I don't know about others but I always second guess myself and lean toward going with the "safe" route. The older I get though, I want to shake off constraints and walk a little closer to the wild side lol... but not cross any lines hahaa! If you have been reading this blog you will know I have this fondness for deals as well as auctions. Quite some time back I bought a wooden farm table at an auction which was in EXCELLENT condition... that was before it was stored in the garage. Years, tools and oil containers later I was frustrated to find it covered and almost unrecognizable! Mr Stilettos (hahaha gave me the biggest kick out of typing that hahaha), or The Cowboy as I usually call him said "Look, I pre distressed it for ya!" Smarty pants lol! I knew I wanted to do something different with it, so I had my men saw it in half! I attached the original legs to one piece and iron legs to the other.
My first paint job was with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Cream. I then added clear and dark wax. I did not like this look AT ALL and so I repainted it, distressed and put a clear coat on it. It still wasn't exactly what I wanted. I really wanted bold and for this table to catch your eye. What I really really wanted was Coral. I ran the idea by my family and there was a resounding vote of NO! lol
After much encouragement from others on my Stilettos FB Page... I decided to venture out and break the mold of safe and predictable and I am SOOOO glad I did! Kimberly from over at Serendipity (my favorite word!) suggested I paint a green under coat before adding the coral so it would show through when I distressed the piece. I created my own chalk paints using flat paint, unsanded grout and a little water. 2 Tbls of grout to 2 cups of paint. (I add the grout, a few tsp of very hot water to the blender to dissolve the grout. Then I add the paint and blend again until it is VERY smooth.) I painted it green, waited for it to dry which is my least favorite part. Added 3 coats of coral (it really didn't want to cover that green!) and then distressed the piece . Getting the green to show through was the hard part... all the sanding wanted to go down to the original cream. So, I got out a thin brush and added more areas of green and then sanded it so it looked as if it was showing through! I added a coat of clear Annie Sloan wax and I have to tell you it is my favorite piece of furniture right now! I am learning to follow my gut instinct... not only with silly things like furniture but with other life decisions and it feels Great!
Under coat :)
You can kind of see the green coming through
Thank you to everyone for your encouragement and input over on my FB page! It made this project so much fun!
 So much fun and a great focal point! |  How it sits in our new home 2012 |
All dressed up for the Holidays 2012
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