Distressed Painted Furniture Redo: Yard Sale Table Upcycled with Chalk Paint

During one of our many yard sale adventures, Lexie and I found this table priced for $1.00, and I immediately envisioned a distressed, antiqued beauty.

I initially envisioned this table painted white, distressed and finished with a dark wax so that the detail would be accentuated. However, after painting it white, my vision changed.

Before I started painting, I thoroughly scrubbed the table with white vinegar and water (50/50) while scraping the grime out of the crevices. I then sanded the top of the table several times while lightly sanding the rest of the table before painting a thick coat of white chalk paint. You do not normally need to sand before painting with chalk paint, but what you cannot see in these pictures is the small amount of water damage on the table top. The wood was a bit too swollen in areas to not sand. 

After I painted a thick coat of white chalk paint, I thought that it needed more than a distressed and dark wax finish, so I decided to have a bit of fun with it as I painted the second coat blue (most chalk paints go on thick, but I did need to touch up areas after the second coat dried thoroughly). 

I then distressed the entire table with sand paper and extra fine steel wool with the intention to expose both the white paint and natural wood.

The pictures below are before I applied the clear wax. If you compare the images in the collage below with the first picture in this post, you can see how the blue got brighter after I applied the wax.

After I distressed the table, I applied two coats of clear wax (I may apply a third coat to the table top because of all the daily use it will endure. I must admit, however, that I still have the urge to add a dark wax antiqued finish. 

What do you think? Should I stop at the clear wax or go for a more distressed/antiqued finish that the dark wax creates? 

Happy Painting!

Priscilla