The Fresco Effect… super shabby, to incredibly fabby.

We found this fantastic piece at the ReStore! Just look at it.

What I loved about this solid maple unit were the panel doors, ornate handles, beautifully carved appliqués and crown moulding.

Absolutely perfect for using Fresco to create a European elegance meets rustic vintage look!!

If you haven’t yet used Fresco, our most versatile of products, you are in for a treat.

Minimal to no prep is needed with Fusion™ Mineral Paint or Fresco, however, there are always a couple of rules to follow!

Remove any dust, dirt or wax. If your item is super shiny, give it a light sanding and you’re ready to go!

Before…

CLOSE UP – BEFORE

Step 1:

Add Fresco powder to your paint! into Fusion paint and stir! For this entire project, I used 2 small Fresco bags and 2 pints of paint.

The first pint was Coal Black for the first layer mixed with Fresco. Here I am adding the Fresco white powder to the Coal Black, and stirring it in until it is lumpy.

The mixture was thick enough to get my desired texture, the more texture and lumps in my mixture the more texture on the piece I will see after. I applied this by using a brush. I applied and then would lift the brush away from the surface so that it starts to pull and create little high points with the textured mix.

After it started to dry, approximately 15 minutes later, I dragged across a dry brush to knock down some of the higher than desired peaks so that there was just the right amount of texture.

A little paint and Fresco going on

Use different application methods for a variety of finishes!

Check it out after it’s dried for about 1 hour! It looks flat and chalky, and loads of texture! Now onto the next step applying the top colour Lichen with a chalky finish, achieved just by adding a small amount of fresco this time.

Step 2:

I mixed about 4 tablespoons of Fresco powder into one pint of Lichen to achieve a Chalky finish. Applied evenly with a brush, I was sure to get into all of the nooks and crannies. The Chalky finish mixture of Fresco gives just enough texture to show the brushstrokes, as well as a few grainy bits. PERFECT imperfection!

Apply with a brush for that perfect chalked finish- Perfect imperfection!

Step 3:

After about 30 minutes the Chalky Finish Lichen has dried and now it’s time to start distressing! Distressing exposes the texture of the first coat of the Coal Black with the Chunky Fresco mix. Using a dampened sanding pad, I lightly sanded and wiped the surface clean using a damp rag to see the magic! Notice the dark Coal Black colour peeking through the light sage colour Lichen? The intention was to make our piece appear as though it had been painted a couple of times and worn over the years.

Lovely texture with just a little sanding

Distress to the max!

One final touch was needed to make this feel like a true vintage piece. Using our dark Espresso Wax, with a soft buttery texture applying the wax is a dream and gave just the perfect amount of ageing.

Wax on, wax off

Adding Espresso Wax

And, if you can believe it, that is all there is to it! Simply stunning.

If you want to get a similar look, you can find the Fusion™ Accents both online and at your local Fusion™ Merchant.

Don’t have a Merchant close to you but know of a great store that should be carrying the range? Tell them to apply here!

I hope you enjoyed this transformation!

Yours in paint,