Lately, I’ve been focusing on actually “doing” things rather than waffling or delaying them. It really does feel good to check things off the list and move on to the next thing and the thing after that. Our dining room, as I’ve mentioned before, is in the midst of a few updates. The curtains are finished and I still have to make the roman shade for the side window (not pictured).
One other detail I wanted to address was the oak table. It was a piece my husband and I had custom made for our lighting showroom way back when. It’s not exactly our style, but I thought I could make it work or feel a little more “us” by altering the color. While an entire home full of painted, distressed furniture would never appeal to me, a piece here or there is rather nice. Between the dining table, the sideboard, and the china cabinet (both not pictured), there were too many wood finishes for one space. I thought a white distressed finish might help to break up the wood tones while at the same time playing nicely with the white dining chairs.
I used Annie Sloan chalk paint and it was hands down the easiest piece I’ve ever painted. Even though no prep work is required, I did clean the table with a water/alcohol solution first just for my own peace of mind. I applied a quick coat of chalk paint using a dry brushing technique then lightly sanded in spots. A final coat of water based poly in satin topped it off for a smooth low luster finish. None of us could have lived with the feeling of chalk paint on that table so poly was a must.
I’m really happy with how the table turned out! There are several other changes in the works, but for now the table is a huge improvement.
I like the fact that you left some of the wood grain showing! It looks great Rene! Happy New Year:)
I have a blond oak dining room table that would look good just like this. Thanks for the encouragement. Jo @ Let Face the Music
Can you go into more detail on exactly how you did it please?? Would love to try on my table! I am familiar with chalk paint so did you just dab on/dab off the brush? Did you use any water? Thanks!!
Eenie, I used full strength paint and lightly dipped a regular 2" paint brush into the can (just enough to cover the tip of the brush). I then dabbed the paint in several areas close together then brushed the paint until it was covered in a very thin layer of paint. Once the table dried a few places needed the tiniest touch of paint so I took care of those areas using the same technique. Then I used a piece of 120 grit sand paper to get the finish I wanted. I vacuumed the dust & wiped down the table with a damp cloth to make sure the surface was clean. The last step was to paint on the water based polyurethane.
Hope this helps, but feel free to ask if I've left something out. 🙂
Eenie, I used full strength paint and lightly dipped a regular 2" paint brush into the can (just enough to cover the tip of the brush). I then dabbed the paint in several areas close together then brushed the paint until it was covered in a very thin layer of paint. Once the table dried a few places needed the tiniest touch of paint so I took care of those areas using the same technique. Then I used a piece of 120 grit sand paper to get the finish I wanted. I vacuumed the dust & wiped down the table with a damp cloth to make sure the surface was clean. The last step was to paint on the water based polyurethane.
Hope this helps, but feel free to ask if I've left something out. 🙂
It came out beautifully Rene!! So pretty.
Very nice! I'm impressed that you did this yourself. I'd be too afraid to tackle such a project.
Claudia
It's gorgeous. Great job.
Love how it turned out! I've always shied away from painting furniture but I keep hearing more and more about how easy Chalk Paint is – I'm tempted as I have several pieces that could use an update!
Sheila
http://www.maisondecinq.blogspot.com
Looks good Rene! I have to go back and see what your table looked like before because I can't remember!
Nice job, Rene!
This was inspirational to me. I inherited the dining room table and chairs in our Florida home from the previous owners. They are in good condition but not the coastal vibe I would like. You have me thinking… 😀