painting furniture black…and the challenges that go with it!

I’ve painted several pieces of furniture black. A couple were my own, a few custom pieces for clients…and every once in awhile I get the crazy idea to paint something black just because.

Why? Because a well painted piece of black furniture is stunning.

But boy…is it ever challenging.

I’ve used latex, oil based and chalk paint in black, and they all have their benefits and their shortcomings. When it comes to distressing and getting the look I really like…there is no competing with chalk paint. I love the look of warm wood coming through black paint and chalk paint does that beautifully. But there are two challenges in my opinion with black chalk paint. First, it’s not THAT BLACK. It really is more of a chalkboard black. I do think Wrought Iron by Maison Blanche is the deepest black compared to others on the market, so I use it over the others.

Second challenge? WAX.

meet Fergie

Remember this broken down buffet?

This girl needed some work…she had obviously experienced some good times in her day. But all of those years of entertaining had “Fergie” looking a little rough. She had a leg that needed some repair and many areas of the veneer were chipped or loose. Here are some photos of her repair work.

Some parts of the veneer just needed to be re-glued. A little wood glue and some clamps does the trick, but I also found a great use for those granite samples I still had from our remodel. Those little pieces are heavy!

The veneer on one of the drawers was so damaged I could just peel it off.  Since I was planning on painting the whole buffet, it made more sense to remove that part of the veneer and just sand it down for painting rather than using wood glue.  Here is a shot of that process…

Here is she all finished and on her way to the shop!

The English style of this buffet has so many details I wanted to keep the paint simple. I used Franciscan Grey by Maison Blanche chalk paint company and the interior is painted in Aubusson Blue by Annie Sloan.  Lightly distressed and finished with a clear wax and a little dark wax for added depth.

Here is shot of Fergie holding her own down at the Beachglassblonde shop in Home Inspirations. I think she looks ready to host another party!