I've been on a side table binge over the last week. They have started collecting in the workshop and taking up valuable real estate. I needed to clear the deck to make room for some larger pieces that I'll be starting soon. So here is table number two. When I pulled out the paintbrushes, other than being white, I had no preconceived notion of how it would be transformed. Guided by my gut and stepping out of my comfort zone, it morphed into a Birds of Paradise French Provincial Tiered Table.

Birds Of Paradise French Provincial Tiered Table Makeover

I started by painting the entire table with a mixture of old white and pure white chalk paint leftover from the Swan Table Makeover.  When I distress pieces I always sand before waxing. It's messy but I feel I have more control that way.


There was nothing wrong with the table in white and the distressing was lovely too but I still wasn't feeling it. That bottom shelf was begging for a graphic and that's when this baby started taking on a life of its own.


I thought about doing an image transfer but then decided to go big or go home with a large Birds of Paradise stencil. The scale is big for this piece but I went with it anyway.


I had an unopened can of Pebble Beach chalk paint and fell in love with the color from the first brush stroke! On the birds, I used Duck Egg Blue.


I still wasn't feeling it and so I dry brushed the top with Pebble Beach. Then I tried a sanding technique I'd never used before. I filled a small spray bottle with one part white vinegar to one part warm water. When the paint was dry to the touch I sprayed it with the vinegar solution and using a kitchen sponge wet sanded it, moving both with and against the grain.  I loved the look I was getting and went over it a few times until it was a washed-out gray.


Now I was feeling this table! Instead of using clear wax I applied white wax over the entire table. I loved the whitewashed effect I was getting and it softened the distressing as well.



In the end, I'm quite pleased with how this table turned out. Hopefully, there is someone else out there who feels the same way because this baby needs to find a new home!


You may recognize that stencil from a few months ago when I used it on a coffee table.  If not you can see that makeover at Birds of Paradise Coffee Table.