Painting Laminate Veneer: French Country Table
by
Patricia
3 Materials
0 Minutes
Medium
The clerk at the second hand store practically begged me to buy this table (she didn't have to twist my arm too hard!). It had a dated look and I think buyers were turned off by the laminated top. But I knew it could be given a second chance with paint.
The table was a little worn and dated. It is constructed of solid oak with a laminated top, probably from the 1970s. There are a variety of methods and paint products that can be used to paint laminate, but for my project I selected Chalk Paint.
I chose a color scheme of Arles yellow and Aubusson blue to give my project a French Country theme.
Before painting the top I used a sanding block to lightly scuff up the finish. This helps give the paint some texture to stick to.
I applied a very thin coat of Arles for my first coat. I wasn't worried about brush strokes as I wanted to create a bit of texture. I applied 3 - 4 more coats of paint to the table top and the leaves. Next I sanded against the "grain" of my brushstrokes to smooth out the paint while still leaving a bit of texture.
I sealed the paint with soft clear wax. Then I used a foam brush to apply a glaze. This part always looks like a bit of a hot mess! It's important to first seal the paint before applying glaze otherwise the paint will absorb the glaze and it won't be pretty! After applying the glaze I immediately wiped off the excess with a shop towel.
Next I painted the base in Aubusson blue. I used 220-grit sandpaper to give it a distressed and time worn finish.
I sealed the blue paint with clear wax and then applied dark wax. Alternatively I could have used glaze on this part of the project, too. But I like the look of dark wax over Aubusson blue, so decided to use the dark wax instead.
Now the table is transformed to a bright and cheerful French Country theme!
The table top is smooth yet the there is still a subtle texture which the glaze settled into.
I hope you enjoyed today's project! If you would like to read more about it (including the chairs) then head on over to my blog for more photos and information. http://theblacksheepshoppe.blogspot.com/2017/05/french-country-table-and-chairs.html. You can subscribe to receive updates on new projects, or feel free to follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=the%20black%20sheep%20shoppe
I didn't keep track of how much paint I used or how much time the project took, so it's difficult to give an estimate of the cost. However, this project can easily be completed in a couple of sessions over a day or two.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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4 of 12 comments
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WOW!!! I love the color!! awesome job!!
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There is too much other stuff loading on your website. People don't have the patience to wait it out.
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Thank you for letting me know Susan about the problem Susan. I will check the site speed on my blog and see if I can figure out what is causing the problem.
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