Grey Buffet with Dark Wax

Buffet with style

• Before painting this beautiful old buffet in Vintage Paint "Old Linen", I completed repairs to the hinges and lock, filled the old handle holes, added new keyhole (escutcheon) plates, lightly sanded to remove any loose varnish and cleaned with soap and water. 

• Vintage Paint self-levels to reduce brush marks -- and unfortunately I didn't want a smooth, professional look to this! To create a textured finish,  I over-brushed the partially dry paint in a cross-hatch direction with my brush. This gave it a subtle yet haphazard, textured finish. 

• A coat of Vintage Wax was then added to give it a warm lustre. I used a large wax brush to apply it, and let it sit overnight before buffing off with a clean, lint-free cloth. You could stop at this stage.

Ageing with Dark Wax

• To deepen the finish, and bring out the moulding, carvings and textured paint finish, I dark waxed the whole unit. Either use Voodoo Molly Vintage DARK wax, or mix Vintage Stain "Ebony" into Vintage CLEAR Wax. I applied the dark wax it with a wax brush, working sections at a time. 

• Some dainty clear glass knobs finished it off this buffet nicely. I had to drill a couple of new holes for these, which is easily done with a cordless drill. 

• During the curing period I left the drawers and cupboards open, and didn't put anything damp or large on the surface. This allows oxygen to move freely around the finish. 

Hints for applying Dark Wax

• Dark wax can be difficult to apply in cold weather. As the wax cools down it will become hard like a crayon and sometimes crack. Applying hard wax is very hard work and sometimes impossible! In cooler weather, warm your wax by leaving it in a warm spot for a while, or gently heating with a hairdryer.

• It's easier to apply wax with a brush than a cloth. A brush will allow you to push the wax into the surface, and avoid removing too much during the application process. Once you have liberally coated the surface use a cloth to move, remove and/or buff. 

• If you've added too much dark wax to an area, or you'd like to 'highlight' parts of your project, erase dark wax off with a little clear wax on a clean cloth.