Water Based Stain and Milk Paint Layered End Tables

These end tables were very dated and the orange finish was failing. If you remember from a post a few days ago, I ended up removing the entire finish down to bare wood. We also added a plain piece of trim to cover the detail work that was on the front to make them more modern and up to date. I started the refinishing with two coats of shellac to seal the wood and block the wood tannins from coming through my finish. I still wasn’t sure what direction I was going with these tables but because the pine was really yellow, and I knew that was definitely not what I wanted, I started with General Finishes water based stain in Antique Oak and a paint wash of Dark Chocolate. I didn’t mix them together but I dipped my brush in both, brushed it on and wiped it off. Then a paint wash of Millstone and wipe. I continued layering these colors, wiping and sanding between layers until I got the look I wanted. I love how the wood took the colors so uniquely and there is dimension and interest all over. I sealed the tables in High Performance Top Coat in Flat. I rarely, if ever, go for silver hardware but for some reason I just loved the satin nickel with this finish. And the shape was perfect for the modern/rustic/industrial new look.