I found this primitive wood table at my local Goodwill. I was drawn to its curved feet, straight lines and primitive build. The raw wood was so gorgeous but I really wanted to dress it up in some way! I originally thought I'd take this piece down a whimsical path.... but after the retro child's kitchen and two Alice in Wonderland nightstands..... I was feeling a need for a more adult finish. So, here is a faux stone table, for that more adult design.
The surface of this piece was really beat up so I decided to embrace its imperfections and even add to them by giving it a full textured stone finish! I've done this on several pieces in the past and I enjoy this process very much! It's actually quite easy to achieve. Dixie Belle offers a product called Sea Spray which is a paint additive that thickens your paint and allows it to be applied in any thickness you desire! I prefer making my paint really thick.... so thick that I even apply it with my hands sometimes. This thick application often dries with cracks like you see in cured cement or hard clay in the desert. It's a beautiful look!
I began by cleaning my piece with White Lightning which removes all oils, dirt and residue from the piece. Old stain and wood tannins were evident on my cleaning cloth which indicated the use of primer would be necessary. I applied gray BOSS in two thin coats and let it dry. The table was then ready for the first coat of color. I mixed Sea Spray into Manatee Gray. It's important to start with a small amount of additive and continue adding until you achieve the thickness you desire. If you make it too thick at first.... it is almost impossible too thin it back out. The directions are on the bag. I applied a single coat of Sea Spray/Manatee mix over the entire surface of the table and let it dry for several days. It is not necessary to wait this long but I prefer to give it plenty of time to cure.
Water Painting
The body of the table (everything except the top surface) was painted using a water technique that I use on walls and furniture. You can watch me do this by following the link to the YouTube video at the end of this blog. I only used two colors, Caviar and Drop Cloth to water paint with..... which results in this stone look. It is a very free style paint technique which requires you to let go of all painting rules as you know them. The less paint the better.... the more water the better..... and dry time in between is helpful! You are seeking layers and natural movement of the paint. Once I had all layers of black, off-white and gray the way I liked them..... I stopped.
I add tiny veins of metallic gold by mixing Gold Mousse with Top Coat Gloss to make a very liquid gold. I then applied the veins using a tiny liner brush and a very light hand.
The pattern you see around the skirt of the table is the Greek Key stencil. I used Gold Gilding Wax and a premium chip brush to get this ghosted look and imperfect suggestion of a decorative trim.
More depth was needed in some places and I used Black Wax to create it in space where the legs meet the base. I also used what was left on my brush to shadow the skirt corners. I then applied White Wax to every single edge of the entire table as well as lightly dusted the peaks of the Sea Spray texture. This offers a calcified look which helps it to look quite authentic. I was pleased with the base and moved to the top surface.
I sprayed the entire top with water using my Mister Bottle. I then brushed on a very watery version of Drop Cloth. I added a bit of Caviar to a spray bottle and literally sprayed an even more water version of Caviar to the table surface. I did this just as the Drop Cloth was beginning to set up. When the droplets of Caviar "water" land on the fresh Drop Cloth "water" the Drop Cloth is slightly reactivated and it forms "cells" or "spots" which appear almost lunar. It's a gorgeous look that I love creating on the surface of these abstract pieces. I just kept dusting the surface with fine mist of Caviar Water over the Drop Cloth until I had it just the way I wanted it. Once dry..... I flicked and flung the remainder of my Gold Mousse liquid over the surface creating a haphazardly placed spray of gold. When all of this was dry..... I used my premium chip brush to "'gold dust" the four corners of the table top with Gold Gilding Wax.
The body of the table was sealed with Top Coat Flat to maintain the natural stone look. The top surface was given three coats of Top Coat GLOSS..... as I wanted a wet look finish. For the pop of unexpected color..... I applied the blue leopard wrapping paper to the sides and inside of the center drawer by using Top Coat in Satin as my adhesive! It works like a charm!
I am so very pleased with the outcome of this piece. Remember..... this finish can be used on ANY surface.... not just furniture! You can use this on small decor items in your home..... glass jars or bottles, metal buckets etc! Don't forget to use Slick Stick first...... if painting glass, metal, or slick plastic. I also recommend trying this look with unexpected colors! I think a Caviar base enhanced with Cobalt Blue and Mermaid Tail would be fabulous!!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdbUPLp4izRmcDH2J4ivg9P4Nqk1EbUpl
Products used for your shopping convenience:
For your convenience, the products listed here are what I used for the Faux Stone Table! Dixie Belle Paint Company offers amazing products that will make all of your projects successful no matter what your skill level! Just click on the product's photo. It will take you to the page for purchasing! You can also find my favorite products and tools in my Amazon influencer list HERE.
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