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Hand Painted Console Table with ‘Shabby Chic’ Paint Effect

Hand Painted Furniture Blog, Paint Effects Blog
Painted Shabby Chic console table
The finished, new look, ‘Shabby Chic’ console table

This was a great little project for a client in Gargrave, Yorkshire. She bought this little console table loving the shape and style of it but not  the finish. As you can see from the ‘before’ photos below, the paint effect it had been given wasn’t particularly sympathetic to the delicacy of the design. It was very dark and heavy and we both felt that it would look better with a more subtle ‘antiqued’ effect. 

The original heavy brown/black and gold paint effect
The original heavy brown/black and gold paint effect

I began by first checking my usual specialist primer would adhere to the surface as I didn’t know what products had been used to create the original effect. Once I’d established the adhesion was good I cleaned it with a good cleaner/degreaser and then sanded everything smooth as the wood was quite rough and there was a quite a few visible bobbles, bits and splinters. 

I then moved on to the ‘painting’. Due to the detailed carving I actually sprayed the paint on using aerosols. For the primer I used Tikkurila’s oil based Otex and for the top coats I used Tikkurila’s Empire, each supplied by Holmans Paints, Swindon and both tinted to the equivalent colour of The Little Greene Company’s ‘Hollyhock’.

The console table was now a solid colour and had the perfect non-porous base for the ‘antique’ paint effect. I mixed up a lovely French grey/green colour using tubed oil paint, added this to some Polyvine oil glaze and stippled it all over the table. I then removed the excess glaze, allowing some of it to still lay in the recessed areas to bring out the detailing. I then applied a second layer of the same glaze to certain areas just to make them a bit darker and more pronounced. Next I lightly sanded the edges back to the wood to give it a very lightly distressed look. I then dotted on a bit of The Little Greene Company’s amazing ‘Ultra Blue’ to the four small circles at the top, mainly because this blue is just such an amazing colour and the client loved it, but also to further compliment the colours in the wallpaper.

Normally I would then have applied 2 coats of varnish but the client loved the finish as it was and didn’t feel the table needed any further coats for durability.

Close up of the more subtle french grey antiquing and light distressing
Close up of the more subtle French grey antiquing and light distressing

Lee is a member of Traditional Painter UK and their chosen kitchen and furniture painting specialist for the whole of the Yorkshire region.

Traditional Painter represents a select group of specialist kitchen and furniture painters covering the whole of the UK. With Traditional Painter there is no membership joining fee, it is invitation only, with each member being hand picked for their skill level and commitment to quality. Lee is very proud to be part of this group and follow their strict code of conduct. To see his Traditional Painter profile please click here.

Lee works throughout Yorkshire and the UK and is within easy reach for projects in Skipton, Thirsk, Northallerton, Wetherby, Ripon, Leeds, Doncaster, Wakefield, Halifax and the surrounding areas.