To Wax or Not to Wax

To wax or not to wax, that is the question. I’ve been a professional painter of faux finishes, murals, furniture and much more for over 20 years. I love painting because it allows me to use my creative side and I am so lucky that I get to do it for a living! However, along with the creative side I like that there are general rules to painting.

I know that I’m going to clean and prep whatever surface that I’m painting every time.

Oil paints and water paints don’t mix.

You see where I’m going here?

One thing that I’ve struggled with over the past few years is wax.

Wax is fairly easy to use and is a great way to finish furniture.

However, look closely at the photo above and you’ll see what I don’t like about wax.

It easily scratches and scuffs.

I KNOW that I can buff this out, but am I going to do that every time there is a scratch.

No.

If left alone over time wax gets really hard and durable. My China cabinet was one of the first things I ever used chalk paint and wax on and it’s still as beautiful today as it was years ago.

But it doesn’t get the same day to day wear and tear as my end table.

I lived with this sad end table for awhile before I said enough was enough.

Time for a do over.

Step 1: Repaint.

The beautiful thing about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is that you can paint right over the wax.

So I did.

One good coat was all it needed!

Step 2:

Normally, at this point I would have put a nice poly coat on top and called it good.

But I wanted a little less shine and a lot more of an old patina look for this piece.

Miss Mustard Seed Hemp Oil to the rescue!

Just apply according to directions, which is basically wipe it on, and let dry 24 hours.

Super easy!

This is what my table looks like now…. no more scratches!

Here’s a reminder of the before and after!

MAJOR difference!

This isn’t the first time I’ve used Hemp oil, but it is the first time I’ve used it on a surface that gets a ton of use.

I will keep you informed!

So here’s the recap:

I’m thinking if it is a piece of furniture that gets average to little use I will be using wax as a finish.

However, if it is a work horse it’s a no for me!

Until next time….