This how-to is long overdue...but as they say...better late than never!
Summer is in full swing and I have been so busy prepping for the markets I will be selling at this summer. The one I am really focusing on right now is the Providence Flea, where you can find me at on Sunday, July 18 from 10am until 3pm :)
Included in my inventory at that market will be this adorable little table:
This table has such nice character including curved legs and an extra storage shelf for books, decor, or anything else that needs a little spot. I have to say, I feel like these little tables do not get enough credit!
They are perfect for a quick decor refresh & stylish storage without having to redo the entire feel of a space. I've also been into the mismatched vibe of them - have you ever thought about putting one at the end of a couch and putting something else at the other end? Mixing it up. Don't forget about potentially using one as a coffee table in a room with limited space.
Before I dive into the how-to, here is a picture of where I started for reference:
The process of refinishing this one was fairly straightforward. To get it from plain & boring to classic & crisp, I used the following materials:
And that is it!
I started by sanding the top and bottom flat surfaces with my sander and then sanded the legs by hand. The goal is to get the surface just rough enough that the paint will adhere better, giving it a smooth finish at the end.
I then primed the piece with BIN primer since I knew the final color would be white. *Super important* to prime any light-colored pieces, even if you have a few layers of paint under the light color, to prevent bleed-through. I have learned this the hard way and I want to help you avoid a similar mistake! Something like Dixie Bell Boss in clear works well if you don’t want colored primer.
After one coat of primer, I painted the piece with two coats of Country Chic’s liquorice. I wanted a distressed look of black and white, so that is why I did this first.
I then used a mix of normal paint strokes and dry brushing of Jolie’s Gesso White. You can see the very light dry brushing technique below where it is slight white streaks over the black:
I did it this way because I knew I would be distressing the piece, and wanted it to look weathered. Lighter painting = less sandpaper action later on!
Once I was satisfied with the application of the white paint, I distressed curvature points, lines in the table portion, and the bottom of the table to make it more iridescent. The distressing brings out the beautiful woodwork and emphasizes the details of the piece:
Finally, I sealed the piece using Jolie’s Clear Wax to keep the paint in tact for a long time to come:
What are your thoughts on these smaller tables? I'd love to hear how you incorporate them into your space below.
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