Using Dark Wax on Painted Furniture - My Review

This is the first time I really tried using dark wax. The brand I am using here is Fiddes & Sons because it is sold at the shop where I sell my stuff. I used Jacobean color for the rich tone. I don't like pink or orange so this color seemed the safest for me. I painted this console in Northampton Putty by Benjamin Moore and let the drawer be an antique white.
The color is beautiful. The wax is great but a little hard to work with on it's own. I read that putting a clear wax coat on first is important and I will say - you must do that!
I avoided brush stroke lines by applying my home made chalk paint (1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup Plaster of Paris mixed together then added that to a quart of paint) with a sponge roller and then back brushing.
Back brushing means that you roll the paint and then with a very light touch follow the wood grain with long strokes with a good quality brush to blend the paint until it has the look you like. I even painted my hardware on this particular piece.
A friend of mine who hosts paint classes told me that mineral spirits will also help in the blending of dark wax. I will try that next time.
I love the look! If you read my blog post you will find another way to get this very same look with other items around the house that are cheaper and easy to work with.
Down to Earth Holly
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Lori Lori on Jan 31, 2015
    That is so beautiful. If you did that piece to compliment that picture then I don't know how you could have done any better. They are so perfect together. That's the kind of thing that just makes you smile every single time you look at it.
  • Curlie Curlie on Apr 26, 2015
    Oh my goodness. Applied dark wax on a small painted table and I'm afraid I'm unsure if the look is what I wanted. Help! Now I'm thinking I should have used a clear wax first. Now...I'm going to use the piece anyway...it's not terrible. My suggestion would be to use a lighter hand when applying. I'm going to put a clear wax over the top and hope it lightens up a little bit. What do I know for sure? I like it better than plain paint! :)
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