Writing Table gets a new lease of Life.

I bought this table about 15 years ago and it has already had many lives. It wasn't the most expensive piece of furniture and the quality wasn't great but I loved it then and I still love it today. I like that it's not a good solid timber - then if I decide to do something wild and wonderful with it. Nobody will mind.

When I first bought it, it was white and at the time here in Ireland we had everything cream so the white was painted over and it became cream. It lived in many places in the house and eventually ended up in my daughters room.

Finally one day I had a look at it and decided - Right enough is enough this table needs some DECOUPAGE LOVE.

So here is what I did.

I started sanding and sanding and sanding. Oh how I hate sanding. I haven't actually come across someone that likes it yet.

Sanding this piece made me want to cry. Seriously it went on forever. Sanding inside all the small sections was next to impossible. I couldn't think of any other way to go about it. I didn't want to go and get it dipped as it would cost me too much and I didn't want to put a paint stripper on it. I suffer terribly with migraines if I use any strong smelling paint or varnish so anything I use here has literally no smell so it's lovely to work with...

I didn't however need to sand the drawers as I was decoupaging them. I choose this Toile de Jouy paper in a pretty blue. I then got a red paint and painted the inside base of of the drawers. I then went and got two knobs from Sonoma in Ennis. They make the piece.

The range of paints we use here are called Autentico paints and they are just a dream to work with. We sell them also so if you think you might take on something like this check out their wonderful colour range. They have 130 colours to choose from. A 1ltr tin will cost you €25 and it lasts forever. With many Chalk based paints they say that you need not sand. Well folks sorry but if you come here to a class - you will have to sand. I insist that students always sand their furniture unless of course it's melamine or something that can't be sanded. If that's the case many of our students may decide to Decoupage the entire piece.

For this writing table I did an undercoat of red (Red Stripe)and 2 top coats of blue (Royal Blue). Then I lightly sanded back the piece so some of the red is exposed. Finally then I put a beautiful quote on the top using a stencil.

I love that the piece looks old and antiqued.
To finish it off I gave it a few coats of a dark wax. To be honest if I was to do it all again I would give it a coat of a clear wax. I wasn't totally happy with the dark wax.

So that's it really. It now has a home in my crochet room.

Let us know how you get on or why not join us for one of the next Decoupage or painting classes.

Love and Laughs.

Shirley
ECAC