Have you ever refinished a table? How many days did it take you? Sanding, painting, sanding, sealing, sanding.....Now, if you're one of those people who has a violent reaction every time you see someone paint something that is made of wood, STOP HERE. DO NOT CONTINUE! I AM GOING TO PAINT A ONCE BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF WOODEN FURNITURE! Okay, for the rest of you that chose to continue on this journey...here we go. So, how do you paint and seal a kitchen table in just six hours?
Well, today was the second day of rain here in Chattanooga, so it was time for a project. I told you how my little Sweetie #2 likes to carve into furniture, right? Around here, when you like to ruin furniture, you get to be Mommy's NUMBER ONE HELPER for the entire duration of the revamp. Ah yes, after our project was complete, she vowed to never ever carve another thing as long as she lives...we shall see. Step 1: Clean all the nasty gook off of every surface of the table. I took a butter knife to all the nooks and crannies while Sweetie #2 worked on the rest.
Supplies: How did you guess? Why yes, it IS my most favorite furniture-painting paint of all time, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I usually wax the furniture I paint with chalk paint, but because it's a kitchen table, we are going with Annie Sloan Lacquer on this one. The dense foam furniture rollers work great for the paint and the lacquer. I also used a brush for the nooks and crannies.
Look at the top of this poor table. I think we bought it in 1999. The finish is shot and you can't even see the wonderful carvings from Sweetie #2 in this picture. And that shine on the rest of the table is just so....shiny! I'm just not into that much shine anymore.
Step 2: Start painting. You heard me! Slather it on, no sanding necessary. Also, no need to move into a ventilated area, because there is NO smell. And that's why I love chalk paint, people! So here's what we looked like after the first coat.
No need to wait around, because by the time we got the first coat done, the paint was dry and we started on the next coat. I added a splash of water to the paint before applying the second coat because it helps to get a smoother finish. I applied three coats to the top and I was then ready for Step 3: Lacquer. I applied one coat to the base and three coats to the table top. Drying time for the top is the only reason the project took six hours. It's still super fast because it's water-based lacquer.
During drying times, we prepared and ate lunch, played backgammon, and watched a show the kids put on about bugs called 'The Beetles'. In case you were wondering, Mr. Skeptic was on vacation this week, so he was keeping the other three kiddos occupied while we were painting.
The lacquer needs to cure overnight before we can use the table. I will probably use some steel wool on the top to smooth out a few rough spots, but that's it! I am done!
French Linen is a new color for me and I really like it. I thought about white for about half of a second, then I laughed hysterically for a few minutes and moved on. I will let you know how the lacquer holds up to my Demolition Crew. We eat almost every meal at this table, so I'm hoping it will be durable.
If you have never used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, check out her website, anniesloan.com. You won't be able to find it at your local home improvement store. You need to find a stockist close to you, and they are listed by state on the website. I ordered my last batch from Robyn Story Designs and it was delivered to my doorstep. Also, you may have sticker shock. It will cost you about $35 a quart. Yes, I said quart, but I only used about a third of a quart on my whole table. It goes a long way! And think of all the valuable time you save by skipping all those sanding and drying steps. Once you try it, you'll be hooked! Happy painting!
Nicole
