I used the same technique for each of the drawers, but before the paint dried, I also angled my brush and sort of scraped off some of the wet paint with the bristles. This helped to give it more of the distressed look that I was going for.
Once the second coat of paint was dry, I sanded off areas that I thought would have gotten the most wear over time. This included the edges, the sides and parts of the drawers. After sanding, a light dusting was all that was needed before I could add the wax to seal it.
Waxing isn’t necessary, but it is a good idea if you plan on being able to clean it. Even though the paint is dry, water will cause it to wipe off. There are two types of Annie Sloan wax – clear and dark. The clear lets the true color of the paint show through, and the dark causes it to be a darker shade {obvious, right?}, which makes it perfect for adding dimension to your piece. In my case, since I wasn’t sure which areas I wanted darker than others, I used the clear all over first.
Using a 3″ bristled brush, {I started with a 4″ and it was too big} apply the wax, rubbing in well. Then, use cheesecloth to remove the excess.
*Note: you do not need a thick coat of wax. The wax is to the chalk paint like conditioner is to dry hair. The hair soaks up what it needs and allows the rest to be rinsed away. In turn, the chalk paint soaks up what it needs, and you’ll only be able to wipe up the excess wax. If after a few hours the wax still feels tacky, then you’ve applied too much and need wipe it again.
Next, I applied the dark wax to the areas I wanted, including the leather on top of the desk, and then wiped off the excess just like I did with the light wax. I had toyed with painting it, for about a second, before deciding that the brown color of the leather was the contrast that I wanted. The dark wax refreshed the leather and helped to make it look lush again. I switched to a 3″ foam brush, because the 4″ bristle brush I started with didn’t fit well enough into the can of wax, and It was all I had that was the right size.
Since the original hardware went so well with the style of the desk, I decided to reuse it. I also decided not to polish the handles, because I really loved the way the tarnish looked on them.
That’s pretty much it. Chalk paint goes a long way, so I’ve got a lot more paint left in my can, which is great, because I’m looking forward to using it on some accent pieces for my side of the office.
I’m really happy with the way mt desk turned out, and can’t wait to finally have my own work space.
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