How to Incorporate in Country French Style
When you reside in a period house, you might want to paint your furniture in the French Country Style to enhance its architectural design. Multiple painting procedures may achieve the French Country look, including color-washing, which establishes depth through layers of semi-translucent color. Latex-acrylic antiquing glazes use extenders, providing more time to manipulate glazes over opaque base coats. The overall finish looks less matte than chalk or glue paint; however for much more detailed French Country furniture, antiquing glazes gather in recessed areas, providing tonal contrast. Whatever method you select determines the supplies you need to make the desired appearance.
Color and Whitewashing Furniture
Clean and degrease the furniture with soapy warm water, rinse and dry with a clean cloth. Make certain to remove any grease in the furniture. Grease prevents the color-wash from sticking to the furniture.
Obtain a water-based paint of your choice to guarantee the visibility of wood grain under semi-translucent paint layers.
Dilute paint with water. A one-to-one mixture works well with most paint types, but vary the ratio as needed or desired.
Brush on the translucent wash in sections, enabling approximately four minutes before wiping some off. Insert slimmer, transparent layers in precisely the exact same color after the initial layer dries; or use distinct colored overlays for increased thickness.
Varnish with polyurethane if dry. Implement long clear strokes to the surface
Eco-Friendly Milk Paint Method
Repeat Step 1 in the last section. Eco-friendly glue paint works best for matte and randomly chipped French Country furniture finishes, selecting a light top shade for a dark undercoat or a dark top color for a brighter, complementary layer under.
Mix the powdered milk paint, adding equal parts paint to water. Apply the first layer with a paintbrush or clean fabric, letting it dry overnight.
Press bits of paste wax to distress certain locations. Brush on the upper paint layer, working moist rags over borders and planes before it dries to reveal some undercoat and chipping in the resistant wax.
Seal with a completing furniture wax for safety.
Chalk Paint for Matte Complete
Obtain the desired chalk paint for a matte, creamy French Country furniture completes that accommodate subtle, layered antiquing.
Wash the furniture piece with a damp rag and rub dry with a clean cloth.
Brush on an opaque, pastel coat for the initial layer, letting it dry.
Make a translucent glaze by adding water to your darker, complementary color, or blend a white glaze to make depth for dark or bright undercoats. Brush on the glazes in sections, working fast with moist rags to wipe some off and enabling layers to dry before applying additional glazes.
Tint completing wax with chalk paint, edging it to crevices with a waxing brush.
Seal with clear wax and buff with a soft fabric, if preferred.
Acrylic Latex Paint Method
Obtain user-friendly acrylic-latex paint with an eggshell or satin finish and a glazing medium that utilizes extenders to delay drying, granting more time to edge glaze into grooves.
Repeat Step 2 in the preceding section.
Gently sand the furniture with fine-grit sandpaper. Wipe the dust off with a clean, damp rag.
Brush on the opaque, pastel undercoat letting it thoroughly dry.
Distress by mixing a dark, complementary color into the glazing medium in a one-to-four ratio of paint to glazing medium.
Brush the glaze on, wiping a little off with moist, clean rags. Push the glaze into the furniture’s crevices for a French Country finish that’s most observable in relief-work areas.