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

PAINT

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.

COLOR

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

STEP1

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.

STEP2

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

STEP3

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

STEP1

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

STEP2

TakeGreekBluepaintandapplyitsmoothlyalloverthechairandthinnerthanthefirstcoatofwhite.

STEP3

Waxalloverthepiecewithclearwax,usingabigbrushtoreachalltheintricatedetailsofthechairrails.

STEP4

Wipeofftheexcesswaxwithacloth,takingextracaretolookforanybuildupsofwaxaroundtheverticalbars,astheycanbeeasytomiss.

STEP5

Ruballoverthechairwithmedium-gradesandpapertogiveitawornlook.Rubgentlyatfirstsoyoucangaugehowmuchpressureyouneedtoapplytogiveawornlooktothepaint.

STEP6

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

Water


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.

STEP1

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

STEP2

Applyacoatofclearwaxwithabrushalloverthelegs,wipingoffanyexcesswithacloth.

STEP3

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

STEP4

Wipeoffthedarkwaxwithacloth.Thisbringsoutthetextureofthepaintsincethedarkwaxwillstayintheedges,grooves,andbrushstrokes.Ifyoufindthewaxcomesofftooeasilytryleavingitonforalittlelongerbeforewipingitoff.

STEP5

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

STEP6

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

STEP7

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

STEP8

Waxalloverthetabletopusingabrushandclearwax.Atthisstagethetabletopcouldbeleftwithwhitenedorbleachedlookingwood.

STEP9

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

Water

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.

STEP1

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.

STEP2

Whenthefirstcoatisdry,paintacoatofOliveallovertheexteriorandleavetodry.

STEP3

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

STEP4

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

Paper

Tinofclearwax


Clothsforremovingexcesswaxandpolishing

Tinofdarkwax

Whitespirit

Bowl

2in(5cm)paintbrushforapplyingwhitespiritmix

TIPWhenpaintingaroundamirror thebestway todo it is toplaceapieceofpaperalongtheinsideedge,replacingthepaperwhenonepiecegetstoosodden.Anypaintthatgetsonthemirrorcanberemovedlater.

STEP1

BeginbypaintingthechiffonierinOldWhitewithabigbrush,usingajabbingratherthanasweepingtechnique.

STEP2

AsIwasusinglightpaintondarkwoodandwantedtoaddtexture,IneededtoapplythreecoatsofOldWhite—leavingeachtodrycompletelybeforeapplyingthenext.

STEP3

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

STEP4

Inabowlmakeamixtureofequalpartsdarkwaxandwhitespirittoformathinwateryliquid.

STEP5

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.

STEP6

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.

STEP1

Paintalloverthecabinetunevenly,makingbrushmarksinalldirections.Allowthepainttodrythoroughly.Thismaytakeslightlylongerthanusualasthepaintwillbethickerinsomeplaces.

STEP2

Applyasecondcoat,againthicklyandunevenly.Itisagoodideatoreturntoanareaofpaintthathasbeguntodryalittleandmakemoreapparentbrushmarks.Trystabbingthebrushinjustafewareastomakeadifferenttexture.

STEP3

Whenthepaintis thoroughlydryapplythedarkwaxtothewholeofthechestonesideatatime,makingcertainthebrushgoesinseveraldirectionstogetintothetextureofthepaint.

STEP4

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.

STEP1

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

STEP2

Whenthefirstlayerisdry,paintasecondcoatusingDuckEggBlue,whichismediumintone.Applythisfairlysmoothlyandallowtodry.

STEP3

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

STEP4

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.

STEP1

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

STEP2

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.

STEP3

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

STEP4

Addalayerofdarkwaxalloverthechair,workingthebrushtoreachintoallthetextureofthepaint.

STEP5

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

STEP6

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

STEP7

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.

STEP1

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

STEP2

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.

STEP1

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

STEP2

PaintthewholechairwithacoatofOldViolet.Oncethatisdry,applyasecondcoatalloverthechairtomakecertainallthecrevicesarefilled.

STEP3

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

STEP4

Wipeoffanyexcesswaxwithacloth.Takeapieceoffine-gradesandpaperandruboffthetopcolortorevealsomeoftheCountryGreybeneath.Workgentlyatfirsttohelpyoujudgehowmuchyouwanttoremove.

STEP5

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

Water


Coarsesandpaper

STEP1

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

STEP2

PaintacoatofOldVioletallovertheladder,rememberingtostartwithitupsidedownfirst.

STEP3

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.

STEP1

Paint thewholepieceoffurniturewithParisGrey.Youmayneedtwocoats tocoverastrongcolorlikepine.

STEP2

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

STEP3

Moveontotheedgesofthedrawers.Ifnecessaryapplyseveralcoatsofwhitesothatthegraycan’tbeseen.

STEP4

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

STEP5

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

STEP6

Wipeawaysomeof thedarkwaxwithacloth.Youwant thewoodtobequitedarksoyoudon’twanttotakeofftoomuchwax.

STEP7

Applydarkwaxtothecenterofthedrawers,butthistimetakeoffmoreofthedarkwaxwiththecloth.Youmayneedtouseclearwaxtoremovesomeofthecolor.Theendresultshouldbethatthedrawersarealightercolorthantherestofthechest.

distressedmirrorWORKINGWITHCARVING

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

Before

Iwasattractedtothefloralcarvingsanddetailingonthismirrorframeandfelttheywouldbenefitfrombeinghighlightedbyalittledistressing.

WHATYOUWILLNEED

OldWhitechalkpaint


Paper

Coarsesandpaper

TIPThepaintdoesnotneedtobewaxedbecausemirrorsgetverylittlehandling.Alsothefinishneedstobeasmattaspossibletocontrastwiththemirror.

STEP1

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

STEP2

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.

STEP1

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

STEP2

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


Water

Sponge

Clothsforremovingexcesspaintandpolishing

Tinofclearwax


STEP1

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

STEP2

Takeadampspongeandwipethepaintoffthepiece.Althoughthepaintisdry,themoistureonthespongemeansthepaintwillberemovedeasily.Havesomewaterneartohandsoyoucankeepwettingthesponge.

STEP3

Inyoursparehandholdapieceofdryclothanduseittotakeawaythenowwetpaint.Thisprocesskeeps thepaintdry in thehollowsbut removes it from themainsurfaceofthewood.

TIPThespongeneedstobedampbutnotwet. Asitfillsupwithpaintyouwillneedtorinseitout,butbesuretosqueezeitalmostdrybeforeyoustartworkingonthepieceagain.

STEP4

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.

STEP1

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

STEP2

Usingabrushapplyclearwaxtoasmallpartofthetable.Thewholetablewillneedtobewaxed,butfocusononeareaatatimebecausethewaxstillneedstobewetwhenyouapplythewhitepaintinstep3.

STEP3

DipyourbrushinsomeOldWhitepaintandworkitintotheclearwax—thereshouldbeequalpartswaxandpaintonthetable.Alwaysensureyouhaveclearwaxonthesurfacebeforethewhiteisadded.Pushyourbrushintothegrainofthewood,workingindifferentdirectionstomakecertainthegrainisfilled.

STEP4

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

STEP1

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

STEP2

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

STEP3

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.

STEP4

Wipeofftheexcesswaxusingacleanfreshcloth,polishingalloverasyougo.Forahighshine,polishthenextdaywithacloth.

STEP5

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

STEP1

Removeanyvarnishonthesurfaceofthetablewithcoarsesandpapersothatthewoodisreadytotakeawash.

STEP2

TurnthepieceupsidedownandpaintthewholethinginParisGrey,exceptforthetabletop.

STEP3

Paintanon-dilutedcoatofOldWhiteontothesurfaceofthetable,whilehavingaclothreadyforthenextstage.

STEP4

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

STEP5

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.

STEP6

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

Water

Painttray


OldWhitepaint

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforpaintingthedetail

STEP1

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

STEP2

Applyacoatofpaintalloverthechairwithabrush.Usejustthetipofthebrushwhenwipingoverthetopofthewickertobringouttheweaveratherthantryingtocoverthewholething.

STEP3

Varythedensityoftheapplicationbyapplyingmorepaintonareaswherethereisadifferentweave,suchasalongtheedges.

STEP4

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.

STEP1

Usesomecoarsesandpapertorubthesurfaceofthemetaldown,gettingridofanyloosepaintandrust.

STEP2

ApplyOldWhitetothelamp,workingononedefinedareaatatimeratherthanapplyingallthepaintinonego.Oncethesectionyouarefocusingonisfinished,moveontothenextstepwhilethepaintisstillwet.

STEP3

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.

STEP1

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

STEP2

Withsomefine-gradesandpaperrubdownpartsoftheshelf,focusingonareasthatcanbeeasilyseenorwherethewoodgrainismoreapparent.Rubsmoothlyallovertomakethewoodandpaintveryflat.

STEP3

Worksomeclearwax into thepaintwithabrush toachievea thineven layer.Youcoulduseaclothherebutabrushisbetterbecauseitwillallowyoutoreachthemostinaccessibleareasmoreeasily.

STEP4

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

STEP5

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

STEP1

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

STEP2

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

STEP3

Forthedrawerfront,takesmallpiecesofmaskingtapeandtearthemcarefullydownthecentersothateachstripwillhaveatornedgeandastraightedge.

STEP4

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.

STEP5

PaintthedrawerfrontwiththeCountryGrey,butthistimeusingthepaintyousetaside todry instep1.Makesure there isgoodopaquecoverageacross thewholefront.

STEP6

Oncethepainthasdried,removethemaskingtapecarefullytoleaveaseriesofstripesonthedrawer.

STEP7

Prepareamixtureofonepartclearandonepartdarkwax.

STEP8

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.

STEP1

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

STEP2

WhenthedarkgrayGraphiteisdry,takeawell-chargedbrushofdarkwax,andapplyallover.Thewaxwilldarkenthecolorofthepainttoasoftblack.

STEP3

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

STEP1

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

STEP2

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

STEP1

BrushallovertheplanterwithGraphitepaintandleavetodry.Applyasecondcoattomakecertainyouhavecoveredeverywhereincludingallthelittlenooksandcrannies.

STEP2

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

STEP1

ApplytwocoatsofGraphitepaintusingaspongeroller.Havesomesolidareasofpaintbutdon’ttrytomakethewholewallcompletelyopaque.Avoidcreatingapatternortextureasthiscanbecometoobusy.Rememberthatwhenyouapplytheclearwaxanypatternwillbecomemuchmoreapparent.

STEP2

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

Water

4in(10cm)paintbrush


Tinofclearwax


Fine-ormedium-gradesandpaper

STEP1

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

STEP2

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

STEP3

Paintalayerofclearwaxonthewallusingabrushandthenwipeoffanyexcesswithacloth.

STEP4

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

STEP1

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

STEP2

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

STEP3

Painteachofthedrawerfrontswithtwocoatsofyourchosencolor.Pickoneofthebrightercolorstousefortheinteriorsofthedrawers.

STEP4

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

STEP1

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

STEP2

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

STEP3

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

STEP1

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.

STEP2

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

STEP3

Oncethepaintisdry,waxthewholetablewithabrushonesideatatime.YouwillnoticethatthewaxmakesthethincoatofGraphiteslightlytransparentandtheredwillmakeitappearslightlybrown.

STEP4

Wipeawaytheexcesswaxwithacloth,rubbingquitehardtoseeifyoucantakeoffanyGraphitepainttoaddtothedistressedlook.

STEP5

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



STEP1

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

STEP2

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


STEP1

Afterdecidingonyourtwocolors,fill twotrayswiththepaints inaboutequalmeasures.Havealargebrushandasmallerbrushready.

STEP2

Takethelargebrushfirstanddiponecornerintoonetrayofpaint. Repeatwiththeothercornerandthesecondtraysothatyouhaveequalamountsofpaintoneachend.

STEP3

TIPthebrushtotheChâteauGreysidetobeginwithandapplythepainttotheinsetstrips,thentipthebrushtotheothersidetoapplymoreofthewhitetothepaneledarea.

STEP4

Havingstartedoffwithaboutequalamountsoneachcorner,starttotakemoreofthedarkerChâteauGreyonthebrushandcontinuetopaintthepiece.AddmoreofthelighterOldWhiteonthebrushandwipethepaintoverthepanelstomakethemalittlelighter.

STEP5

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

STEP6

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

STEP7

Whiletheclearwaxisstillsticky,startapplyingthedarkwaxinplaces.Wipeitwithaclothasyougosoyoudon’tmakeittoodarkandpatchy.

STEP8

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

STEP9

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

STEP1

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).

STEP2

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

STEP3

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

STEP1

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

STEP2

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

STEP3

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

STEP4

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

STEP1

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

STEP2

PaintthechairsmoothlyalloverwithParisGrey,takingcarenottogetanyonthefabric.

STEP3

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.

STEP4

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

STEP5

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

Water

Tinofclearwax



STEP1

Paint thewhole piecewithCountryGrey and allow to dry.Youwill probablyneedtwocoatsasthebrownwoodunderneathisquitedark.

STEP2

Whereandhowyoupaint thelinesandspotsdependsa lotontheshelvesyoufind.Theseshelveshadamoldingwithagrooveinit,soIsimplypressedlightlywiththesideofthebrushandranitalongtheraisededges.

STEP3

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

Cloth

OldWhitepaint

Scrappaper

Tinofclearwax


Fine-gradesandpaper

STEP1

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

STEP2

Cutapotatoinhalfwithanon-serratedknife.Drawacircleonthecutsidewithafelt-tippeneitherfreehandorusingacoinasatemplate.Somepotatoescanbeverywetinsidesodabthecutendwithaclothtoabsorbthemoisturebeforeyoustartdrawing.

STEP3

Usingthepenlineasaguide,pushtheknifeabout½in(1.5cm)downinto thepotatoandcutaroundthesidesofthecircle.

STEP4

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!

STEP5

Testyourstampbydabbingsomewhitepaintontothepotatocirclewithabrushandpressingitonsomescrappaper.Thespotsformedmaybealittleuneventhefirstfewtimes,soitisbesttopracticeuntilyouworkoutthecorrectamountofpaintandpressureneeded.

STEP6

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

STEP7

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

STEP8

Usingabigbrush,applyathinlayerofclearwaxalloverthetableincludingthedrawerhandle.

STEP9

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

Water

Smalllong-hairedartists’brush

Tinofclearwax


Clothforbuffing

STEP1

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.

STEP2

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.

STEP3

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.

STEP4

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


STEP1

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.

STEP2

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

STEP3

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

STEP4

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.

STEP5

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

STEP6

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

Water

Painttray



Card

Graphitepaint

Matchstick

Tinofclearwax


STEP1

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

STEP2

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

STEP3

Wipeoffthepaintwithaclothassoonasyoucanbeforeitdries,togiveyouawasheffect.

STEP4

Toprintthecowparsleystems,tearoffareasonablystrongpieceofcardfromacerealboxorsomethingsimilar.Tearingisbetterthancuttingsothecardedgeissofterandmorerandom.LoadthebrushwithGraphiteanddabthepaintalongtheedgeacoupleoftimessothereisagoodquantityofpaintthere.

STEP5

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.

STEP6

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.

STEP7

Addalayerofclearwaxwithabrushtothedrawersandhandleandruboffanyexcesswithaclothtofinish.

STEP8

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

Water

Sponge

Water-basedmattdécoupagemedium

1in(2.5cm)paintbrushforapplyingmedium

STEP1

Cutoutallyourchosenprintsusingapairofscissors,movingthepaperratherthanthescissorstokeeptheedgeniceandsmooth.

STEP2

Takeoneofyourcutoutsanddampenbothsidesusingamoistspongetostopitfrombubbling.Makesureyoudon’tsoakthepaperbyapplyingtoomuchwater.

STEP3

Applyacoatofdécoupagemediumto thefrontof thedrawerwhereyouwantthedesign. Stick thepaperdown, startingatoneendandpressingcarefully sothatnobubblesofairgettrappedundertheprint.

STEP4

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

STEP1

PaintallovertheshelfinAntoinette.ThiswillactasabaseforthesecondcoatasMDFisveryabsorbent.

STEP2

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.

STEP3

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

STEP4

Thepaintisthickerthanusualsomakesureitiscompletelydrybeforeapplyingtheclearwaxwithabrush.Wipeoff theexcesswithaclothso there isa thinlayerofwax.

STEP5

Nextapplythedarkwax.Thisshouldbedonewithasmallbristlebrush,pushingthewaxintothecracksbyworkingthehairsindifferentdirections.

STEP6

Wipeofftheexcessdarkwaxwiththecloth.Youwillfindthedarkwaxisnowinthecracksandwillhavechangedthecolorofthepainttoo.

STEP7

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

STEP1

StartbypaintingthetablealloverwithtwolayersofOldWhite.Itiseasierandmoreefficientifyouturnthetableupsidedownandpainttheundersidefirst.

STEP2

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.

STEP3

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

STEP4

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

STEP5

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

STEP6

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

Water


Tinofclearwax


STEP1

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.

STEP2

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

STEP3

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.

STEP4

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.

STEP5

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

STEP6

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

STEP1

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.

STEP2

Usingasmallbrushapplythegoldsizetotheareasyouwanttobegold.Oncethesizebecomesclearitisreadyfortheleaftobeapplied.

STEP3

Useadrybrushtoapplytheleaftothewall.Haveapieceoftissuepaperbehindtheleafandpressagainstit. Thishelpstheleaftosticktothesizeandnottothebrushoryourhands.

STEP4

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


STEP1

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

STEP2

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

STEP3

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.

STEP4

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

STEP5

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

STEP6

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

STEP7

Applydarkwaxtothecarvedareasofthemirrorusingabrush.

STEP8

Begentlebuttrytopushthewaxintothecornersofthecarvingsoitlooksasifitwasageanddirt.

STEP9

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

STEP1

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

STEP2

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

STEP3

Withthedrybrush,wipeawayallthesmallpiecesofleafthatarehavenotstucktorevealtheresultofyourwork.Atthispointyoucandecidewhethertoleaveitasitisifyouwantanolddistressedlook,orapplymoresizeandleafforamoresolidgoldeffect.

STEP4

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


Paper

Stickytape


2smallsoftbristleartists’brushes

Bookofaluminumleaf

Smalldrybrushforapplyingleaf

Tinofdarkwax



TIPAlittlesilvergoesalongwaysodon’tgettooenthusiasticwithit.I

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

STEP1

ApplyacoatofGraphitetothecupboardwithabrush,butleavetheedgesthatarenexttotheglass.

STEP2

Covertheglassonthecabinetwithpaper,fixingitinplacewithtape,andpainttheframearoundtheglass.TakecarenottogettoomuchGraphiteonthepaperandtheglass.Changethepaperwhenitgetstoowet.

STEP3

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

STEP4

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

STEP5

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.

STEP6

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

STEP7

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)

STEP1

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

STEP2

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.

STEP3

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

STEP4

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.

STEP5

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.

STEP6

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.

http://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

[email protected]

Find‘AnnieSloanPaint’onFacebook

ENGLAND

BedfordshireMakingtheBest

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07595394877

Warwickshire

Antique&Chic@Green’sInteriorsRugbyRoad

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01764684324

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USA

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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

Textcopyright©AnnieSloan2010

Design and photography copyright ©CICOBooks2010

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.

http://www.cicobooks.com

ISBN-13:9781906525750

eISBN:9781908862358

Editor:PeteJorgensen

Design:ChristineWood

Photography:ChristopherDrake(Photography inGardenchair andDécoupagechestbyTinoTedaldi)

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

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