Hello friends,  I hope all is well!

When out on our travels John and I spotted these frames. I wanted to update a spot in our dining room and thought they would work great with help.

I knew I wanted something architectural and we found a piece at the thrift store that I have been working on for a bit for a huge deal!

When you see everything finished you will see why the pieces we found are a perfect addition.

I’m not sure if someone attempted a faux finish or they were in their homes like this but I didn’t like it all.

What I have said numerous times, paint and elbow grease will make pieces sing.

I made sure to clean these  very well using white vinegar Windex.  Next, I used my ASCP in Old White and went to work.

I didn’t want to completely cover all the imperfections of these pieces.   I knew that in spots it would add character and character was the look I wanted to achieve. 

Since I wanted to use the flaws to my advantage I decided to use a dry brush technique.   I spoke briefly about this on a door project in the dining room HERE

For dry brushing the key factor is to use very little paint.  I make sure the paint is worked into the brush as well.  Notice on the picture below how little paint is on the tips of the brush.

I only use inexpensive chip brushes for this technique.   You may wonder why?  Bottom line,  your brush takes a beating with dry brushing.

After getting the amount of coverage I wanted I made sure I let the paint cure for a while.   Some may think it’s a waste of time, I don’t.   I don’t because I want to add clear and light brown wax to the paint. 

For me, I  have found the paint to move if I skip this step.  I also dry brush in stages, I  feel it adds more texture if I layer the paint.

Once cured for a few hours I add a coat of clear wax and burnish it into my paint and let it cure again. 

Once cured, I used my Maison Blanche light brown wax and strategically put in spots where I deliberately left some of the of the imperfections.   Remember,  I want character, so I burnished the light brown wax in these places to give them added dimension. 

When doing this I used a small stencil brush to give me more control.   I used a lint free rag with my finger to make sure it was burnished into the paint very well.  To some this may seem tedious but I  feel taking the time to  do this is worth it to get the look I truly want.

After getting the look I was wanting I allowed them to cure for 24 hours.

Notice above and below side by side one is finished and the other needs dark wax.

Next time, I will share the piece we bought thrifting for $35 .  This piece needed lots of love and we got two pieces out of one.  One piece will be used to finish these frames off .

Please stay tuned!