NIGHTSTANDS - CANDLEWAX PAINT DISTRESSED



This post is about two of the three nightstands I picked up for $85 total on Craigslist.  I felt like they were similar enough to use in the same bedroom in our beach cottage.    Here is a before photo of one of them.  I really stink at remembering to take the before photos (which is why I only have one photo).  I just get too excited about starting projects and I forget to take the photos, and then it's too late.




   

Before Photo of Nightstand

The color scheme for the bedroom included a pale aqua color and I had already created this dresser...


Aqua Dresser in Bedroom

I wanted to do something different than the dresser with the aqua blue, but I still wanted all the furniture to at least relate to one another.  I was inspired by this post I found on pinterest (see photo and link below).   This photo inspired me to use the same aqua paint from the dresser as a basecoat, but use white as a topcoat.  The aqua blue base would be exposed using the candlewax technique.

Inspiration Photo
 http://www.youaretalkingtoomuch.com/2012/02/a-baby-or-a-beach-cottage/

To start, I sanded down the nightstands.  The same aqua paint used on the dresser in the same room was the base coat for the nightstands (Sherwin Williams Tidewater #6477).  It was paint and primer on one so I didn't feel the need to prime.  Once this basecoat was dry - I applied candlewax to the corners/edges.  I also rubbed candlewax about an inch onto some of the flat surfaces (to later expose more of the aqua blue underneath, and to mimic the idea of the inspiration piece).

The top coat of paint was a high gloss white paint Pegasus by Olympic #D30-1 (something I had on hand because it is the white trim color in our home).  Once this was dry I used sandpaper to lightly sand off the white paint where the candlewax was applied in order to expose some of the aqua paint underneath. 

Note - your sandpaper will get gunked up with the paint and the wax.  Just use old pieces as you will need to throw them away after this sanding process.

The look is subtle, and I like how the aqua is softly peaking through the white.  A couple coats of satin polyurethane finished off the nightstands. 

 

The knobs were from Hobby Lobby in an antique bronze finish.  (The aqua blue dresser in the same room already had the antique bronze starfish knobs).

 

 

Here they are in the room.  I think they look really nice next to the aqua quilts.  They add a light element to the room and are a good contrast with the brown wicker lamps and barn wood headboards.

 

 

Ultimately, I think the nightstands relate to the dresser in the same room nicely.  The use of the same aqua paint and similar finished antique bronze knobs, helps them make sense together without being too similar.

 

 

 

Tip -  if you want a finish that resembles more of the finish on the inspiration piece - I think the use of Vaseline in addition to candlewax would help.   See my other post that includes Vaseline as part of the distressing technique.  The Vaseline would allow you to expose more of the paint color underneath, whereas the candlewax provides for a more subtle exposure of the color.

If you are interested in a general overview of some DISTRESSING TECHNIQUES, see my post here which covers the use of SANDPAPER, CANDLEWAX and VASELINE.

For more beach cottage posts see my Beach Cottage page.