I showed you all the video on the progress of the Heritage Tables. Two coats of General Finishes chalk style paint in Chapin Gray and a quick sand and application of General Finishes Java Gel stain on the tops. Here’s what else was done to the tables.
I applied General Finishes Flat Out Flat topcoat over the chalk style paint and let it dry. I then used General Finishes Burnt Umber glaze by using a sponge brush to wipe it on and a paper towel to wipe it off. This highlighted the detail nicely. I also added a teeny bit of gold gilding wax in a few places on the drawer fronts.
I let the Java Gel stain sit for a day and then decided to use General Finishes wipe-on urethane to seal them. This is where a happy mistake happened. I don’t know if it is because the gel stain hadn’t totally cured, or if it was my inexperience and I shouldn’t really have used the urethane over the gel stain, but as I wiped on the urethane it took some of the dark gel stain off. At first I was upset but as I kept wiping it on (and in the process wiping off the dark stain) I really liked how it looked. It allowed the lighter wood tone to come through and gave them a warm finish. The tops are now glossy and super durable as well. I learned a new trick 🙂
From 1970’s drab:
To today’s fab. No distressing! Quite a traditional look for me! 
You got to come home with up. Every piece you paint and/or stain are fabulous!
Thank you so much!!!
Enjoy your blog very much and appreciate your skill – and sharing!
Thank you very much!
So pretty! I love your work. Thank you for your helpful videos!
Thank you so much, Jeannie!
They turned out beautifully! I had a ‘sort of’ similar happy mistake when using Polyshades in black. I had applied it to an oak table top I had sanded down to bare wood, do to my inexperience I didn’t realize that the grain of the wood had opened up and the wood sucked in the stain in some areas and almost puddled in others so I had a very inconsistent look. So I decided I would sand it down again and start over but when I start sanding I started to see and sort of weather look with the stain colour transitioning from black to charcoal to a dark greyish. I started to really like it so decided to leave it and see how I felt the next day…turns out I loved it even more!
Don’t you love those happy surprises? I learn so much from them. Experimenting is the best way to be creative and I love to figure it out as I go. So glad your table turned out so beautifully!