Fabulous Fluer de lis Table Makeover

I am now entering my second month as Molly of the Lottie and Molly antique selling dynasty.  The first month was a smashing success and I have managed to accumulate many projects to be finished for the booth. 

 

On a recent afternoon Lottie and I were stalking prey at the local help center when she spotted this table.

I loved the table but wasn't sure how a single end table would sell, not to mention the drawer was wonky and would go backward and sort of fall down.  After a little snooping we spotted the matching table across the store.  Yeah! 

 

 Unfortunately, it too suffered with drawer issues.  As Lottie and I discussed the pros and cons and yanked and pushed on the drawers we were approached by an employee who basically said make an offer on them.  What?????  Really?

 

Yep, all prices are negotiable.  Did I mention that this particular store is beside my office?  No.  Okay did I mention that my window faces the unloading zone for said store and that I can literally watch as goodies are unloaded and then rush over and make an offer?    Oh yeah....how dangerous exciting is that?  I spend all my time at work now watching for great furniture!

After a bit of negotiating I purchased the tables for $10.00.  I was heady with savings and potential for negotiating future buys.

 

On the drive home I decided on ASCP in Old White with a healthy dose of distressing and lots of dark wax.   I sweet talked Wonder Hubby into repairing the drawers (just a shim or two, some wood glue some stops needed) and cleaned them up and started painting.  The more I painted the more I loved them.

Meanwhile....I was also working on another project that needed fabric so while looking for fabric for a headboard I stumbled upon this awesome burlap. 

 

Hello, burlap and Fleur de lis...what's not to love?  It was at this point that the tables spoke to me. Yes, furniture, fabric and some of plants just chat me up from time to time! lol  This was one of those times and I just knew this fabric would be perfect on the drawers. 

 

With that in mind I decided that perhaps the tops needed a bit of color as well so I painted them a slate grey.

The tops were not perfect and trying to get a really smooth, uniform finish on them in a dark paint was tedious impossible.  After 3 or 4 tries I gave up and repainted and repainted and repainted.  Amazing how it is easy to cover a dark finish but takes a zillion coats to cover a dark paint mistake. 

 

Eventually or after a two day delay (depending on how you want to look at it) I finally managed to cover all that grey and was ready to distress.  Don't you just love this part?  I love it but have to really rein myself in because I tend to go a little bit crazy with distressing and end up with pieces that look more primitive than distressed.

 

 

After all that distressing I waxed the whole piece with clear wax and then double waxed with dark wax.  Hard to see with the sun glare and my shadow but I love the patina of the table on the left after waxing. 

 

 

Now it was time to add the beautiful burlap.  I painted a thick coat of Modge Podge on the drawer fronts and let it dry.  Then I tried 10 times carefully trimmed the edges and applied two coats of Modge Podge on top of the burlap, allowing for drying between coats.  The hardware was painted flat black and waxed.

 

 

FINALLY....they were all done and ready to head to Lottie and Molly's, and I was sad.  I tend to form relationships with the pieces I work on and want to keep them and these beauties were no exception.  But, alas they had to go.

 

 

Off to their temporary home at the store.

 

Thanks for taking the time to stop in and visit.  Hope to see you here again soon.  I am joining Susan at Between Naps on the won't you stop by?