Chalk Paint techniques on Antique Side Tables

Finding a matching pair of antique side tables is rare, so I scooped these up when I saw them at a local consignment store.  Unfortunately I forgot to take before pictures of these.  Structurally they were in great shape but they were covered with a few layers of gunk.  It looked like they had been painted a couple of times, stripped, and then slathered with an awful orangey-brown stain.  Despite all this, I could see their potential.  The ornate carvings and little wood "dots" on the sides are so elegant and chic.

The awesome thing about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is that you do not have to sand, strip, or prime the piece that you're painting.

Here are the tables after two coats of chalk paint: 

I could have left them like this, but I wanted to highlight the carved details.  The next step was to sand the tables, pressing harder in places I wanted to "distress."   Chalk paint literally turns to dust when you sand it (see photo, below).  Once sanded, however, you are left with a baby-smooth finish.  After sanding, I usually use a Shop-Vac to get all of the "dust" off the piece, and then go over it with a damp cloth to make sure I got it all.

Here are some close up photos of the tables after sanding.  I need to get a better camera (I currently just use the camera on my i-phone, which is decent, but not great) that can capture details...

After sanding, I decided to brush on a Coco (Annie Sloan paint color) "wash", which is just equal parts of paint and water mixed together.  I did this to create more of an aged, old-world patina.  I brushed it on and then wiped most of it off with a damp cloth. 

 

I don't know if you can see it in the pictures, but the wash did create a nice, subtle, worn look.  I was happy with the result.  

The last step (before the finishing paste wax) was to add some white to the carved details.  I forgot to buy small artist brushes, so I improvised and finger painted!  It actually worked out really well because I just wanted a worn, kind of uneven look.

The finished product...