When I was painting furniture for the Bloom & Shine sale I tried a new technique that worked out well for me.
I will admit, it started out of wanting to cut corners. It was a small shelf unit and I did not want to paint the insides with a brush but I knew I wanted to distress it.
I actually decided to try it on several pieces, including this chair.
And this small shelf unit. Really ugly right?
Here is the chair with a first coat of green and I didn’t have to deal with painting all of the spindles with a brush.
On the chair, I wiped down the seat while it was still wet to give that look of a butt moving on it for years. Very technical process here.
Back to the tall shelf unit, once it was coated with the spray paint I found some stain that I already had.
And brushed it all over, really messy and let it sit for a minute or two. The wood on this was a little rough so it did help grab the color more than if it was smooth.
And then I wiped it with a paper towel.
Here is a close up of the left behind stain with almost a striping effect. It is important to wipe in the direction of the wood grain so that it looks more natural.
I painted the small red shelf green. This picture shows the wet stain after it was wiped down.
Same thing with the chair, smooshed it all around, let it sit and then wiped it down.
When it was dry, I did two spray on coats of Poly, with the exception of the seat of the chair that I brushed on clear wax.
Here is the blue shelf finished.
And here is a close up of the finish.
Here is the chair finished.
And here is the ugly little red cabinet all prettied up…
So, if you want to give a piece a distressed or rustic finish without having to brush the paint on, this could be another option for you!
I will be sharing at some of link parties in my “Parties I Attend” tab above, come stop by!
Thanks for stopping by!
Take care,
What green did you use? I love it. Nice job. I have been waiting to try this technique, you’ve given me the courage. Thanks
Julie,
These pieces came out great. I used to “antique” old pieces this way when we were first married and had a very small furniture budget but never thought of spraying the first coat on…what a time saver! Thanks for sharing this tip…the photos helped too:-)
Cheryl
Hello Laura,
The updates that you made on the chair and shelve look amazing. Would you rate the project simple, medium or hard on a skill level? Thanks for sharing!
Smiles, Paula
Were you using spray paint (can) or a paint sprayer? Does it matter? Thanks
They are beautiful Laura, I love your technical techniques!
I never thought about wiping the paint off while still wet though, that is a great idea!
Hope all is well!
XO
Love each piece and looks like a great technique. What color/brand green paint did you use for the chair?
Love the green, these turned out really great!
I love the pieces: very nice! Thanks for sharing!!
Lovin’ that green color. Would you mind sharing the shade and brand? I love distressing pieces with stain. I find it so much easier to work with than brown wax. Awesome job!
xoxo,
Kim
I loved the butt rubbing effect on the chair , thanks for the lesson and encouragement I needed to do that trick
New follower here. I saw your post on Fingerprints on the Fridge. I love crafty people since I cannot make a thing. I love how the chair turned out, it looks vintage now. I hope you will follow me back http://talesfrommyjournal.blogspot.com I can be found in facebook too http://www.facebook.com/DeniseMartin.LillaRose and twitter @DeniseLillaRose If you like/follow me there I will do the same for you. When you stop by my blog, please check out my kind of fashion (hair jewelry).
the shelf transformation is incredible! great job.
you might like my giveaway and i’d love for you to follow!
http://hellolovelyinc.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-giveawaypainting-print-paris.html
michele
This is what I need for my sons shelves= thanks!
Love the way all of the pieces look after their transformations. What colors/brands did you use for each piece. Thanks for sharing!!