This week’s guest blogger is our Retailer, Erin Gunckle Debri from Grand Ledge, Michigan. Many of you may recognize her as Lucky Star Lane. However, she recently opened her own shop — Painted Teal Vintage! Congratulations! Erin recently posted a picture of a beautiful old barnwood finish that she created using CeCe Caldwell’s Paint, and I asked her if she’d share her technique for it with you all for a Mixology Monday. Several people have remarked that this is a “Restoration Hardware™” look, which is very popular right now. But if your budget is a bit more Ikea™, you can easily recreate it, as Erin describes below.
Image from www.restorationhardware.com
I love to use CeCe Caldwell’s paints and finishes because there are so many possibilities. I started using the products back in 2011 when they were new on the market. Since 2013 when I became a retailer, many new products have been developed. When the stains came out I felt like my life was complete! Finally, no stinky fumes from staining, no scary combustible rags and empty cans to worry about disposing into the environment!
Image from: http://www.ktrs.com/how-to-turn-your-old-barn-into-cash/
Part of the excitement in working with the stain is you can also combine it with CeCe Caldwell’s paint to create amazing finishes. As many of you may know, BARN WOOD, is all the rage in home decorating. If you’ve ever priced it out, let me tell you it isn’t cheap. I had a customer looking for a large barn wood backdrop to display pictures for her daughter’s graduation party. When she priced out barn wood, it was way out of her price range. I told her I would be happy to create a “mix” that will look like barn wood for her daughter’s party.
I started with raw pine boards and a small 4 oz jar of Pittsburgh Gray. Using a 2” synthetic brush, I dipped the brush in paint then a generous amount of water from a bowl. I worked the very watery gray paint into the grain of the wood. Once that was dry, I wiped stain over it. (You can use any of the stains, but for this example I used a lighter tone called Savannah Praline.) Let the stain dry for a few hours. You will notice the wood looks stained but the wood grain looks Gray which gives the effect of old wood.
The next step is to use a very small amount of Simply White and dry brush it on (going with the wood grain). If you get too much white on the wood you can wipe off excess with a rag. Sometimes you have to add more white paint after you wipe off excess. It’s all about what your eyes want to see!
After that has dried, you can leave your piece as is to cure, or wipe a coat of wax or any of CeCe Caldwell’s sealing products. The stain has a sealer in it, but your white washing over the top has not been sealed. I’ve been wanting to use this technique on a table top soon! I’ll be looking for one to sand down and try it.
Rhonda Gatchek at Vintage Birch Designs in Milford, New Hampshire decided to try out this technique on a few pieces already. Her customers are loving it and it’s become a favorite finish already for her pieces. I know why… it’s so easy to do, yet it’s a very desirable look!
Thank you, again, to Erin for sharing her technique with us. I can’t wait to use it on a few pieces that I already have. Also, thanks to Rhonda for trying out the barn wood on a few pieces already!
Peace,
CeCe