Deep French Blue

I found this sweet little nightstand on Craigslist. The owner had also purchased it from Craigslist with the thought of painting it for her daughter's room. But she was a busy mom with a couple of little ones and decided she just didn't have the time or the energy. She even asked me to send her a picture of it when it was finished. I bet she wasn't expecting a blog post.









I knew I wanted to do a nice deep french blue with a little more distressing than I usually do. Then I used a white glaze to bring out the details and a final coat of wax. I hope she thinks I did a good job!

I was on my way to a flea market a week or so later and I found this headboard and footboard out by the curb waiting for bulk pickup. I thought it was a perfect match for the nightstand. I had to put it in the car quickly as it was early in the morning and a dog inside the house was barking like crazy. I imagined that everyone was looking out their windows watching some crazy lady go through the trash.

And here they are together. Both pieces have really great curves. A perfect pair, don't you think?

I get a lot of questions about glazing and waxing. I think there are actually a variety of products and techniques out there that work well and everyone has their favorites. Here's what I've found that really works for me.

This is my absolute favorite glaze. It's Valspar's Clear Mixing Glaze in the handy pourable bottle. You can pretty much mix it with any color paint - white, black, brown, blue, etc. You can totally customize the color you want without having so many different products on hand. The directions say mix 4 - 8 parts glaze to 1 part paint, but I really don't measure exactly. I just mix it up in an old margarine tub. I brush it on with a foam brush and wipe off with a soft cloth. Have a wet one and a dry one handy and wipe until you get the look you want. The glaze will bring out the details on your piece and it really gives a nice smooth finish.

And I generally give most of my pieces a nice coat of wax as a finishing touch. Even if I don't glaze, I still wax. I have really good luck with the Minwax Paste Finishing Wax. It's a natural color and works on everything. Just rub it on with a soft cloth, wait about 15 minutes and rub again with a clean cloth. You will really be so pleased with the finish.

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