Oak is a very distinctive wood that is characterized by a deep grain. It also has interesting irregular markings, depending on how it is cut. I particularly love oak when it’s very old, unvarnished, and natural because it is a lovely, soft, light gray in color. Sadly, in my opinion, pieces from the 1940s are often spoilt by being stained dark and coated in varnishes. This makes the wood look heavy and obliterates the beautiful grain. Similarly, many modern pieces are stained so that they look yellowish and shiny.
The idea with this project is to bring out the natural grain of the oak by putting white wax in the grain, but leaving the smooth wood free of wax. The finished result is a light-looking piece enhanced by a fairly obvious grain.
This particular bureau is from the 1940s or so, and had been lightly varnished with a dark color. The grain was still textural, but the wood was darker than I would have liked. I could have removed the varnish—a rather long and tedious job—but this would have made the whole piece lighter. So, instead, I opted for the easier method of applying white wax to lighten the varnish and bring out the grain of the wood. If I had taken the varnish off, the finished effect would have been a lot lighter and the grain probably more pronounced.
The trick is to allow the wax to harden for long enough that it hardens a little in the grain, but not for so long that the wax does not come off where you want it to.
YOU WILL NEED
• White wax
• Small wax brush
• Clean, dry, lint-free cloths
• Clear wax
• Annie Sloan Valeska stencil and a project pot of Graphite paint, to decorate the edge of the bureau’s desk (optional)
1Take the wax brush and apply a generous amount of white wax, working it both across and in and up and down the wood. Make sure you get the wax into the indents of the grain. Some of the indents may be quite deep and so it may take a few brushstrokes to fill them. Leave to set for 1–3 minutes, so that the wax can harden a little.
2Use a clean cloth to wipe off the excess white wax lying on top of the wood, leaving the wax in the indents. If you find you’re removing too much wax and there is nothing in the grain, simply re-apply the white wax and leave to harden again. Use a clean cloth to ensure the wax is rubbed in well. You can use a tiny bit of clear wax to remove any unwanted white wax that has hardened.
3Apply more white wax with the brush to the handles and any metal work—there is no need to remove these first. Wipe off the wax with a cloth before the wax dries.
I used my Valeska stencil to paint two lines in Graphite to create a decorative border of crosses.
