Mille Feuille Finish -- or Cheryl's Kitchen Sponge Technique!

At TLC Vintage Collection, Central Iowa headquarters for Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan, we are always looking for brilliant, easy, practical paint finishes and methods to share with our readers. Well.....today is the best ever so far, thanks to my dear friend and stockist colleague -- Cheryl Frampton -- who is clever, witty and brilliant - owner of the Big White Goose, Canby OR and her friend Bob -- your common kitchen sponge! I buy mine, 3/$1, at Dollar Tree. Great tool for your workbench!

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So let's take your first half 1900s hall table and turn it into something phenomenal with little paint and product in about two hours, start to finish!

Clean your furniture with dish soap and warm water, rinse, let dry. Then apply small amount of French Linen to your clean, new sponge and gently whisk it over the surface. Do not try for full coverage.....let some wood and varnish show through. Once dry, do the same with Duck Egg Blue....do not apply paint into crevices....let it fall where it may. After this level dries, you will do the same with Paris Grey...

Next you will sand lightly with 200-600 grit sandpaper to merge colors and bring out any natural imperfections of the piece. Take the dust off with a tack cloth or cheese cloth.

The finale is to do a blended wax of Clear Soft Wax and Renaissance Gilding Wax (both available at our physical store and on line at www.tlcvintagecollection.com). Apply and wipe off the excess as normal, leaving extra in cracks and ridges to help leave a metallic gold sheen.

Let dry for a few days before buffing or placing items on top. Patina look finish with panache!