I have my hands in a million projects. It's just ridiculous. I just want to get a room finished! Anyway, I thought I would take a break and share the treatment I used on my newly painted dining room chairs.
You can see where I'm going with the slipcovered seats... I'm bleaching some more drop cloths right now, so I can work on them this week. It's really starting to come together.
So, first of all, I primed and painted the chairs in my favorite shade of white, Creamy by Sherwin Williams. I allowed the paint to dry and then hit the edges with an electric palm sander to distress the finish. I'm not about distressing everything in my house, but I love the idea of distressing pieces that are going to take a lot of hits. I don't have to worry if my kids decide to play a rhythm on an armrest with their fork.
How much you distress is a personal taste issue. You take it as far as you want.
For the glaze, I wanted something a little softer than the dark walnut stain I generally use. I mixed a little bit of burnt umber universal tint with some water to use for the glaze. Universal tint is what paint stores use to color the paints you purchase. You can buy a quart at your local paint store for $15-20 depending on the tint. A little bit goes a long way, so a quart will last forever. You can mix tints with other paint, glazes, or water.
This glaze mixture of burnt umber and water is very thin and easy to work with. Working in small areas, apply the glaze with a brush...
...and wipe it off with a damp rag.
That's it! It gives the piece a soft, antique look.
I can't wait to show you the entire dining room when it's done. I really love how it's coming together.
I am also working on a chalkboard with a gilded frame for the dining room wall. It keeps things formal with the gold leaf, but it's a little playful as well. It's a perfect place to write out a dinner menu or a blessing over guests who are dining with us. Anyway, I ran out of adhesive for the gold leaf, so I only completed two sides. It's just killing me...
One last little project...I found this gorgeous wood frame at a yard sale this weekend for $5.00. It had a mirror in it, but I knew it would be perfect for a chalkboard in my kitchen. It's in a prime spot to be a weekly calendar at-a-glance.
To make the chalkboard, I simply cut a piece of hardboard to size and painted it with two coats of chalkboard paint. Remember to "season" your chalkboard by rubbing a piece of chalk over the entire surface. This prevents lettering from being "burned into" the surface.
So, keep checking in to see how my millions of projects turn out.
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