Looking to step up your furniture painting game? This wet sanding technique is one of my favorite ways to achieve depth on painted furniture.
These boring side tables needed a new life so I decided to do layers of So Serene, Vanilla Bear, and Hazelnut Armor to give them a beautiful second chance. The top was painted with Buffalo Brown then Hazelnut Armor was applied to give it the look of stained wood without all the sanding mess.
Colors Used:
As always start with a clean finish. This piece had years of furniture polish build up so I used a sanding block and vinegar water to make sure there was no chance of any greasy polish left behind. See more here for prep and a basic painting how-to. Furniture Painting 101
The first step is to paint your base coat, I used So Serene on all the areas I knew I would be distressing and wanted this color to show. The edges, details, corners, etc…
Once that dries apply your top color. I did two coats of Vanilla Bear all over.
After your final coat dries use a misting water bottle and sanding sponge to reveal So Serene and some of the original finish.
Start by misting a small section with water and then use a damp sanding sponge (I start with Fine grit and move up to Medium grit if I need to remove more) Use a damp washrag to wipe away paint as you go.
After I have distressed and revealed all the base paint coats I wanted I went over the entire piece with Matte Armor. Doing this makes using the Tinted Armor easier to work with. I used Hazelnut Armor as a glaze and applied it all over a section with an Armor Applicator Sponge then used a damp washrag to wipe away leaving it heavier in details and in areas that would normally have aged.
After Sanding
After Matte Armor
After Hazelnut Tinted Armor
Have fun with it…don’t be afraid to use multiple layers of different colors. Practice on a piece of cardboard or scrap wood..Be brave and Paint with Passion!
