Using Paint to Create a Restoration Hardware Inspired Tabletop

As I shared yesterday, while we were working on the dining room chairs and the buffet, my dad was busy working on the dining room table. My Mom had decided over the summer we would use the prayer bench we turned into a seating bench on one side of the table and the set of chairs that actually came with the table on the other side. Getting a table that would seat 12 was on my Mom’s list of “must haves” way before we even starting decorating one room. Here’s a quick look at how we were trying to bring all the elements together before the table was in place.

My parents were out shopping for legs for the dining room table when they came across a deal for a table and 6 chairs they couldn’t refuse. This meant my Dad was able to use the apron and the legs from one table and add a new top my Mom had envisioned. She wanted a very basic Restoration Hardware inspired farmhouse style table, nothing fancy, since we had other statement pieces already in the room. She wanted it to be big enough so we could eat at but also play games, craft or put puzzles together. I knew immediately we could get the look she wanted with a mix of Annie Sloan Chalk Paints and dark furniture paste wax but there is only one type of wood that this technique will work on – oak. They finally settled on a piece of white oak and I got down to business trying to create a look she would love.

The first step is to give the wood a wash of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen. A wash is where you water down the paint and make it a very thin consistency. Use a brush to apply.

Allow the French Linen wash to dry completely.

Next, create a wash using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White and apply it over the French Linen. Allow the paint to set for a few moments and wipe the white paint away with a lint free cloth. It’s best to work in small sections for this portion of the layering process because you’re only leaving the white paint on long enough to settle in the grooves, nooks and crannies of the wood.

When you’re finished, you should be able to see both a layer of French Linen and Pure White. I love how the wood grain looks highlighted now. It turned out really pretty.

Apply a coat of clear paste furniture wax.

Then a coat of Dark furniture paste wax.

When the dark paste wax gets to a haze, buff with a lint free cloth. This table is huge and my arms were aching by the time I got finished. It takes a little bit of muscle to work the wax into the grain of the wood. But my Mom was so excited.

The apron and legs of the table are painted in Pure White.

We hung a new picture we’d been saving alongside a few thrifted plates.

The buffet I finished in French Linen was a perfect fit.

We’re going to replace the light in the dining room with 2 crystal laden chandeliers; we just haven’t been able to find two matching ones yet. For right now, we’re just looking forward to celebrating the holidays.

See you guys back here tomorrow. My Mom’s dad gave use some old wood scraps and we found an old coffee table on the side of the road. Things are really starting to come together.

Many blessings,

CoCo