This 90's Table Finally Takes Center Stage.

by Traci Heimer

5 Materials

Hi everyone! So, I've had this 90's end table-well, since the early 90's-and I decided it was time she got noticed. I knew I wanted to a shading with stain on this piece and took my cue from Beth over at Reality Daydream. She essentially pioneered this technique and has videos and tutorials on her process. Since she introduced her technique, there have been all sorts of talented artists creating masterpieces doing shading with stain. In fact, there are a lot of posts right here on Hometalk showcasing this technique. Check it out. I wanted this piece to have a more timeless look but also be a statement piece as well.

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This is one of those heavy, solid oak tables with a little drawer in the front that was popular back in the 90's. I also have a matching coffee table-lucky me. I sanded the top down, wiped down with a damp cloth, and then used a tack cloth to remove any residual dust. Now she is ready soak up some stain.

I used Unicorn SPiT Gel Stain in Midnight's Blackness and White Ning for the shading on top. I mixed up a chalk paint using Sherman Williams Tricorn Black (because that's what I had on hand) for the bottom. For the details on the side I found a Painters pen in white. On the drawer I used Valspar's Seashell Gray (not pictured). The entire piece was spray sealed with Minwax Fast-drying Polyurethane.

After sanding I drew the flower on with a pencil. I am not an artist, but drawing this kind of flower is relatively easy. Remember, flowers are not perfect in nature, so it's okay if it's not perfect coming out of your head and onto a surface. Then, using my finger inside a lint free cloth (old t-shirts work well too) I began applying the white to the petals. I used the black for the center of the flower and on the background. Once the white was done, I applied the black at the base of the petals, leaving it sit for a minute, then pulling out the color into the petals. As the black was pulled out, I ended up with lighter shades of gray. I then dabbed the white onto the black center using a small sea sponge-which turned out awesome. I used a small art brush to fill in the black along the white petals and then switched to a wider art brush for the rest.

Next, I painted the rest of her in black.

The drawer got several coats of leftover Valspar's Seashell Gray from a bathroom makeover.

The grooves along the table sides were filled in with the Painters pen in white.

Spray sealing with Minwax Clear Gloss gave her a polished look.

What I love about the stain is that you can still see the grain of the wood peeking through.

And there you go. A star is born. I have to admit, sometimes when I do a makeover, I don't end up liking it. Have you ever had your disappointments? But, this one is one of my favorites icon