A couple of months ago, my Grandma gave me these old tables. They were the exact shape and size we were looking for, but they didn’t match the rest of the modern, rustic furniture we had in the rest of the house. When I told her I was going to paint them, she couldn’t believe it! She insisted they were solid wood (they weren’t) and that they looked fine the way they were (they didn’t), but she didn’t mind because I was getting them out of her way!
These tables were covered in dents, scratches, chips, and flaws. The beautiful thing about doing this Shabby Chic Table Re-Do is that instead of hiding the flaws, you accentuate them using an easy technique. No sanding is needed, just paint, water, and a clean white rag. This video gives a brief description of how to perform this technique:
As a disclaimer, I have only been able to effectively do this with American Paint Company chalk paints. They have a chalk and mineral, water based paints that allows you do this easily. I have never been able to effectively replicate this with latex based paints, which is what most “chalk paints” actually are. You can’t buy APC Paints online, but you can check their website to find a retailer near you.
You can read the specific details on How to Shabby Paint with Water in this post HERE. You will need both the paint, and a clear wax to seal this afterward, since the paint is water-based. You do NOT need to pre-sand any piece of furniture you paint with APC paints, but it is incredibly important for you to clean them first. When doing this Shabby Chic Table Re-Do, I cleaned the table first with a damp cloth, and made sure to clean any dust from the nooks and crannies as well.
This piece was mostly laminate, and I had no problem painting it. I’ve painted many laminate pieces of furniture this way with great success. I always remove the handles or door pulls before painting to make sure they stay in their original condition. Focus your attention aging corners, details, and flaws. Don’t wax the piece until you’re 100% sure you like the way you aged it, because once you wax, it’s complete!
If you liked this Shabby Chic Table Re-Do, you would probably like some of our other DIY projects like these:
Stuffed Animal Corner Cage
Simple DIY Lazy Susan
