How to Paint a Vintage Table to Look French Country

Spread plastic drop cloths under the table to protect the flooring. Put on plastic gloves and use sandpaper to remove any flaking bits of paint or varnish.

Scrub the table with a furniture cleaner poured onto a clean cloth, such as sugar soap (follow the instructions on diluting the cleaner with water). The cleaner is useful in removing grease, stains, dust and dirt. Rinse with clear water and dry with clean cloths.

Roughen shiny surfaces by applying a surface primer onto a clean cloth and rubbing it over the table. Allow the solution to dry for at least two hours. After drying, the table's surface will appear dull and slightly grainy, providing a bonding surface for the paint.

Paint the entire surface of the table, using a paintbrush loaded with white paint that has been mixed well and poured into a clean paint tray. Allow the paint to dry completely.

Paint the edges and outer legs of the table with a medium-gray paint to provide depth and shading, after stirring the paint and pouring some into a paint tray. Allow the paint to dry completely.

Paint the entire surface of the table, using a paintbrush loaded with light-gray paint that has been mixed well and poured into a clean paint tray. Allow the paint to dry completely.

Soften the paint by applying some clear-wax finish onto a clean cloth and rubbing in a circular motion over the entire table. Softening the paint makes it easier to add distressing to the furniture.

Distress the wood by rubbing areas of the furniture that would show natural wear — corners, edges, curves — with a steel wool pad to remove some of the paint.

Rub the table in a circular motion with a clean cloth that has been dipped in dark-wood finishing wax. Sand the waxed surface lightly and apply a final coat of wax, rubbing in a circular motion. Allow the wax to harden overnight. Use a clean, dry cloth to buff the table to a desired sheen the following day.