you’ve all seen this old maple dining set at your grannie’s house, right?
most people cringe when they see this type of furniture.
i start to twitch and try to hide my excitement. yup, i’ve got issues.
my client just moved back from a mission trip abroad. they inherited some amazing furniture from friends and family….including this lovely dining table with six matching cane-backed chairs.
the details are incredible. i almost felt bad painting this puppy….almost…
but not really….i was so excited to give this piece a shabby chic look.
here’s a rare shot of me painting. i usually paint late night, solo in the garage…but not today!
i painted the table and 4 of the chairs with Annie Sloan’s Paris Gray. i watered it down a bit as i had such a huge canvas to work with…i didn’t want to be brushing all day!
i tried to go lightly in the crevices as i wanted the dark wood to peek through when all was said and done.
i painted the host and hostess chairs in Duck Egg. i’m also painting out a hutch in Old Ochre and will tie the pieces together with duck egg accents as seen here on the table.
nice legs.
the Duck Egg chairs are incredible and make me so happy. as you can see below, the clear wax really deepens the color and makes it look so rich. the chair in the foreground hasn’t yet been waxed in the photo.
the clear wax takes down some of the paint to reveal the wood. with minimal sanding, this entire project took under 3 hours.
that’s right. a dining table with the leaf and six chairs. sub 3 hours!
holy 1990s cushions! these will be reupholstered in a beige burlap.
post-painting lunch. yummy steak salad!
i’ll snap some more pix once we style the table and get the hutch done.
have a GREAT week! i’m heading to BlissDom in a few days…yeehaw!
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what a beautiful change! The colours are perfect! and, in only 3 hours! BRILLIANT!
Thank you! This painting is a great workout, too. My whole body is sore today!!!
No time to compliment the paint job, I’m too busy drooling over your lunch! Delicious!
I know, right? The steak salad was so fresh and delicious!!
Oh my gosh, this is so stinking adorable…I want to see more of your projects!!!
Emily, I’ll paint for you any day as long as you take the pics!!!
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Meesh!! It’s GORGEOUS! Loving the multi-colored chairs. You’re so ridiculously talented!!
*blushes* Thanks, Kristi. That means a lot to me!!!
Wow!! 6 hours?? Incredible…incredibly talented! I love it!
Debbie 🙂
Looks amazing! I can’t wait to see the pics of the chairs after you recover them!
Thanks! I’ll be sure to post pix on the reupholstered stuff soon!!
we have a similar table. How do you differentiate maple from oak?
While I’m by no means an expert, I believe that maple is generally more yellow-ish/honey in color whereas oak is more brown with more visible wood grain showing. However, it’s hard to say with furniture or cabinets as the stain/paint can make it difficult to discern.
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What type of paint? did you you a primer? how much did it cost for the total project?
I used Annie Sloan chalk paint, which requires no sanding, stripping or priming. I used less than a quart of paint and about 1/3 tin of Annie Sloan clear wax. Annie Sloan paints are carried through specialty stockists throughout the world and generally run $38/quart, and the wax is about $20/tin . While the price seems high at first, given the reduced prep time required, it’s quite economical. Total project took me 3-4 hours and materials cost less than $30 as I already had brushes, etc.
Good luck!!
Thank you. I am going to do the same thing with black. Any other tips?
I recommend doing at least 3 coats of clear wax, especially if this is a high traffic piece like a dining table. Annie Sloan’s waxes perform the best of any wax that I’ve used.
Good luck!
How has the table top held up for durability? I’m always afraid of finishing a piece especially a table top and not having it hold up under heavy wear – like a kitchen table. Oh, and the set came out amazing! 🙂
Honestly, it hasn’t held up too well with the family of six. BUT, I think it would’ve been great with a few layers of either Annie Sloan’s floor lacquer or Modern Master’s dead flat. I’ll report back after we redo the top.
I’ve also done the kids’ dining table with Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint and wax and it didn’t hold up well either. Am planning to try the lacquer on that first as a test.
Thanks for stopping by!
looks great…. I really want to do the same thing. I have been looking for a square wood table everywhere.
This tutorial gave me inspiration, mentioned you on my FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Olde-Barn/400329246760264
Hi Diane, thanks for stopping by! Hopefully you’ve found your dining set! Keep scouring Craigslist or OfferUp! Good luck! 🙂
We are on our way as I write, to pick up a beautiful maple drop leaf table and 6 chairs we found on craigslist(it CAN be done! Lol)
I absolutely LOVE your painting ideas on the set posted here. I want to follow it step by step so this set will fit in with the coastal feel I am attempting to create in a home we have just purchased. SO EXCITED to get started!! Can you help me find more pictures of the finished project? Did you choose new fabric for seat cushions, or no cushions? Thanks for any help/suggestions you can offer!!
(Btw I have read the updates about possibly using Annie Sloan’s lacquer for the table top..any new info/updates on how that has held up? Thks!