Highlight the carved, scalloped and raised details when painting French country furniture.
French country furniture is an eclectic mix of court styles, rural interpretations, local colors and materials and gentle aging. It lends itself to antiquing and painting for a faded Versailles or shabby chic look, although painting it requires some attention to detail. Pieces often have cabriolet or snail feet, both raised and inset panels, carved or scalloped aprons, and hand-carved flowers and other decorative features. Aim for rustic but elegant. The chalky hues of the Parisian countryside, with their light tones and faux aging, work well on reproduction pieces like armoires, buffets and commodes. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Remove any hardware like pulls or escutcheons. Set the hardware aside with all screws and fasteners so you can replace it once the piece is dry. Wipe down the piece with a damp cloth to remove any dust or dirt.
2. Use medium-coarse sandpaper to remove flaking paint, rough spots or a thin layer of old paint. Apply a paste paint stripper on filigree work, panel frames and carving areas that are difficult to sand. Work the paste into the carved wood with a putty knife, and wait the specified time before pulling it away, removing the old paint.
3. Neutralize the treated section with a manufacturer-recommended solvent and a clean rag. Switch to fine sandpaper, and go over the entire piece again until you have removed most of the old color and created a smooth surface. Wipe the furniture down with a clean cloth.
4. Prime any darker furniture with matte, white primer. Use matte-finish pale paint over the primer. The paint should have a chalky finish, not a glossy one. Allow the furniture to dry.
5. Faux-age the pieces, and bring out the detail with a small craft brush and matte gray paint. Outline panel grooves, carving, swirls or grooves in cabriolet or escargot feet and the edges of scalloped aprons, drawers and doors with light gray paint. Use a rag to rub a bit of gray paint around the areas where the hardware will go to simulate the accumulated grime of long use. When the gray paint is dry, rub the tops of carvings and some of the edges with extra-fine sandpaper to expose the lighter paint below and to suggest random wear.
6. Replace the pulls, escutcheons, hinges and other hardware. Set the piece in place, and emphasize any faux-aging "wear" around the feet and exterior edges by sanding lightly on the most exposed surfaces.
Tags: gray paint, carved scalloped, country furniture, pulls escutcheons, scalloped aprons