Ugly to lovely in three easy steps!
We partnered with our friends at Fusion Mineral Paints to put together this awesome post to show you how simple it is to make something pretty!
Do you ever look at those high end home magazines and see beautiful accessories and accents that simply finish a room?
You know what I’m talking about. Gorgeous bowls, huge lanterns, incredible pieces of art. And candlesticks. Big, pretty, candlesticks. The kind of candlesticks that, if you need to check the price, you can’t afford them? Those candlesticks.
Well guess what – if you want that look, without that price tag, there is an answer.
Look at these – pretty Ugly? These candlesticks were left in the Clearance Section, unloved and untouched. They are chunky, a great shape and are really, really not going to look great in any room! So how do I make them look amazing?
Fresco from Fusion Mineral Paint. Yes Fresco. You may not have heard of this product just yet – in fact it has only been available for sale since 1st September, but I was lucky enough to get my hands on it last week.
Fresco is a powder designed to be added to paint and enables users to achieve a beautiful ‘Sea Swept’, coastal finish, a ‘Chalky’ matte timeworn finish or even an ancient crackled ‘European’ finish.
So here is what we did.
Firstly the candlesticks were lightly sanded and wiped, to remove the dust.
Next we took the Fresco – which incidentally is 100% natural and contains no VOC’s – and added an equal amount of Algonquin Fusion Mineral Paint to it. Algonquin is a deep taupe and a very classy colour choice.
Once mixed we applied it all over the candlesticks. You can apply with a brush or a knife. Basically there are no rules – just go for it. By using a couple of techniques, we achieved different textures.
Once the Fresco Mix has slightly dried, so it has a skin almost, we knocked back the bigger lumps with a brush. This gives a very real aged texture.
We then set the candlesticks outside in the sun to dry. Heat produces amazing cracks in the finish, but you can just leave it to dry naturally.
Once dry – around 30 minutes – we applied a coat of Fusion Mineral Paint in Limestone – truly warm off white – which we knew would really gib=ve a very expensive looking finish when complemented by the Algonquin.
The final step, once the Limestone was dry, was to wet sand.
Wet sanding is simply using a Fusion Sanding pad, dipped in water and rubbing back the paint. Wetting it means no dust and you can very easily control the process. It is a magical moment when you take a dry cloth and wipe the water away.
Tadah…two incredibly beautiful candlesticks, from two very ugly candlesticks!
Fresco can be used, with Fusion Mineral Paint on pretty much any surface – so get yourself to the Thrift store and grab what you can! The only limit is your imagination!
