Are you at a loss when it comes to Furniture Wax?
Never know which brand to use or what colour?
Today I want to walk you through some of the most common colours of furniture wax and when to use each one.
Clear wax is a necessity for anyone refinishing furniture. Even though my personal go to for a top coat is Hemp Oil, I still always have an assortment of waxes on my shelf.
Clear wax can protect your furniture for years to come and can be re-applied as needed. It always looks fresh and beautiful while holding up to liquids, dirty fingers and scratches and scuffs.
Each clear wax is different. You can see above that the Annie Sloan, Country Chic and Miss Mustard Seed Waxes all look different. They each have a different consistency, smell and feel.
Applying Wax
When you are painting furniture, and choose wax as your top coat, you always want to start with a coat of clear wax. Use multiple thin coats instead of one thick coat and apply it with a clean, dry, cotton cloth or wax brush. (I prefer a cloth so that I can feel exactly where it is going and how thick it is). Let each layer dry for 24 hours before adding the next coat. You never want the wax to feel sticky or wet.
Adding Colour
Before adding coloured wax, remember to add a layer of clear wax first. By adding the clear wax first, you will be able to adjust the depth and colour of the coloured wax. If you put the coloured wax directly onto the paint, it will colour/stain the paint and what you put on will be what you get… no going back.
Two of the most subtle wax colours you can use are White and Pearl. These colours will add a touch of beach-y, whitewash and look great over most colours.
White and Pearl waxes area great for highlighting special spots on your furniture. Rub a small amount on the high spots and it will instantly look like they are reflecting the light.
Black and Antiquing wax are used to make furniture look worn and old. They are the perfect waxes to make any new paint job look authentically 100 years old. These waxes should be applied to the low spots… any where that dirt and grunge would naturally collect.
There are many great coloured waxes in addition to the clears, lights and darks. Ones such as the Gold and Rose waxes above add the most beautiful hint of colour. They are fantastic over paler paint colours and ones in the same family.
Waxes Over White
To give you an idea of what each colour looks like applied over paint, I rubbed each one on a board painted with white paint. Even with just these 6 basic colours, there are so many beautiful things you can do.
Note of Caution
A little note of caution… When you are looking for a wax to choose, you may see these little wax blocks. These wax blocks are not for top coating purposes. They are hard blocks of wax used between layers of paint for distressing purposes. They are also perfect to use when drawers are sticky and not sliding smoothly. (Rub them on the sliders to help the drawers move in and out better)
My Very Favourite
When I choose wax for a top coat, my very favourite is Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Wax. It is made of simple ingredients, is incredibly creamy and very easy to apply. With no chemical smell it is great for use around kids and indoors. It even comes in Lavender!! Ohhh, I love Lavender!!
Furniture Wax in Action
One of my dear friends, Anne Barton of AKB Creations is the waxing queen! She has perfected the wax topcoat and her pieces always look and feel absolutely amazing. If you look closely, you will see how beautifully she has used clear, white, and dark wax on her pieces below…
The next time you are looking to add a little something to your bag of tricks for furniture upcycle, grab some coloured wax and give it a little whirl. Just remember to add a coat of clear wax first and you can’t go wrong 😉
Some of my favourite waxes…
(Please note that these are affiliate links)
Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Wax and Lavender Furniture Wax
Fusion Rose Gold Wax
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**Please note that this post includes Affiliate links for your convenience. All links are for products that I have tried and use regularly. By using the link, it in no way increases the cost of the item to you should you choose to purchase. However, by using the link, a small portion of the sale is given back to help fund this blog. Thank you! **
Hi. I’m actually looking for a buttery yellow wax to use on a 1970s pine desk I recently stripped. I’d like to duplicate (or come as close as possible) to the beautiful buttery pine of antique Eastern European/Scottish/English/Danish pine furniture. The color of the clear wax in the photo of your 3 favorites is what I think I need. Can you suggest something? Thank you in advance!
Hi Elle, Thanks for your question. My very favourite wax is Miss Mustard Seed’s furniture wax (or Fusion furniture wax – they are the same) but it tends to be clear. If you are looking for a buttery colour you could add a little gold wax to the clear and that will give it just a hint of golden colour that may help achieve the look you want. There are a few brands that have a gold in their lines – Fusion Mineral Paint and Country Chic are the two that come to mind. I would try adding a bit of a gold to a clear and play with it until you get your desired colour. I think that will give you the look you want 🙂 Good luck and hope that helps!