Glaze of Glory

A few months ago, I had a client call me up to ask me to refinish a nightstand for her. Someone else had tried refinishing this piece for her, but the color and technique didn't go with the other pieces I had already done for her. Since I have had more than one person tell me that they want to know how I glaze my furniture, I thought it was time to write a tutorial.

The 3 Rules of Glazing

Rule #1: Learn to be a slob. That's right. It's ok to be a slob when you glaze - throw that wet towel on the floor, leave your dishes on the counter, or just refuse to make your bed. You can tell your family you're just practicing good painting skills. Why? Because, you absolutely cannot be a perfectionist when it comes to glazing. It is going to be darker in some spots than others, and that's ok!

Rule #2: Make a manicure appointment. (Or just wear gloves.) Your finger nails will get unbelievably dirty! Glazing should be listed as one the Dirtiest Jobs. But, but it's a good excuse to get a manicure! Unfortunately for me me, my husband figured out gloves are way cheaper than a manicure.

Rule #3: "Have patience, have patience don't be in such a hurry." Make sure you have allowed your base coat of paint to dry and cure for at least 48 hours before glazing. Glaze is water based, and chances are so is your paint. If you begin glazing too soon, it will only reactivate your paint and cause it to peel.

Now that we've covered the basics, let's get started on the step-b- step details!

Materials Needed:
Paint brush, cloth rags, bowl of water, Valspar Antique Glaze 

3 Steps to Glazing Anything

Step 1: Sand, prime and paint your piece of furniture. Let dry for 48 hours.

Step 2

Step 2: Using a brush or rag, begin glazing your furniture focusing on one small section at a time. The glaze typically begins drying in 10-15 minutes depending on the outside temperature and humidity conditions.

I like to pour the glaze into the top of the container. It is easier to handle while I'm glazing, and it makes it easy to pour back in any left overs when done.

To rag on the glaze you simply dip your cloth into water and ring out any excess. You want your cloth to be damp, but not dripping wet.

Next, you dip your damp rag into the glaze and put on a coat of glaze. Don't worry about it being too dark at this point. Glaze is super easy to lighten up once your put it on. The water will be your best friend during this process!

To brush on the glaze, you simply dip your brush into the water prior to brushing the glaze onto your piece. Simple as that!

Step 3: Wipe off the excess glaze.

Step 3

Take a clean cloth and begin ragging off your glaze. If you want a dark glaze, use a dry rag to wipe off the excess. If you want a lighter finish, dip your clean rag in the water. Try to "push" the glaze towards the corners and into any crevices found on your piece. Remember, glaze is suppose to resemble dirt, oil and wax build up found on antique furniture.

This process takes a little time. You have to work the glaze around until you have the right color for you. If you want to take more glaze off, simply dip your rag in the water bowl and rag away.

This is the part where you have to lay your perfectionism aside. You will start to pick apart every little imperfection in the glaze, but that is what makes glaze an antiquing technique - it gives your piece imperfections! You don't want it to look perfect, you want it to look aged.

Now, step back and admire your finished product!

A Few Tips to Consider

I personally think how you paint the piece will determine how your glaze looks. I prefer to use a brush when painting a piece I will be glazing. The brush strokes left in the paint from your brush will leave tiny crevices for your glaze to fall into on the flat services. 

If you will be using a latex paint, the best paint I have found is Behr found at Home Depot. I have tried other top brands and hardware store brands, but I keep going back to Behr for my latex paint of choice.

If you prepare and paint your piece correctly, you don't "need" a special top coat, however, I always like to add an extra coat of protection. For this piece, I used a soft wax finish. If it was a desk or dining room table, I would use a water based polycrylic finish.

Let me know if you have any questions on how to finish your piece of furniture!