We recently purchased a sweet antique Depression Era petite dresser (chest of drawers) and wanted to experiment with a finish specific to the era it was built in.
We were inspired by one of our favorite collectibles, Mercury Glass:
Here is our final result:
This is what we did to achieve the look:
Prep your piece (dust, wipe down, vacuum out, etc) – no sanding or priming needed with Chalk Paint®
Base coat it with Graphite by Annie Sloan – 2 light coats for full coverage – with a natural bristle brush
We mixed a custom metallic because we had several pots left over from other projects but the closest in hue would be Modern Masters Warm Silver, which we carry in the shop. We used it with Scumble, (Scumble is a paint medium that creates a glaze) 1:1, and glazed the dresser over the Graphite, wiping off with a paper towel
We then took the metallic paint (this time full strength, not mixed with Scumble) and brushed it over the glaze in linear feathered strokes to create the abstract patterns
We used Black Licorice glaze from Wood Icing (we carry this in the shop) on a sponge brush and gave some shadows to our metallic finish by focusing on specific parts of the dresser (low points and corners) and wiping off excess
Reglaze with Scumble and Metallic mix to soften lines
Use a small brush, loaded with Black Licorice glaze, and “fly speck” your piece by flicking drops of the glaze onto your surface
Seal with your choice of sealer – we used Artisan Enhancements Clear Topcoat
It was a fun process that took about 4 total hours excluding dry time. We love experimenting (playing with paint) to create new finishes and are happy to share our results with you. Come to our shop (182 Glenridge Ave) during our open hours anytime for a free painting demo or sign up for a workshop to learn more techniques.
X,
Azie
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