Have you ever found a great deal on a table or piece of furniture and passed it by because it had a stone or tile top? I have found some amazing pieces while thrifting and decided to pass simply because I didn't know how to handle or paint stone. Well, that's a thing of the past. Today's post is all about the best way I've found to paint over top of stone with Dixie Belle Paint products. Here's the biggest part of the secret: it's all in the prep...Slick Stick to the rescue!
While I was out thrifting with a friend I cam across this sad little piece. It was scuffed up and worn out. She had a pink note written on top that said "$20 - if you take me home today!" I'm a sucker for a great deal, so I paused to look. It wasn't a bad piece. It boasted Bombay-style wood, but also a granite-style top. I'm sure the fact that the granite might not match someone's décor or tastes was the reason for the discount note. With all her amazing curves and details, coupled with that killer deal, I knew I had to take her home!
With help (cause this baby is heavy!!) I had her loaded up and into my painting room. All my furntiure pieces start in the same way. I place them onto a drop cloth and do an assessment, where I check the joints, tighten the screws, and look for any missing veneer or damages. If they have a need to repair any wood I use Dixie Belle's Mud. This old girl was solid, with no major repairs needed. She was ready for a makeover, and I was up to the task.
After my visual assessment, I always clean my pieces with White Lightning. White Lightning is a powder-based formula that you disperse into water. I re-use a old cleaning spray bottle and keep it handy. I gave the entire piece a good scrub down with White Lightning - it may seem tedious but it's a step you never want to skip.
Before we go any further, let's just stop and talk about this table top. It's a shiny, granite-style stone. Normally, when you would apply paint to a stone like area your paint would never stick. It might look okay but as soon as you scuff or scratch it the surface at all, the paint would begin to flake off. This is because the shiny surface is not porous. It's important to note that the wood on this piece was also shiny - if any piece of furniture presents as shiny wood you should scuff, sand, or Slick Stick before painting to give it something to grab onto. I decided to test out Slick Stick on the whole piece. Since I sell my furniture I want to feel confident that I am sending the customer home with a piece that will stand the test of time.
Next to White Lightning, Slick Stick is one of the most used items in my tool box. It's easy to use and prepares the surface for paint. Slick Stick is a gripper primer for slick and shiny surfaces. It will help you prepare any surface like metal, plastic, or shiny wood for paint. Because of my success with it on other surfaces, I thought I'd put it to the test on this granite-style top.
Be sure to read and follow the instructions closely on Slick Stick to ensure optimal results. I use a chip brush that is thrown away after use. I apply one even coat to a surface that has been cleaned with White Lighting. You need to wait 2-4 hours before the second coat is applied. If you find your chip brush is leaving marks, you can sand gently between coats to remove them. After your second coat is applied you need to wait 24 hours before paint. This step is important. The cure time is needed before the paint is applied. When your 24 time frame has passed you are ready for paint!
While it was drying I devised a plan for this piece. I knew I couldn't ignore those curves and scrolls, and decided that a Mad Hatter theme would really highlight them and show off those legs. I then made a list of supplies and colors I'd want to use, including:
Gemstone Mousse in Golden Gem
Best Dang Wax Black
Starting at the base I applied the Bunker Hill Blue. I was sure to keep a separate brush for each color and laying down the initial pattern. Moving up into Palmetto, then Mermaid Tail. I used the Kudzu at the top, creating the initial pattern. The Mad Hatter plan for this piece is to paint the top, granite-style square in Caviar and Cotton diamonds.
After the initial colors have dried I use a separate brush for each color and a spray misting bottle filled with water. Using a damp brush I lightly feather the colors together to achieve an ombre look. The center base had the same pattern moving into the lightest color, Kudzu.
Let's work through the steps to achieve the top's diamond pattern. I painted a base of Cotton to the square. Once I had two even coats of Cotton dried, I applied painters tape to create the diamond shape, and the used the same Cotton color to paint over the tape lines to seal the edges. Once dry, I painted the diamond shapes with black Caviar. I used two coats of Caviar and removed the tape. I wanted to accentuate the top, and decided on adding some metallic to the top. I used Gemstone Mousse in Golden Gem to fill the raised edges around the square. I also used a simple drinking glass to trace a circle onto the spot where the diamonds meet. I filled it in with Golden Gem as well.
Now to add some depth to the piece. I used Best Dang Wax in Black to fill in the detail and grooves. I applied this with my French Tip Brush and wiped back the excess with a baby wipe (baby wipes are a great tool to keep handy for waxes and spills, especially because Dixie Belle's wax products are water based and wipe back easily).
It's time to highlight those curves! My favorite metallic to use is Dixie Belle's Gilding Wax. I used a craft store brush to apply the Gold Gilding wax to the edges and details. Everywhere the light hits will be shiny and detailed! Since Gilding Wax is an oil based product, you can apply this last after sealing. It dries quickly and hard to the touch! I also applied Gemstone Mousse in Golden Gem to the beading and trim.
I used my Blue Sponge to apply a couple of coats of Satin Clear Coat. Wiping on this protective top coat is the best way to seal my work.
What do you think? Did my Mad Hatter vision come to life?
Moral of the story is: Next time you see a cute table for a amazing deal and it has a stone top? Snag it and use your Slick Stick to rescue and make it over to any style you like!
Want to see a Tik TOk with this piece? Click here.
Happy Painting!
Melissa
Dixie Belle Brand AMbassador
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