Charming Cottage Vibes: A cosy green console table makeover
Can you believe this piece was a freebie from facebook marketplace? I love finding vintage pieces to paint and it's always so much sweeter when they're free!
Here's the 'before' - complete with dust and dead spiders but very pretty nonetheless...
This is the 'after'. So much lighter and bright but with cosy cottage vibes. Read on to find out how I did it and what I used.
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Products used:
The first step in painting furniture is usually to clean. I use the word 'usually' as there are sometimes exceptions to the rule! Even if the piece looks clean its probably not. Things like polishes, cleaners and even oils from hands can build up on the surface and cause issues with paint adherence so I always recommend a heavy duty cleaner. White Lightning is a degreasing cleaner which will cut through any build up on the surface. Make sure to rinse well after.
Next I whipped out my electric sander as I wanted to see what was hiding underneath the ugly dark varnish. This is the result of half an hour of sanding - lovely light oak. Some of the stain had penetrated deep into the wood grain so it looked a little patchy but I'll come back to that later.
I also scuff sanded the rest of the piece as there were imperfections on the surface.
Next I primed using the only primer you'll ever need! It's water based primer which is a gripping primer AND stain blocking primer. This primer can be used to create adhesion on surfaces like glass, metal, plastic and laminate but can also be used to stop bleed through on wooden surfaces.
As you can see in the previous image there were lots of little dings and dents in the surface. These are artificial ageing marks intended on making the peice look older than it is. I'm all for embracing the character of a piece but these looked a bit false (probably because they are!) After my first coat of primer I mixed some wood filler with water and did a skim coat of this to fill in the marks. I do this after my first coat of primer so that it gives me a better idea of what areas need filling.
Once the filler was dry, I sanded smooth and then applied a second coat of primer. Dixie Belle advise that 2 coats of Bonding Boss are used for optimum effect. The primer requires 24 hours to dry before you apply paint.
I had a choice of four colours. These are all brand new shades of green and from Dixie Belle's Chalk Mineral Paint range. If you know me, you'll know I had a hard time choosing as I ADORE painting in green.
I finally settled on Olive Wood as I think this is the perfect sage green shade for a cottage style piece.
This is after just one coat. The coverage is exceptional!
This is my favourite brush. It's linked in the product list at the top of this page and its an Oval Medium synthetic brush. They have been created to allow a smooth release of paint application with high quality materials. They are an investment but provided they are looked after they will last forever!
I wanted to keep the top as close to the natural oak colour as possible but needed to even out the patchiness. I used a water based wood stain in the shade Whiskey Barrel. This will also stop the red/orange tones returning once top coated.
I lightly sprayed the area with water first to help my stain absorb easily. I then applied 2 coats of the stain with an applicator pad. These are a terry cloth pad that allow even distribution of stains and can be used with water and oil based products.
I sealed the top with a water based matte top coat and for the rest of the piece I used clear wax. Such a simple makeover that enhances the pretty detail of this beautiful piece. I see this in a cosy cottage somewhere enhanced with rustic keepsakes!
Remember you can order Dixie Belle Products through my personal link if you'd like to create a similar look to this.
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