Snowstorm, chill out, catch up!!

Yesterday, a snowstorm kept us in to read, play scrabble, watch movies and kick back. Today however was catch up day! Which meant take down Christmas decorations, do paperwork and work on a gateleg table I did not finish in the fall.

The table was originally my husband’s grandmother’s. He thinks its over 100 years old. I forgot to take pictures while I was working on it. To give you an idea of the shape it was in I took a picture of the underneath. It had a dark stain, decades of wax buildup and was scratched up. Pretty much how this looks!

When I originally stripped and sanded the table I was surprised how light the wood was. I decided to leave the top and paint the legs thinking I would get back to it soon.

Eight months later here I am! Even though I did not mean to wait so long, I am glad I did! I really grew to love the light wood and decided to keep it.

I used Annie Sloan clear and dark wax. I have a clear wax finish on my dining room table. I wax it every four or five months and have absolutely no problems with it.

I first applied clear wax. If you are going to use dark wax, applying clear wax first is a must. Without the clear wax base the dark wax will be absorbed into the wood and look blotchy. After working in two light coats of clear wax,  I wiped it off with a clean, lint free rag until it no longer felt tacky to the touch.

See how the wood soaks up the wax.

This is how it looked after the second coat.

Next came the dark wax. I worked in sections taking a little bit on a clean rag then wiping in the direction of the grain. Again, wiping it until it does not feel tacky.

This is the finished piece. The waxes gave it a rich finish while still keeping the wood light.

See how the waxes picked up the variances in the wood.

I am going to hang on to this table for awhile. I would really like to find a place for it in my home.

Well I am off to finish putting away Christmas decorations. I decided to leave my Christmas tree up until the end of the month. I enjoy looking at it at night so I am going to extend it for a couple more weeks! Why not….