The Custom Blue Chalk Painted and Stenciled Coffee Table

I finally finished a coffee table I had been working on for a while. I didn’t want to post it until I figured out how to tame the super shine I was getting from the wax I put on the table.  I figured it out soon enough…made the necessary adjustments (not hard – a little more sanding back) and it’s a beautiful finished table.

Before: I’ve seen this oval coffee table at many garage sales over the past few years. I’ve seen it in oak (like this one I found on Craigslist) but I have seen it in a dark, shiny mahogany also. It’s sturdy and well made but it’s plain “as is”, so it deserved a little makeover…with paint, stenciling and a little gold wax.

During the stenciling

I had already painted the legs an off white before I even knew what I wanted to do with the top. Being that I am not that much of a blue person – but many people are – I decided to give blue a whirl. I mixed Annie Sloan’s Louis Blue and a little bit of Old White (not sure of the ratio – I was a bit hasty and didn’t write down the exact formula). After two coats I did a quick Old White dry brush to lighten it up a bit and to break up the solid look.

I used The Mad Stencilist’s Mixed Floral Arch for the center design. If you haven’t tried Sheri Hoeger’s stencils before, please try one out. I am not getting paid to endorse her company…I am just a fan. I’ve used this design before on walls…especially nice over a doorway. I’ve used it in combination with some of her other stencils and created a design over a long soffit. You could also use just one neutral color in varying shades for a sepia look.

Instead of stenciling the way you would normally stencil – with one color and then shading and perhaps highlighting – I layered each element with several colors to get a blended look. For example, all the leaves started with an ochre yellow and then green over that with some raw umber shading. To get the coral look, I first used ochre yellow, then orange and a little red. Experiment with this with your own stenciling. It takes more time but it adds a richness to the finished product.

I lightly sanded the entire table and design to get a more faded look and then waxed with some clear Annie Sloan wax.  I added some gold wax to the edges of the table for a little glitz…very little!

I created this table look for an upcoming home staging project I am doing soon, but I may sell it before that if you are interested in it. I put a comment on one of my other projects a few months ago – and I wound up getting an email from someone in Colorado who is interested in buying it.  So, I guess I should start populating my “Shop” page!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharing with…Savvy Southern Style, Power of Paint