This is a quick follow up post on the makeover of the bank chairs.  As you know, I decided to paint the frames of the chairs black.  However, you may have noticed, that when working with either a milk paint or a chalk paint, that the black color can be cloudy and faded.  It can look a bit chalky.

So what is a girl to do if she wants a truly black paint on her furniture?  The purpose of this post is to answer that question.

There is a technique known as “wet sanding”.  This is simply when you have a wet surface and use a high grit sand paper, such as 220, or medium grit sand paper, such as 150, on the piece furniture. On occasion, I have used this technique when I am sanding a piece of furniture inside the house and want to keep dust to a minimum.  For example, I used this technique when I sanded the Lake House Cupboard .

However, you can also use this technique to finish a piece.  It works especially well when you are using dark colors.  Rather than sanding a surface that is damp with water, you apply hemp oil with a brush and sand the oil into the paint with the grain of the wood.  At first, it feels a bit a counter intuitive.  Nonetheless, the technique works really well.  It gives the paint a depth of color and luster that would otherwise be missing. It also does a great job of sealing the paint and protecting the end product.

Here is a photo showing hemp oil on the left side of the chair and the paint without the oil on the right side. Can you see the difference?  Without the oil being wet sanded into the paint, the finish has a chalky appearance.

 

 

As another point of contrast, below is a photo of one of the chairs prior to any hemp oil being applied and wet sanding being done.

 

 

 

Another benefit of using the wet sanding technique is that it creates a smooth finish which practically glows from across the room.

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  If you decide to try this technique, please let me know.  Either leave a comment below or tag me on instagram!