glazing Archives - The Weekend Country Girl

A pile of tables were given to me. I know. I am so very lucky.

The table I worked on this weekend was the one at the back in this picture. I know I should have taken a better picture of the table, but in true form I just got in the mood to paint and jumped in. It is how I operate when a lot is going on. Paint first, think later.
The tables had been in a vacant house left by previous renters and this one was in pretty rough shape.
I fell in love with particular table because I have an identical one that is in great shape from my mom. My table is a family piece that I would get grounded if I painted. This one I am free to do what I want to.

I spray painted the legs with chalk spray paint I picked up at Walmart. I liked the paint but frankly it wasn’t worth the extra cost for the chalk finish. I should have just purchased flat white paint.

This table at one point sat under a leak and had water stains along with a water ring that just wouldn’t come out, even with sanding the finish off. I tried my darkest stain, Minwax Jacobean, and the stain still showed through. Bummer.

I knew I wanted the top of the table to be stained with the bottom painted, so I knew I needed a solution to my water problem. The solution was my Restoration Hardware Weathered Oak Finish for the top.

I figured out this finish through trial and error and have used it several times like here on the bathroom vanity in our suburban house

and here on the top and sides of the Funky Dresser

It is a finish that covers a lot of flaws and is almost foolproof. This finish is the most popular post on my blog, so I guess I am not alone in using the simple process.

Pickling Stain on top of the stained wood then wipe off in the direction of the wood grain almost immediately.

It always looks a little nasty at this point and every time I second guess my decision.

The next step is to apply a coat of Jacobean stain over the top.

Wipe off the excess stain with the grain and voila- the water rings disappear.

I sanded the paint slightly on the legs and will ne adding a clear protective finish to the top of the table once I am sure the stain has dried completely.

It turned out great and gave me the satisfaction of getting one project done this past weekend.

I don’t know where this table will end up, but I really think it is pretty.

I hope you were productive this last weekend,

Blessings,

Karen

Apartment living, Behr Paint with Primer, French Provincial, glazing, Painted Furniture, recycled furniture, Redecorating, the guest room, Thrifting, vintage style

Turquoise French Provincial Furniture

November 9, 2014November 9, 2014 Karen

I am getting ready to show you my fabric painted teal chair with lime green legs as soon as I finish one more little item for the chair, but I realized That out of context the chair would look a little Dr. Seuss-ish. You still may think it does when you see it but it will fit in this room.

Just before I started blogging we did this furniture fore the Lovebirds. They were getting ready to set up house and we wanted them to have some fun furniture. We bought the furniture from an estate sale. The furniture had a great story. The children, who were holding the estate sale had all pitched in to buy the furniture for their parent’s 25th anniversary. I don’t understand why they did not want to keep it but for $150.00 we got a great set. I do not have any pictures of the before but we are babysitting the dresser and armoire while the lovebirds are living in far away lands.

Right now the bedroom is a mix of our stuff and theirs. The walls are painted Behr Ice Cube and the dresser is painted Behr Rapids. My son loves wood as much as my daughter in law loves painted furniture. We compromised by painting the dresser base but leaving all horizontal surfaces wood.

The painting says Always Kiss Me Goodnight in case it is bugging you. I painted it for them as part of their wedding gift. In their home they have grey bedding with dark purple accents. Our bedroom is yellow, teal, turquoise, and lime green. Crazy huh?

I love this mirror. It is so pretty and well proportioned.

We painted the furniture and glazed it with a dark glaze.

The hardware on the set is so ornate.

My son’s belongings are in this upright chest.

The horizontal part of the armoire at the middle being left stained breaks up the armoire.

I love the top. The herringbone painting usually lives above the bed, but it looks good here, too.

We learned a lot about painting furniture when we painted this set. I am happy with how it has held up after two years and three moves. Before the kids get back we have a few touch ups, but not many.

The teal chair will sit in front of the giant windows.

Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you take a minute to pray for my kids who are far away from home. It has been a long few months already.

Blessings,

Karen

Decorating, Decorating with mirrors, DIY Painting and Glazing Furniture, glazing, Mirror, Ornate mirror

DIY Zinc Mirror

September 5, 2014September 5, 2014 Karen

I finally found the perfect mirror to give a zinc finish. I knew in my head what I was looking for and that is not always a good thing because nothing but what I imagine will make me happy. The elusive mirror was found in my all-time favorite honey-hole of a thrift store for $10.00. Here is what the beauty looked like when I brought it home:

If you ignore the painted flowers and the wood, doesn’t it have the same shape as the zinc mirrors from the fancy online stores I have been eyeing?

Just in case you are wondering, the cheapest mirror I could find was over $500.00 I bought my mirror ($10.00) and enough supplies to do the mirror and several more projects for $10.00 more.

I am telling you folks, getting the zinc look is not as hard as you might think. After sanding off the flower design, my first step was to do a Google search of zinc mirrors and looked at them all very carefully before I dove in. What I think I like most about a zinc finish is the irregularity that each zinc piece has.

Bjd Haus Design

Eron Johnson Antiques

I love the mix of dark and light, the shine on the worn edges and the aged appearance.

The secret to the process is getting the right products and not being afraid to experiment. Go buy yourself a cheap mirror at Goodwill and dive in. If you hate it, paint it another color.

I used Rust-oleum Soft Iron metallic spray paint

Cheap acrylic paint that is less than a dollar a bottle. One of them was called zinc. The other is a lighter gray.

Finally, I glaze it all with a silver glaze.

Spray the entire item with the spray paint. Once it is dry brush on random places of the acrylic paint. Make sure to use a really dry brush. I dipped it in the paint then wiped the brush off on a paper towel.

Once you are happy with the acrylic paint, repeat with the silver. I focused on the outer edges.

Ta Dah.

My rescue, Lumi, cannot stay away when I am taking photos. I decided not to fight her tonight. She is a sweetie.

glazing, Painted Furniture, painting, silver, vintage style

Easy Zinc Finish on Wood Furniture

July 26, 2014July 26, 2014 Karen

Type in “Zinc Finish” into Google Images and you get this set of images:

I really like the aged metallic look that appears it has been around the block a time or two.

Source

I like the patina colored zinc the best.

I have been looking longingly at Restoration Hardware zinc finishes. I would love to have a giant mirror like this one if it were still available and did not weigh 80 lbs:

Source

Alas, it was not meant to be.

I started looking for options to get the look I like at a price that I could afford. You can read about that here Getting a Zinc Finish

I read, and read, and read some more. Then decided that there had to be an easier way. For once, I was right. There is a much simpler way to get the look.

This is what I used:

and Color Smart ( Michael’s) silver metallic paint mixed with glaze. ( I used some Behr Faux Effects Glaze I had on hand.)

I had a part of a door that we turned into a coat rack hanging out. It was hanging out because I never really liked the finish. It was a perfect piece to practice the process on.

The steps were simple:

First spray paint the entire piece with the metallic paint.

Next, paint on the glaze then rub it in. Follow the individual boards with the direction to rub in/off the glaze.

Spray the whole thing with a flat or satin sealer when you have the look you are going for. Tah Dah. Done.

This shelf is going to be a place to hang towels in the new and improved bathroom. Photos soon to come, I hope!

This project was super easy. Even easier than I anticipated.

I used the same process on a small table and I wish I had painted the whole thing first with primer to eliminate the look of the wood grain. I still like the table as it is, but it does not have the “made of metal” look

I will be taking what I have learned and looking for a mirror to do in the near future. It would be super easy to do this finish on some of those cardboard letters that are in every craft shop. They would look like expensive metal letters. I think there is a beautiful metallic mirror in my future.

Behr Paint with Primer, Blogging, glazing, Painted Furniture, painting

10 Tips for Painting Furniture With Latex Paint

June 22, 2014June 24, 2014 Karen

I have been blogging a while and painting furniture is a hobby. I always feel like I need to tell you that I am not an expert, just a learner who is sharing what I learn to do and not to do regarding paint.

I do not use chalk paint, but if you do, good for you. It just doesn’t work for me.

We use interior latex paint. I do get asked about how I paint a lot so here is my non-expert advice.

1. Don’t “cheap out” on paint or brushes and quality paint. I personally use Behr paint with primer, but Valspar signature and Sherwin Williams has a good quality paint. There are tons of great paints, but be aware that every brand has a cheap line. STAY AWAY from cheap paint or you will think you can’t paint. I buy quality paint in the oops section sometimes. Buy good brushes. I use Purdy brushes because they are awesome. Cheap brushes will give you a poor quality paint job.

Purdy paint brushes

2. Take the time to prep before painting. Sand, prime, tape off, clean and prepare. This is not time wasted. Take the time to get ready to paint or you will not be happy with the results.

3. If you are painting a lot, invest in a sprayer. We love ours and now have it down to a science. You can even prime your work using a sprayer. We can paint four times the amount of stuff with a sprayer than we could with just a brush. Nothing gives you the smooth finish a sprayer does.
Here is a link to a cool one I want to buy because it uses mason jars to hold the paint. (We have three sprayers now so I am having a hard time justifying the purchase.) sprayer

4. Find a good black, white, red, green, yellow, blue, and brown to keep on hand. Mine are: black suede, sea salt, red red wine, happy camper, jackfruit, sailboat, and revival mahogany. I use other colors but I seem to go back to these colors when I am stuck.
Behr Color Smart
5. Learn use a glaze. I use Behr Faux Effects. Glazing adds depth to a piece. I don’t use it on every piece but I love the look.

Behr Faux Effects

6. It can be too hot, too cold, or too wet to paint outside. Don’t force it. Read the can. If it is too hot or too humid when you paint it will give you a sticky finish.

7. Use paint conditioner. It causes the paint to smooth out and gives the best finish.

Paint Conditioner

8. Let the paint cure. That means after it is painted, leave it alone. I usually leave it to dry a week…because we only work at the Garagemahal on weekends, but at least three days in humid weather before adding a polyurethane finish. If you skip this step you could end up with a finish that just doesn’t seem to dry.

9. Use a poly or oil based sealer on your paint. If your house is full of kids, dogs and messy husbands, you will regret not adding a coat of something to minimize scratches, dings, and water marks..

10. Don’t be afraid to paint it again if you don’t like the color. If you hate it, repaint it…or give it away. I may or may not have done the second choice more than once.

I hope you try painting furniture if you haven’t before. Color is good.

Have a great day.

Blessings,

Karen

Curbside rescue, glazing, Lake Livingston, reclaimed wood, Repurposed Furniture

1970’s End Table Makeover

June 15, 2014June 15, 2014 Karen

A coworker picked up this end table on the side of the road. When she offered it to me, of course I took it but I didn’t need it for our home.

A couple of times a year I offer up free stuff to my Facebook friends. When I posted this, Vicky,who is married into the same crazy family as I am, said she wanted it.

Then she threw me a curve ball. She wanted it for her son’s room that is decorated in camouflage.

I took hubby shopping for paint. Because this table is made of questionable materials, I wanted to spray paint it with a paint and primer. He picked this color for the camo room.

After deglossing with liquid sand, I sprayed it quickly with the spray paint. Hubby helped me cut reclaimed cedar planks for the top. I thought that might toughen up the look of the ornate end table.
I tried not to bug him too much this weekend but he volunteered. He also used the router to round over the edges. It makes the transition between the reclaimed wood and the table not seem so abrupt.

I distressed it a little and glazed it a tea stain color to make it look older.
And put 6 coats of poly on the top. Poly, dry, steel wool repeat.
Here it is ready for action. I like the single knob better than the fussy pull on the faux drawer.

What do you think about it?

Behr Paint with Primer, breadboard, glazing, Painted Furniture, painting, Star Hill

Beadboard Bed Makeover

February 28, 2014 Karen

It will be about a week before I can photograph the bed in the room it is in now but I wanted to show what a little paint and glaze does to a so so bed and night stand.

I spotted this beauty on Craig’s List for $100.00. It was a whole bedroom set; a twin bed, under the bed drawer (that converts to a trundle bed holder I found out.) a night stand, and a dresser. Because I am using only the nightstand and bed frame to stage a navy blue bedroom for a friend, the dresser and under the bed drawer are not painted.

The white spot is some sort of wood filler that made a mess on the drawer.

When we showed up, in the rain, to pick up this set the owners were packing to move. It was in good shape considering it has been in a tween girl’s room. There were a few One Direction stickers, and some nail polish spills, but man I have seen worse.

Because the room I helped stage is navy blue, I chose Behr Gray Area. It is a medium to light gray that has just a touch of blue.

Hubby was busy spraying a ton of stuff Sea Salt, so I used the brush to paint the bed and night stand. I really sort of wanted the 2006 furniture to look like it had a bit of history.

Parts of the furniture were made of wood, but other parts were painted particle board and plywood. I did not want to take a chance on the paint not sticking so I gave it coat of liquid sander then my go-to primer for this type project, Gripper Primer by Glidden. This primer is thick, sticky, and hard to paint with but it is advertised to use on glass.

After the primer dried I got busy painting. It took two coats to get it smooth and looking great.

I mixed up Behr Faux Effects Glaze ( 2 Cups) with Behr Black Suede (1 full tablespoon). I glazed like crazy by putting it on with my $1.00 brush and white t shirts.to rub it in.

Here is the finished project before at Star Hill before we took it to my friend’s home. As soon as the the touch up paint in the bedroom is done I will post the pictures of the room. This room will prove it is possible to have a dark blue bedroom that doesn’t feel dark and dreary.

The last step made me remember how much I love our sprayer. Hubby sprayed the polyurethane on the whole thing in about 10 minutes. He did fall in a hole and scare me to death though so I am totally blaming him for not having any more pictures. He is fine. We just need a new part for the sprayer.

So friends, what do you think about the gray bed? There will be photos of the two pieces soon. They will be for sale as soon as my friend’s home sells along with rest of the furniture in the set. I am waiting to find out what color to paint the dresser.

Behr Paint with Primer, Dresser, glazing, recycled lighting, Thrifting, vintage style

1940’s Vanity Makeover

February 17, 2014February 18, 2014 Karen

As we pulled up to our favorite thrift store, I saw her. It had been a rainy week and apparently this old girl got dropped off when no one was there and left in the rain. She was rough. The veneer on this ole gal had turned loose on all the curvy areas. My guess is she was part of a bedroom set in the 1940’s. She was all curvy and a little funky. It was an art deco-ish type vanity that at one time would have had a huge mirror on it. Sadly, the mirror was missing.

I offered $20.00 for her, but to my surprise the lady said she could not sleep if she took so much for that piece. She was going to drag it to the burn pile as soon as she got a chance. She took $10.00 for the piece and I found two more pieces to spend my whole $20.00 on. The Team Dean end table and a 1970’s table that is currently giving me fits.

It was hard work getting the vanity ready for her make over. I stripped as much veneer off as possible for me, but had to get my husband to get the last bits off. It took some muscles! We sanded, patched, and repaired almost all of the vanity. There is wood glue, putty and hard work in almost every section.

From the beginning I knew that I wanted the vanity to be a mix of wood stain and paint and I was thrilled when I found out that under the veneer of oak between the drawers was solid hardwood.

We had a mad painting day at Star Hill and got a TON of stuff painted all on one day. Hubby has figured out the paint sprayer and we are now able to get stuff done that is beautiful and about 10 times faster than with a brush. Getting the base coat on with a sprayer and the polyurethane at the end really allows me to use my energy distressing and glazing the furniture and has increased what I can get done being a weekend hobbyist.

I chose Behr Sea Salt for the painted color. I like this white color. We used it on the French Provincial furniture in the guest room and I knew it would work well for all the pieces I would be redoing. I taped everything I wanted stained off before Hubby sprayed it. Just so you know, taping took about an hour. I wanted it to look clean and perfect.

My Hubby using the sprayer and his mask!

The Sea Salt looks really white until the glaze is applied. I always second guess my paint color choice at this point.

Once the piece was painted, I removed the tape and was thrilled that the wood was not damaged by the spray painting. So thrilled, I could not wait to stain it. I quickly taped off the paint and got busy. I tried a new type of stain that is less liquid and thicker. The gel stain worked well, but the there was a problem. I did not make sure that where the tape had been did not have residue. Clearly there was something because this was the result.

I went to bed Friday night pretty upset. When I got up Saturday morning, I sanded the wood back down then re-stained. I knew the wood would never be perfect. This piece is probably 70 years old and has had hard use over the years. I like the imperfections, as long as they are not created by my mistakes! Here are the results.

Much better!
I glazed the whole piece with Behr Faux Effects mixed with Revival Mahogany. Once the glaze dried Hubby sprayed it with satin polyurethane. I love the finish.

I painted the hardware with made for metal dark brown paint. I really like that the original hardware was in such good shape.

Here is the finished beauty. She does not look like a $10.00 thrift store find now does she?

I now need an awesome mirror for this vanity. It is going in our bathroom for me to use to keep my make up and toiletries. I want a fun oval mirror. Any leads on one for me? Seriously.

I hope you had a productive weekend, too.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.
Blessings,
Karen

Behr Paint with Primer, French Provincial, glazing, new home, Painted Furniture

French Provincial Side Tables

February 17, 2014February 20, 2014 Karen

Last October when we visited Salado, Texas, we spotted an Estate sale in a city near Salado. Now there are “Estate” sales and then there are real deal estate sales. This was the latter. A spinster elementary principal, who retired from education in 1967 had owned the home and it’s contents. It was bitter-sweet to look though her sweet little home. I loved the French Provincial side tables, even though they were very yellowed and the solid marble tops were dingy. We picked the tables up for $30.00 per pair because it was late Saturday and everything was being marked half price. I also got some great vintage posters that I will be using in my office when I get around to framing them. My guess is that the original owner bought these side tables about the time she retired. They sat in the same location for a long time. One of the tables was rough on the side from exposure to the sun coming from the living room window. I cannot believe that I never took pictures of them but I cannot find any of the photos. Here they are without the tops on ready for paint.

Sun damage from sitting by a window for 45 years.

The side tables are now living in the guest room, so the Behr Sea Salt with Black Suede glaze on top was the ticket to make the side tables match the French Provincial furniture already in the room. They were pretty easy to make beautiful again. My Hubby sprayed the furniture then I glazed them using Behr Faux effects.

So glad my Hubby can spray furniture

The glazing went on really quickly.

The marble has veins of coral and lavender running through it.

I think that they look like they are smiling because of the hardware on the drawers.

A good cleaning of the marble with stone cleaner brightened the tops. The tops are HEAVY. My guess is that they are at least 15 lbs. each. I am not sure how long I am keeping the French Provincial furniture but I really like them and they are a nice addition to the bedroom furniture.

Thank you friends for taking the time to look at our work.
I hope you have a wonderful day.

Blessings,
Karen

Coldspring, Dresser, glazing, Painted Furniture, Repurposed Furniture, resale finds, Thrifting, using bright colors, Valspar Spray paint

Weekend Finds and the Plans I Have for Them

January 28, 2014January 28, 2014 Karen

This past weekend I visited my favorite faith-based resale shop up near our lake house. It had been a few weeks since my last visit and stuff had been dropped off. I love this little place. It is totally run by volunteers and the proceeds go toward their youth ministry. It is hit or miss with me finding stuff but this week was a hit.

Outside in the weather was this 1940’s waterfall style Art Deco dresser.

I was surprised that Hubby didn’t totally turn up his nose at this piece, but he liked it too. I mean she was rough. The veneer was peeling off on every curved surface. The varnish on the sides looked like reptile skin and was so loose it literally blew off when Hubby blew out the inside with a leaf blower. I offered the lady at the shop $20.00 for the piece but she said no. She told me she couldn’t sleep at night if she took that much for the vanity. She took $10.00 for the dresser.

Feeling guilty for getting the dresser so cheap, I walked inside and saw this beauty. I mean this side table defines 1970’s fabulous. Can you just imagine the room this beauty was in? Orange shag carpet…that needed raking, paneling, over the top lamps and a flowered couch. That is my story and I am sticking to it. For $5.00 this guy was mine.

I know you think I am crazy right now. Hang on.

Hubby spied this beat up maple night stand hidden by the door. An additional $5.00 and it was also loaded up.

She threw in an “ugly frame” when I asked the price. It is going to be a great project in the near future. No photos yet.

Soooo… Here are my plans for the three pieces:
The Vanity is going to be painted using this piece as inspiration. I would link the source but it is a dead end on the internet.

I am sad there is no mirror, but I will be looking for an awesome shaped mirror that I can personalize to go above the vanity. I thought I might be selling this piece but it is going in my bathroom. I need an awesome vanity to make me feel pretty. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

This is the color I am going with. Sea Salt.

Here are my plans for the piece.

The 1970’s Fab night stand will be sold. I love ornate side tables. In the right space they add that wow factor. Here are three of my favorite ornate end tables. All of them make me smile, but live in other homes now.

My plan for this one is to add a stained wood top. The top on this piece is shot so I am going to skin it with super thin plywood stained dark. The base. Well I need help here. What do you think? Blue, green, aged white, or red? Something different? Help me… please. I plan on lightly distressing the edges and glazing once painted. Click the photos to take you to the source.

I know for sure what I will be doing with the maple table.
I am painting it like I did the Junk Fairy end table and donating it to be sold by Team Dean. I know and love this sweet family. When they asked for art donations in green I knew what I could give.

So, what do you think about my $20.00 finds from the weekend now that you can see past the ugly?

Category: glazing

Using the Restoration Hardware Finish to Fix a Problem

Turquoise French Provincial Furniture

DIY Zinc Mirror

Easy Zinc Finish on Wood Furniture

10 Tips for Painting Furniture With Latex Paint

1970’s End Table Makeover

Beadboard Bed Makeover

1940’s Vanity Makeover

French Provincial Side Tables

Weekend Finds and the Plans I Have for Them