The Start of the Beginning: DIY: White Washing

There is nothing better than exploring a sea of unwanted "junk" in search for hidden treasures. Oh wait, I stand corrected, finding a hidden treasure in a sea of unwanted things is better. If you have been following my blog from my first post, or if you have read my first post, you know that I recently moved in with my best friend. It's been nothing short of amazing, but alas, two of the most indecisive people paired together can really make decorating difficult. In the early weeks of June, my mother and I found an old, somewhat ugly coffee table for $20 at our local church's summer fair. Normally, I would have stuck up my nose, made some off comment and moved on, but my recent itch for crafting stopped me. Instead of seeing an ugly brown coffee table, I saw so much more (I like to think there's an artist in me...) So after no hesitation, I handed over Mr. Jackson and happily went on my way. Now, as we all know summer can be hectic. There's always something to do, somewhere to go, someone to see, and our weekends just somehow disappear without really knowing where it went. Earlier this week, I came down with some kind of virus and have literally been sick as a dog, or at least the sickest I can remember since high school. And while this is my last day staying home, I felt inspired this afternoon to make my vision into a reality. And you know what, I'm not too disappointed with the outcome :)

I first cleaned the coffee table with water mixed with vinegar - just to clean it and to wipe away old cobwebs, etc. Next, I used some Krud Kutter Gloss Off to remove any of the gloss used originally on the coffee table. I then mixed 2 parts Sherwin Williams ProClassic Interior Acrylic Latex Extra White with 1 parts water (I may not have done this to the exact, I kind of eye balled it) I then painted on the watered down paint trying to brush in the same direction. I wasn't worried about perfecting the strokes or the paint layering, just trying to cover the entire table. After letting the table dry for about 10-15 minutes, I used acrylic paint - teal and gold - the paint over the trimmings. I only waited 10 minutes or so because I still wanted to have a white washing effect with the trims.

DIY: White Washed Coffee Table with a Teal and Gold Trimming