Thursday, October 4, 2012

Cocktails Anyone?

My taste in furniture runs to anything 1920's, 30's, or 40's.  I love Eastlake, art deco, and Hollywood Glam.  So when I saw this mid-century Danish modern coffee table, did I think simple pale wood?  No of course not, I saw Hollywood revival.  This is how it started out.

 
     I couldn't figure out what type of wood this was, it just seemed pretty rustic, until I started sanding.  It has spots where it is gouged, like with a chisel, and spots that are really pitted like on the legs.  Then I found it's secret, there was a tiny bit of veneer left on the top rim.  Someone had taken all of the veneer off of it, I guess with plans to restore it, then stopped.  So, instead of trying to make it perfect, I decided to embrace it's flaws.  I've been wanting to try out chalkboard paint on something and figured the top of this might work.  I did not find joy in this paint right off the bat.  The manufacture suggested to use a roller or sponge brush for best results, I was out of rollers so I tried the sponge.  What a mess!  This stuff went on like a thick motor oil, and it streaked all over.  So I let it dry, then my husband sanded it back some, and I rolled on the next coat - voila!  Definitely use a roller when applying chalkboard paint.
     Next came the bling.  I love, love, love, Martha Stewart's "Thundercloud" metallic paint!  I've used this to highlight the frame of a mirror, and some great details on a chair (see La Bete Noire ), but now I wanted to go bigger. So I painted everything but the top in it.  I didn't want it perfectly smooth so I used a brush and followed the wood grain.
Here is the finished table with my eclectic mix of furniture.  I wish it could stay, but like Karen from the Graphics Fairy said in a guest blog on  Miss Mustard Seed "If you want a thriving business you need to sell your best pieces."

 Cocktails anyone?

 

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