Did you feel a little flutter of excitement when you read the title of this post? A little hot under the collar perhaps? OK, good, then I got your attention! Ha ha! You've been suckered in! Now I'm going to lower the boom. This post is not an in-depth look at the racy book series that desperate housewives everywhere can't seem to get enough of.
It is about 50 actual shades of grey, or grey wash to be exact. Sorry to disappoint, but since you are already here stick around and I'll try not to bore you too much!
The color grey has been trending in interior design for a while now, although maybe not quite as much where I am in the country. It seems interior design trends are a little slow to reach Twin Falls, Idaho. I actually spoke with a builder during our local parade of homes this summer and they told me it was the first time they had ever done a white kitchen and grey walls! I was sort of floored by that. Anyway, back on topic. One way the color grey is popping up is in the way of a wash or a pickling on everything from cabinetry to furniture, to floors. Check out some of these beautiful examples.
.jpg)
Did you notice that some of the examples are very traditional while others have a more contemporary flair? Some pieces have a deeper darker wash of grey while others have a light almost white wash. Grey seems to lend itself well to all types of decor, it is a wonderful neutral. What I really love about just a wash of grey is the fact that it allows the wood color and grain to show through. This warms up what can often be considered a cold and industrial color.
I'm guessing you've figured out where this post is going by now, and if you haven't then you don't know me that well. That's right I decided to pick up a paint brush and give grey-washing a go myself! Don't get me wrong I like the look of natural wood in many varieties and stains, but I was in need of something to fill a void in my family room and this pine mirror I already had on hand was the perfect size, but not quite the right color. I love pine, and I am also a fan of mixing wood tones, metals, patterns, etc. but in this case I knew I wanted the mirror to blend a little more subtly into my decor.
This isn't really a grey-washing tutorial, because I just kind of winged it! I read about a half dozen blog how-tos. Some very simple, others with multiple steps including wax and stain. I was feeling antsy and ready to get to it; and because this was a decorative piece that wasn't going to be put through the same abuse as a piece of furniture, I went the simple route. I grabbed black and white acrylic craft paint, mixed them together till I found the shade I liked, and then watered it down by about 50%. From there it was just an easy step to slap the paint on and wipe it off a little until I achieved the desired result.
This isn't really a grey-washing tutorial, because I just kind of winged it! I read about a half dozen blog how-tos. Some very simple, others with multiple steps including wax and stain. I was feeling antsy and ready to get to it; and because this was a decorative piece that wasn't going to be put through the same abuse as a piece of furniture, I went the simple route. I grabbed black and white acrylic craft paint, mixed them together till I found the shade I liked, and then watered it down by about 50%. From there it was just an easy step to slap the paint on and wipe it off a little until I achieved the desired result.
So here is
the before.
The middle
The close up
and the after!
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment