I had a pair of matching nightstands that needed some paint. Before they were just cheap wood, and needed a makeover. I decided to use a neutral color and have had people say they would be interested in a white color. I don't have any white paint, but have a couple samples of SW off-white paint colors. I chose one called casa blana. It is more cream than white, but it did the job.
I have to say, I hate using white or off-white paint. I did 3 think coats of paint on these nightstands, and they were streaky because the white was not covering the wood. I would have had to do 2 or 3 more coats to get them looking nice, but I wanted to be done. Instead I chose to glaze them. It would make them look worn, distressed and rustic, as well as make the lines on each nightstand pop.
I thought I would try out a new technique, glazing. I have seen glazed pieces, such as dresser and tables, and it gave a worn look to the piece. We happened to have a gallon of glaze that had never been used before. It is the untinted kind, so you tint it yourself by adding whatever color of paint you want.
I mixed up some glaze with a dark grey paint. The glaze is milky looking, so when I mixed it with the paint the color is not as dark. I used a small paint brush (the kind kids use for art projects) to get the glaze into the carved details. Everywhere else I used a foam brush to spread the glaze all over. Some people say to work in sections, but when I tried that, you could see where each section was. The best way to do it is spread the glaze all over each side, make sure it is thin and even, then take a rag (or paper towel) and wipe it off. Mine was spread very thin, so when I would try to wipe it off, it was already dry.
For me, glazing was very frustrating. Not something I enjoyed, and I am also not the biggest fan of the look. I prefer piece that are not distressed, but cleanly painted. Part of the the reason I had so much trouble was because the glaze was thick (probably because of age), so maybe adding water would help to make it more workable.
I think I am going to stick with greys and blues. Those are my colors. I might even throw in some pops of color on some upcoming pieces, maybe a bright red or green (not together, that would be like Christmas, which is coming up!).
Have you had a similar experience with glazing, or did it work for you? What is your favorite accent color? I think it is time to do some brighter colored pieces!
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Hi Reeves, I found your blog on Primitive & Proper & have enjoyed my visit very much. I have alot of experience with glaze & if you add water to your glaze this will thin it down but also speed up the drying process. You need to use a good glaze that gives you lots of "open" time. I use Modern Masters "Extender" or Glaze for latex paint. I understand your frustration using glaze. Don't give up, it's a wonderful medium. You just need the right one. Good luck. I'm your newest follower & can't wait to see what you do next. Dee from My Painted Stuff
ReplyDeleteooooh these are gorgeous! love those legs and those handles!
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty pair! And I'm a fan of glazing. I find it very forgiving and easy to work with. The Valspar Clear Mixing Glaze is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteOh, I like the color. When I painted my jewelry armoire I used a spray primer first. It helped with the color showing through and also the paint applies much nicer. Check out my jewelry armoire here. http://designingdee.com/2012/10/21/jewelry-armoire-revamp/ I used a black glaze on it and I preferred working in sections. The glaze is thick but it should be you just need to work really fast so it doesn't dry. I hope you give it a try again.
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