Grey Buffet with Dark Wax

Buffet with style

Before painting this beautiful old buffet in Voodoo Molly 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.