Grandma’s Kitchen Table

Grandma always had that old, well-scrubbed kitchen table in the corner – the one that just seemed to invite you to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea?

With the paint technique known as ‘distressing’ you don’t have to wait fifty years until your table takes on the same well-used, welcoming appearance. Follow these step-by-step guidelines to give a plain table that gently-worn, ‘lived-in’ look.

1. Remove old paint or varnish from the kitchen table using sand paper or, for those difficult areas, paint stripper.

Apply a coat of wood primer to the entire surface.

3. The technique requires the use of two colours of paint, the darker of the two being applied first. Give the entire surface a base coat of Dulux Luxurious Silk, in the darker colour and when dry apply another coat of the same colour. We used the colour ‘Sojourn Blue’. Apply candle wax to the areas where you want the dark colour to show through; it will prevent the next colour from adhering properly, making it easier to remove in the final steps.

4. Paint on the lighter colour, giving the entire surface two or three coats. We used Dulux Luxurious Silk in the colour ‘Primavera’. Lightly sand the table, using 150 grit sandpaper or a sand sponge, once the last coat has dried. This will lift the acrylic paint off the waxed areas, creating the well-scrubbed, worn look that one is after.

5. Finally, to protect your handiwork and make the surface easy to wipe clean, apply two coats of Heavy Duty Acrylic Sealer made by The Decorator’s Touch.