Farm Table with Faux Rusted Top, For Real

Faux goodness sake, this post was so good, I am sharing again!  Originally shared March of 2014

Don’t you just love a good rusty finish?  I love the look of things that are old, chippy, rusty.  Like they have a story to tell.  Recently I received a picture from a student of mine asking me if I could replicate the finish she saw on a dresser.  I love a good challenge!  My cheapo Farm table from Good Will was the perfect specimen.

Here is the picture I used for inspiration:

A Perfect Gray

And here is the table before I started:

I knew I needed a paint that was easy to manipulate and forgiving.  This would be hard to achieve with a paint that contained latex or acrylic because it would eventually seize up and rewetting it, manipulating it is not an option.  This is why I LOVE Debi’s Design Diary DIY Paint It is a CLAY based paint.  100% Natural, 9 Ingredients + Love.  It is by far the easiest paint I have ever used, and the ways you can use it are endless.

I started with a base coat of an earthy color.

From this point forward, I was so engrossed in what I was doing. I forgot to take more process pictures!  I love this finish so much.  I will definitely be trying it on more pieces (like my free crate makeover coming up this Wednesday!)

When the this had dried, I painted a very thin coat of a lovely Grey on most of the table, except the middle.

Next I added a watered down white.  At first I brushed it on, but then realized I wanted a cloudy, natural look,  not painted look.  I sanded down and used a wet rag to manipulate the paint.  You can manipulate the dried paint with a wet rag!  I then pounced on  White Wash again. When this dried, I went back and wet distressed some more until I had the look I wanted.

For the base I painted a combination of Grey and Charcoal Black.  I did the same wet distress, and blend the paints where I could. 

The best thing about this table, it won’t rust anymore!  I sealed the entire piece with hard wearing Natural Finish.  Now this Farm table is fit for a Farm House or an Elegant Abode.