourneInteriors26MuswellHillBroadwayLondonN103RT

02084443031

TheForestBailiff36DurhamRoad

WimbledonSW200TW

02089475115

NorthamptonshireAntique&Chic@BrackleyAntiqueCellarDrayman’sWalk

BrackleyNN136BE

02476262231/

07811313014

NottinghamshireNellieintheShed11QueensStreet

SouthwellNG250AA01636819992

OxfordshireAnnieSloanInteriors33CowleyRoad

OxfordOX41HP

01865247296

LifeatNettlebed1HighStreet

Nettlebed

NrHenleyRG95DA

01491642062

BlissHomeAccessoriesStationMillAntiquesandInteriorsStationRoad

ChippingNortonOX75HZ

01608644563

SuffolkPaintedCountry

1CastleStreet

EyeIP237AN

01379871888

SurreyPorticoAntiquesMezzanine

ChristiqueAntiquesCentre11WestStreet

DorkingRH41BL

07887724727

SussexBlake’sVintage

1VictoriaGrove

SecondAvenue

HoveBN32LJ

01273737070

OldFurniture,NewThinking100BoundaryRoad

HoveBN37GB

07595394877

Warwickshire

Antique&Chic@Green’sInteriorsRugbyRoad

BinleyWood

CoventryCV32AW

02476453878/07811313014

SCOTLAND

CarteBlancheStudiowww.decoratescotland.com

01764684324

IRELAND

TwentySix

26KenyonStreet

Nenagh,CoTipperary00353(0)6732805

JolieDesign(distributor)NewOrleans

Louisiana

(504)247-3788

www.usajoliedesign.com

SouthernInstituteofFauxFinishing1091OldFanninRoadSuiteD

Brandon

Mississippi39047

601-919-FAUX

FauxWorks

2638WillardDairyRoadSuite106

HighPoint

NorthCarolina27265

336-841-0130

ClassicWallFinishesLittleSilver

NewJersey

732-924-9520

HouseofAnne

CanyonLake,California951-244-9968

951-385-6745

WonderFaux Studio 12919 Southwest Freeway Ste. 120 StaffordHouston TX77477

281-242-4937

FRANCE

LesCouronnesSauvages6ruedelaCroixBriandPlélan-le-Petit

Brittany22980

0033(0)296276997

JanInteriors

LeRocBas

Segalas

47410LotetGaronne0033(0)553207690

LesAffairesInterieures37290Yzeures-sur-CreuseIndreetLoire

0033(0)670959099

LePetitPois

Entraygue-sur-TruyèreMidi-Pyrenees12140

0033(0)565442239

THENETHERLANDS

Heart&Home(distributor)2912CA

NieuwerkerkaandenIJssel0031180311124

Heart&HomeDorpsstraat49

2912CANieuwerkerkaandenIJssel0031(0)180311124

www.heartandhome.nl

VandeGruiterWonenendiezijnLangeviele29

4331LRMiddelburg0031(0)118615040

www.vandegruiterwonen.nl

WebshopDecoratieveVerftechniekenGroningerstraat71a9401BDAssen

0031(0)207165049

www.decoratieveverftechnieken.nl

SaenseSjans

NoordGesterweg22a1779EBDenOever

0031(0)625043938

www.saensesjans.nl

BuitengewoonBuitenpostVoorstraat45

9285NPBuitenpost0031(0)511541554

www.buitengewoonbuitenpost.nl

Jenneke&DennekeDorpstraat62

6102TXPey-Echt

0031(0)653540289

www.jennekeendenneke.nl

AtelierDroomenDaadStriksteeg1-3

7411KRDeventer

0031(0)570644844/622974782

www.wanttussendroomendaad.nl

BrendaBaart

Molenstraat55

4567BBClinge

0031(0)114313092

www.brendabaart.nl

BijMij

Winkelakkers36

9471VLZuidlaren

Indigo(distributor)186970LaHerraduraGranada,Andalucia0034958640632

GERMANY

AvMDesign(distributor)Anna-MarievonMangoldtImOberdorf5

33039Nieheim

0049(0)5274/9529344

author’sacknowledgments

Thisbookhasbeenmore thanusualquitea familyaffair,withhusbandDavidManuelandsonHugodrivingallovertheplace,collectingpiecesandcarryingthem fromplace to place, and another son,Felix, a designer, for helpingwithpaintingthefurniturefromfirstcoatstofinalfinishes.Familyfriendandanotherdesigner,KatieHarrison, helpedoutwithpainting too, asdidmy stalwart andinspiringphotographerChristopherDrake,whonotonly tookgreat photosbutalsomadeusalllaugh.ManythanksalsotoJamesRossforfurniturerepairsandtoWinstonBaileyforhelpingoutwithdrivingandmanhandlingfurniture,andfinally to Jane and Peter Edwards and Jenny andMelvin Lind for generouslyallowingustousetheirhomes.Manythankstoallinvolved!

abouttheauthor

Annie Sloan is one of the world’s most respected experts in the field ofdecorative painting. She runs highly successful workshops from her store inOxford, and teaches in Europe and the US. Annie has written more than tenbooks, including The Painted Garden, Annie Sloan’s Painted Kitchen, andCreating The French Look (all published by CICO Books), and has featuredprominentlyonPBStelevisionandtheHomes&GardensTVchannel.Shealsosells her own ranges of paint and French fabric, as well as vintage furniture,muchof it fromFrancewhereshehasahome.Annie lives inOxfordwithherhusbandandthreesons.

PublishedbyCICOBooks

animprintofRylandPeters&Small

519BROADWAY,5THFLOOR,NEWYORKNY10012

20–21Jockey’sFields,LondonWC1R4BW

www.cicobooks.com

Printedition2010

Digitaledition2012

The author’s moral rights have beenasserted. All rights reserved. No partofthispublicationmaybereproduced,stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical,photocopying,orotherwise,withoutthepriorpermissionofthepublisher.

ACIPcatalogrecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheLibraryofCongressandtheBritishLibrary.

ISBN-13:9781906525750

eISBN:9781908862358

Editor:PeteJorgensen

Design:ChristineWood

Photography:ChristopherDrake(Photography inGardenchair andDécoupagechestbyTinoTedaldi)

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