How To Glaze To Create A Coastal Look

5 Materials
$65
2 Days
Easy

Do you have some old pieces of furniture lying around that are dark and drab, maybe even a bit dated? Refinishing a piece of furniture can be so much fun and can make a dramatic difference in your space. Simply adding a coat or two of paint can do wonders, but in this tutorial we added another step to give our piece more depth, dimension and drama! Continue reading to see how to use glaze to create a coastal look. You'll be surprised how easy this step is!

I picked this beautiful table up from my local classifieds for about $75. It was in kinda sad shape. The top was full of scratches and dings…and my 4 year old didn’t help with the matter as he would drive his cars all around the table! The table is the perfect height for him to think it is his personal racetrack for his cars! My poor table had finally suffered enough! Mr. A got a real racetrack for his cars for his birthday so the coffee table racing has been banned!  


You can watch the full tutorial below to see exactly how we transformed this sad table into a darling coastal piece full of character! Please scroll through the remainder of the post to see detailed images along the way as well.

To get started on this furniture makeover we took the legs off of the table to make it easier to paint the underneath surface of the table. We gave the table top a light sanding on some of the more beat up pieces where there were scratches and dings. Then we were ready to get down and dirty with the fun stuff!

Painting the table white was just the first step to transforming this dark and drab table into a light and airy coastal piece. We painted the entire table, the bottom, legs and top with two coats of Behr Chalk Paint. We then let the paint cure overnight. 

To create more depth, detail and dimension to the table we added a glaze finish to the entire piece. We used 4 parts glaze to 1 part paint. We used a light grey acrylic paint, the Behr brand from Home Depot of course, because its our favorite.

Use an old bucket to mix the 2 parts together with a stir stick. The consistency will be a little runnier than the paint alone. That’s ok, that’s how it should be.  Also note that the glaze itself is a clear color, so it will take on whatever color of paint you’re using. 

So what does the glaze do? The glaze extends the drying time of your paint. So you essentially have more working time. If you’re working on a piece alone this is especially helpful. My Mom and I worked on this project together so it just sped up the process.

First we painted one plank of wood on the table at a time, making sure to get the paint down into the deep grooves in the wood, especially in between each plank. Once a plank had been painted, my Mom took a clean cotton cloth and lightly wiped the excess paint from the plank. 

Look how much detail and definition the glazing added to this plank already! You can really see all of the deep grooves and detailing on the table starting to stand out.

This image should give you a good idea on the different look that glaze will add to your piece. You can see where we have the bottom part of the table completely glazed and wiped down, the top of the table doesn’t have any glazing added yet, just the 2 coats of chalk paint.

The legs of the table are especially detailed with deep grooves. I love all of the detail that is brought out with the glaze!

Once the glazing has been applied to all surfaces, we let it dry to the touch. Really, I guess you could call it good after you’re finished glazing. It just totally depends on the look you’re going for. The glazing definitely added much needed detail and dimension to the table…but I wanted to take it another step further.

Enter sandpaper to the finishing stages and voila! It pulls some of the initial dark brown staining from the table through and creates yet another layer of detail. This step really helped to make the table look aged, salt and wind worn and well loved.

I mean really…just look at the patina on this table now! I LOVE it! It looks a bit weathered and worn like driftwood, very coastal!

When using chalk paint its important to seal your piece, otherwise the paint can stain and/or discolor over time. Adding a wax or polyurethane finish will also add some durability and protection to your piece. You’ll definitely want to add a finish if the piece gets a lot of use like a coffee table or kitchen table!


To see what product we used and how we finished up this project click the link to our site for step by step directions.


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We hope you enjoyed this tutorial and inspired you to give this technique a try.

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  • Pineapple Pineapple on Mar 16, 2021

    This creates just the finish I’d like to do on a coffee table. Looks beautiful and beachy.

    • Sunny Side Design Sunny Side Design on Mar 19, 2021

      Thank you Pineapple, that's just the look we were going for. For more coastal decorating ideas we invite you to visit our website.

  • Lynn Lynn on Feb 20, 2023

    Exactly what I want to do to an old dark coffee table in my Georgia sun room! Thank you!

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