Upgraded Living Room Cabinet with a Wax Patina

I am very passionate about decoration, and now that our century-old house is completely renovated I have immense pleasure in embellishing it.

Since 2013, we have been looking for our favorite to decorate one of the spaces in our very large living room. Since we don’t like spending large amounts of money on decoration, recycling is the ideal solution for us.

It was while browsing Kijiji in the fall of 2019 that I discovered this rare gem. A few days later, this magnificent living room cabinet was there, awaiting upgrading.

Products Used

• Colorantic cleaner and varnish remover
• Colorantic oil-based primer
• Colorantic Paint: Tractor Dust and Sailor
• Waxes: Natural Bee, Gray Storm, Antique Brown and Black Coal
• Colorantic foam roller (2)
• 55mm bristle brush
• 100 grit sanding paper
• Colorantic Synthetic #10 Oval Purple Brush 
• Colorantic XL round brush (for paint and wax)
• Colorantic 16mm round brushes for wax (3) Colorantic
• Colorantic two-grain sanding block 
• Colorantic granular hand and brush soap
• T-shirt type rags
• Chiffon microfibre
• A bottle of spray water

Step 1 – Preparing the Furniture

• Remove the handle
• Spray the cleaner and varnish remover on the cabinet and spread it well on all surfaces using a paper towel, leave to act for 30 minutes;
• Using a cloth with hot water, rinse very well twice, in order to remove all residue;
• Apply the primer coat using a foam roller and respect the recommended drying time.

Step 2 – Painting

• You are now ready to apply the Tractor Dust colour using a foam roller;
• Five minutes later, using the 55mm brush, apply a thin layer of Sailor colour in the direction of the wood. Quickly, without pressing hard, randomly mix the two colours using the damp microfiber cloth. If necessary, spray a little water on the cloth and the furniture to make it easier to wipe. Using the purple brush, add a little Tractor Dust colour and wipe again. These steps give a very beautiful texture to the paint, that of an old piece of furniture.
• Wear using the sanding block, sanding paper and a damp cloth (t-shirt).

Step 3 – Surface protection

• Allow the paint to dry very well for 24 hours before waxing;
• The next day, using the XL round brush, and one part at a time, apply the natural beeswax to all surfaces and spread it well with a paper towel or cloth (t-shirt). It is very important that the furniture is completely waxed as this will allow corrections to be made if necessary.

Phase 4 – Patina

• You are now ready to proceed with the patina. Use the three 16mm round brushes, randomly apply the three colours of wax to the desired areas, you will obtain very beautiful shades by superimposing them. It is possible to create other shades by mixing them beforehand. Let your imagination run wild to create beautiful effects, it is important to accentuate the cavities by applying dark colours
• Rest assured, if you are not completely satisfied with the result, it is always possible to correct the nuances by applying natural wax and you can start again
• Once finished, do not wipe with a paper towel or cloth, the wax will harden on its own, this may take up to 30 days

Diane Lavoie

Blogger