The Olivia Mirror: Reverse Distressing

Sometimes you get lucky enough to find the same piece twice. Which is fantastic because it always solves the question of, "Um, I wonder what it would look like in this color...". You're with me, right!?

Several months ago, I purchased this mirror and created an aged gold patina. If you missed that mirror makeover, you can find it here:

Finding this exact mirror a second time was a treat! I was curious to see what this gal could do with some turquoise patina. Perfect, because now I'm going to get my second chance! To get a rich patina, I chose Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan in Florence. This color all by itself offers a really bold flare. It's also one of my favorite colors for layering.

Since this mirror already had an original brassy bronze hue to her, I opted for a reverse distressing technique. Reverse distressing means your distressing while you're painting without actually using sand paper or wiping of paint. It's more of a painting technique. You don't paint for full coverage but rather you paint with push strokes so that the natural tone shows through the paint and looks as if it's already been distressed.

Once my paint had dried, I selectively covered her in targeted areas with Dark Wax.

The combination of her original color, Chalk Paint® in Florence and the dark wax gave her a stunning combination of colors that were to die for. Here's Ms. Olivia in all her turquoise patina glory.

Do you see how the original brassy finish came through? Those areas weren't painted, that's what we call reverse distressing.

Here's to second chances!

Carrie || Thirty Eighth Street