Sister Side Tables

I found these coordinating side tables at two different yard sales.  When I saw the second one, I couldn't believe how similar it was to the one I had found the week before.  They were exactly the same price.  They aren't identical but they coordinate so well.  Long long sisters!

The first step was to clean them really well.  Next, I painted them with two coats of chalk paint.  I had to fill the holes left by the old hardware, as it was in bad condition and I wanted to use new hardware that only needed one hole. 

I bought some Gold Leaf paint a while back and decided that it would work well on these tables.
Here they are after chalk paint, gold leaf paint on the raised details, and some distressing with sandpaper...

I liked them like this, but I wanted them to have more of an aged, worn look (some people probably think this is crazy, but I like it!)  I decided to experiment with some glaze.  I brushed on the glaze (you buy it at a hardware store and mix it with whatever paint color you choose) and then wiped most of it off with a damp rag.  It leaves you with an aged patina.

Can you see the difference in the finish?  In the photo on the left, the tables have been glazed...

Here are some more photos of the finished product...

 

I painted the hardware with the same gold leaf paint.  I think this gold leaf stuff is my new obsession...

I love these side tables.  I kind of want to keep them for myself but I've got to resist the temptation!
The color is hard to describe.  They were off-white but the glaze tinged them a soft green color, but I wouldn't call them GREEN..if that makes sense??

They are definitely very pretty.  Check out the For Sale section for details on buying them!