Antique side table and a lesson

 This little table came to me with two different colors already on it.  The second coat was peeling in spots so I thought I could just lightly sand it in the spots it wasn't peeling and sand off the parts that were.  Well, when I painted over it (6 coats! because of the color) it looked fine until I started distressing it and then the second layer of paint started peeling off leaving the first coat exposed (it was pink) underneath.  I ended up having to strip it (which I should have just done in the first place).  About an hour into stripping it I wanted to cry.  It was a mess!!  I had 8 layers of paint, 3 different colors, and the stripper which was drying up faster than I could get it off.  It looked impossible and I was ready to call my friend and tell her I would just pay her for the table.  I finally decided I would just work on it one small part at a time.  It took me hours and hours but I finally got it down to where I could sand it down to the bare wood.  So, I was back to square one--primed, painted, distressed, and sealed.  

The point of me writing this book?  Do it right the first time!  :)

I also realized we're a lot like this little old table...that's a thought for another day...

By the way--the first color I painted this was called Forceful Orange.  It certainly was.  When I couldn't stomach looking at it for more than 2 minutes at a time I knew I had to change it (and it didn't really fit the personality of the wonderful woman it belongs to!).  

Before

 After

Oh, she's so sweet and sunny now! :)

 Instead of painting the whole thing orange (like the disaster the first time) I opted for a rust colored primer, so when I distressed just the very edges had that nice contrast.

I loved all the dents, dings, and other imperfections of this little table--so charming. 

color = White Raisin SW