Adventures In Glazing

My friend Nancy went out for a run one Saturday morning and came across a coffee table and two end tables at a yard sale. They were a great deal and she had confidence that I could do something with them. They sat in the back of my garage for awhile. So long in fact, that I forgot that I never took a before picture. But I'm sure you've seen similar tables a million times. My biggest concern was that they were super glossy. Fortunately, my husband loves to sand for me.

I decided to go the traditional route and paint them cream (Sherwin Williams Creamy) with a brown glaze. If you've been here before, you know that I love Valspar's Clear Mixing Glaze. It's easy to use in a pourable bottle, versatile in that you can add any color to it and it gives a great final result. But they also make glaze with the color already added, this time I tried mocha (which sounds really yummy).

I started with the coffee table.

I like to apply the glaze with a foam brush.

And I always have a bucket of water handy, along with wet and dry cloths for wiping.

I was feeling pretty pleased with the results until I stepped back and compared a before and after table.

I thought the glaze seemed a little heavy-handed.

It had that "dirty" look.

I had already finished the coffee table and one end table. Ugh! I decided to take a wet cloth and completely wipe down the glazed tables again.

Now, the glazing was more subtle and I was much happier. Just another reason I like working with a true glazing medium. It is very forgiving.

I think I generally prefer a little less glaze, especially on lighter paint colors. But it's really just a matter of personal taste. Sometimes, you just have to step back and trust your judgement. I guess it worked, because I sold these tables really quickly.

And Nancy, thanks for thinking of me while you were out for your run!

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