First Shabby Chic project

I saw a beautiful oak side table in a charity shop, in a very sorry state. But it was well made and had potential to look far better as it was structurally sound. Because it was oak I debated whether or not to just sand and refinish it in its natural colour. But I was itching to have a go at some paint finishes, so decided to have a try a distressed finish. My sister is having a new kitchen diner put in her home and I thought it would be a nice gift for her.
I have seen other shabby chic furniture that has been very badly done when people have not taken the time to sand down the surfaces first. So that was the fist job to remove the crackled varnish and nasty brown stain the wood was already treated with. Once down to a smooth key I applied two coats of chalk paint in an off white colour. Being careful to apply thin even coats. Then I applied a coat of  soft green chalk paint for its final outside colour, before sanding to creative the worn look of Shabby Chic furniture. I sanded the areas that would be naturally worn or knocked with age. Once that stage was completed and  I brushed on two coats of natural furniture wax and finally buffed with some lint free cloth to bring up a lovely soft sheen on the wood. It was a nice job to carry out in the garden on a warm summer day and has definitely got me hooked on up cycling, interesting pieces of furniture.