Embracing the Imperfections

From the moment I saw this table at an estate auction, I knew I had to have her. She was so feminine, her touches of the original green paint spying through the clumpy cabinet paint someone had so sadly put on her.  She was very delicate and yet so well preserved for her age.  Everyone else there apparently wanted her too as I had to put my game face on and embark in a bidding war.  I was determined she was going home with me and so she did.

I have let her sit in my garage for way too long while I have debated on how to paint her. Go back to that original green or go a bit edgier??  Also, I knew tackling that cabinet paint was not going to be fun.  As I was getting ready for Junk Hippy last week, this table started calling my name.  I stared at her for a long time before deciding her imperfections were what I loved most about her...so here is her refurbished journey.

First I sanded her down with my electric sander (except on the legs...I did those by hand since it is such an old table).  NEVER, EVER use cabinet paint on furniture. That is what caused her lumpy, bumpy surface.  I did like the crackle look of it though, so I sanded her down just enough to make it smooth, but not enough to remove all of the crackle. If you truly wanted to remove all of that crackle  visually, you would need to completely strip your piece; it will not disappear by sanding alone.  I also only sanded down to the first layer of color (the green) on 80% of the table.  I then took CeCe Caldwell's Young Kansas Wheat and just brushed it on in certain "high traffic" areas (sides, corners, etc) so that it was just lightly pop through when I started distressing.  Allowed dry time, then covered the entire table in a coat of CeCe's Santa Fe Turquoise.  Again, allowed dry time, then I painted her two final coats in CeCe's Vintage White.  I honestly probably could have just done one coat of the white, however, since it is a kitchen table and takes a lot of wear, I decided to do two coats.  I realize this is a lot of painting, but that is just the way it had to be for the look I wanted.  You could obviously make it so much simpler by not doing so many colors.

Then, when all the painting was complete, I started distressing her.  I lightly sanded with 220 grit sand paper on most of the table. I did use an electric sander on the corners.  Again, I like sanding by hand because I feel I have more control on how much is taken off.  The corners had the most crackle look, so I sanded them much heavier than the rest of the table.  You can see this in the image below:

I then applied CeCe's clear wax to seal the table, allowed that to dry overnight, and then buffed over the table again with a rag the next morning.  There are a few dark spots in these pictures, however, they are not actually part of the table (I don't want anyone thinking I used dark wax). 

Here she is all finished. 

I fully realize my design for this table is not for everyone...but honestly, I paint for me.  Of course, I want to sell each piece, and want to make something my customers will enjoy and want in their homes, however, I have to follow my heart on these pieces sometimes or I'll go crazy. As with any artist, I start with a blank canvas and create something beautiful from an image created from my heart.  That is also the reason I don't take on a lot of custom work...I want to be able to "do my thing" and create from my own ideas. That is why I love what I do...if I had to do each piece a certain way, I am afraid I'd stop loving refurbishing the way I do.    I am now thinking I may go a bit crazier on this table, maybe add a flower, chevron or something...or, I may just go more conservative and give her a top coat of green to go back to her original state...you never know!  Sometimes a project is never really complete for me...or maybe I just need to learn when to walk away :) 

Happy Visioning, Creating, and Painting!