Passez le biscuit!

I picked this title not because I have any biscuits to share (sorry), but because it's the only French phrase that I know. :)

I found a very ornate French-styled coffee table at one of my local thrift stores and couldn't wait to get my hands on it! I'd been waiting for a piece like this to pop up so that I could play around with layering techniques -- and she was just perfect! Take a look at the final product:

The piece had these beautiful marble-styled inlays with grey tones, so I instantly knew this was going to be a grey table. Here's the before pic when I found her in the thrift store:

The table has lots of detailing, which is what made this project so exciting! First layer: I used one coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) in Old White to highlight the detail work and the edges of the table.

Second layer: two coats of ASCP mixture. I didn't have any Paris Grey on hand, so I mixed some Pure White with Graphite to achieve close to the same color -- and it worked! Once dry, I used a medium-grade sanding block to distress all the detail and edge work. This was fun because both the white layer and the wooden base started to show through!

Third layer: one coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax buffed to a light shine. Fourth layer: AS Dark Wax! Working with just one area at a time, I lightly brushed a tiny amount of the dark wax into the detail work and the edging then wiped off and buffed with a dry clean cloth. I just love this technique! When looking closely at the final result, you can see all the layers. It has the appearance of a perfectly aged French antique!

Lots of love,

Mary