I’m an empty-nester now and I have more time to devote to my new obsession with chalk paint. But even before chalk paint, when my nest was still full, I managed to find time for faux finishing. I had a happy reminder of those times when I came across a wood-graining tool I hadn’t used in I don’t know how long.
About the same time I had to decide what to do with an old Bombay table I’d moved from room to room over the course of three houses.
I started with two coats of Annie Sloan Burgundy, leaving the top for an experiment with my new old tool.
On the top, I used two coats of Annie Sloan Old Ochre for the base and let it dry.
Then I got together my other browns, Honfleur and Coco.
I made semi-haphazard strokes of Honfleur and Cocoa across the top with a chip brush, coming back with Old Ochre to tone it down when any of the spots felt blotchy.
I worked fast because the paint had to be wet for the next step.
The wood graining tool works by dragging and rocking it in horizontal lines across the wet paint. The graining will change by how much you drag or rock. For each pass, I started with a different spot on the rocker so the lines of grain it created wouldn’t line up.
I found myself holding my breath each time I made a pass with the graining tool!
When it dried, it looked too stark.
A wash of Old Ochre softened the faux grain.
Then the “wood” and the Burgandy got a coat of clear wax. I added a new knob and lined the drawer with a wallpaper remnant I bought at a garage sale for a dollar.
This beauty now has a prominent and permanent place in the living room. It’s gotten some oo’s and ah’s and I have to admit, I have fun showing off a bit by revealing that the top is actually painted.
Would you think it’s wood?
