How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish

Share & Save for later!

How to Glaze Painted Furniture

Can you get over the detail on these vintage dressers? While discussing the plan with the customer for the makeover I just knew that glaze would create the perfect old world finish for this set without taking away from the details. I have to admit that I was ecstatic that the customer did not want them painted white. The dark red wood would certainly cause bleed through issues which I discuss in another post. But for now, let’s get into how to glaze furniture

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish / add black glaze / romantic furniture / painted dressers

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for my full disclosure policy

The Unfinished Mahogany Dresser Set

This ornate vintage bedroom set came complete with a low dresser, tall chest, nightstands, and a mirror. The set is large, dark and has unique details. The hardware is actually part of the drawers and are not removable. The set was finished in steps after being fully cleaned and prepped in my standard process of How to Prep Painted Furniture.  

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods

How to Glaze Furniture For an Old World Finish

Materials Needed / Source List

Painting and Glazing an Ornate Mirror

Like I mentioned, the set was finished in steps, and due to the extra large size of the mirror, I started with that first. My little brushes came in handy while working on this mirror. So what if they are technically makeup brushes, I love that they come in a case and fit in all the small nooks and crannies. 

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods

Since the mirror was attached to a wooden frame and I couldn’t was afraid to remove it I had to work around it. The side clips were removed to paint and glaze the sides and then put right back on once finished.  

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods
How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods

Another little trick I used was to keep a piece of simple printer paper over the mirror to prevent paint from getting on it. This works well, especially in the tight areas.

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods

Also, due to its massive size, I was unable to photograph the mirror once it was finished but I did manage to grab a quick video of applying the glaze to the ornate details along its top.

 

Here is a photo that was taken mid glaze to show the difference between glazed and unglazed. 

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods

mirror frame, framed mirror, paint mirror frame, ornate mirrors

Painting and Glazing the Dressers

The dressers were in decent shape considering the age, and the details, oh my the details. 

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods / vintage mahogany dressers / painted gray / black glaze

Once sanded and prepped the tables were hand painted in a creamy gray chalk type paint. In the few areas where the wood started to bleed through I went over the paint with a layer of clear sealer to stop the bleed through. The dressers were then given a light black glaze. This video explains and shows my method for applying the glaze.

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods / vintage dressers / painted dressers/ glazed furniture
 

Too Much Glaze?

If you find that you have applied too much glaze in an area or if it looks uneven don’t worry. 

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods / painted furniture / glazed furniture

Simply go over the glaze with a light layer of paint, with soft edges and then reapply the glaze making sure to blend well.

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the WoodsHow to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods
glaze painted furniture
How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods

If you are feeling overwhelmed or just starting out you can always start at the beginning with How to Paint Furniture – a Beginners Guide

how to paint furniture

Painted and Glazed for an Old World Finish

This bedroom set went from vintage red to old world and romantic with a soft glaze over the stone gray. 

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods / vintage dressers / painted furniture / painted and glazed / old world style

Check out all of my furniture projects with over 90 painted furniture makeovers: Stunning painted furniture ideas.

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods / vintage furniture / painted dressers/ vintage bedroom set / painted and glazed / chalk paint / staten island
How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods / painted hardware / ornate furniture / glaze on dressers / staten island
How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods

To see the matching nightstands that go with this bedroom set and the troubles it gave me with bleed through you can find it here: How to Stop Bleed Through 

How to Stop Bleed Through Without Using Primer by Just the Woods

If the staging props and home decor in the photos strike your fancy then make sure to check out:

Gray has been an extremely popular color for painted furniture lately. If you love gray then check out

Fifteen Fabulous Gray Painted Furniture Projects

gray painted furniture, painted desk, chalk paint, pure home paint, staten island, just the woods

painted furniture, how to paint furniture, painted furniture tutorials, painted furniture blog, painting furniture, painted furniture before and after, painted furniture makeovers

Don’t Forget – Follow Just the Woods and Share this post to Inspire others:

FACEBOOK  *  INSTAGRAM  *  PINTEREST

Subscribe to our mailing list here: [mc4wp_form id=”1340″]

PINTEREST PIN READY TO SHARE

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods
How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods

  

How to Glaze Furniture for an Old World Finish by Just the Woods

Share & Save for later!

11 Comments

  1. I love the color. Will try to update my ornate mirrors this weekend

  2. Pat Watson says:

    What exactly is a glaze? Can’t say that I have seen it here in the UK.

    1. in this case its a protective sealer with a black tint to it. It often deepens the finish or creates an aged appearance 🙂

  3. Absolutely, absolutely beautiful!

  4. Wow they look beautiful!!

  5. Stunning! I just started working with glaze last year and I quite love how much easier it is to work with rather than colored wax. Great tutorial and video tutorial. This is a beautiful set of bedroom furniture and you took them up several notches – beautiful work, Kandice!

  6. What a beautiful set of furniture. You really brought it up to today’s standards. I am sure there are some who feel it should have been left as is but you did a brilliant job updating the set.

  7. Norma Perez says:

    Although it does look nice grey, It was absolutely stunning in Mahogany. I would not have painted it. Just my preference being able to see that beautiful wood grain and finish. I do like to see what you do so keep on doing what you do best.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *