After

So this is the mostly finished version.  I have one more coat of wax to do on top but other than that it is all finished.  I am mostly pleased with this for my first try doing something like this. There are some areas that don't look perfect but I don't think that anyone else would notice them except for me. I am glad to know that waxing is so much easier than I anticipated.  I can't wait for the wax to cure so I can start working on my bedroom.  

The steps I took to achieve this look are as follows.

I started by cleaning the piece with odorless mineral spirits. As you can tell from the before picture it was very nicotine stained even after I cleaned so I was a little nervous as I waited an hour for the mineral spirits to dry. 

Before I began painting I had to first use 220 sand paper on the top of the desk because it was made of Formica and I wanted to use less coats of the chalk paint.

I then started on my first coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  I chose Old White because I thought it would compliment the style of the desk.  I have to say I still feel the same way I really like the way it looks.  

I used this Annie Sloan brush to apply the paint.  I invested in this more expensive brush because I plan to do a lot more pieces in the upcoming months and I have heard that these brushes if treated well last forever!

Next was the finishing step of using the Annie Sloan Soft Wax.  This is the step I am almost finished with.  I just need to do one more coat and I am finished.

This is the wax brush that I used. Again I invested a little extra money to get a good brush that would hold up well.

That is how I had my desk go from:

To this: