Greige wash....

 

 

 

Wash that gray...into your wood?

 

 

 

Grew up hearing this one on the tele..."I'm gonna wash that gray right outta...."

 

Seriously, I am luving the light and soft washes that can be achieved in older antiques and even newer pieces that seek a new attitude! I recently saw many, many pieces in Manhattan this early summer, taking pics and researching the process.Recently, I was able to try this look out and put a new attitude on some older pieces which took on a modern feel and a lighter finish!

 

This first one is a great piece with an equally great story, I love a great story! The one here was a great sturdy table that cycled thru a childhood and once grown this table was given to the now modern girl and blogger, my friend Amy .

The best part of the story was that this table, taken thru the Rachael Ashwell shabby chic,stained and sealed with love over the years and came to life as payment to a Dr. by a rural patient who did not have the cash funds to pay his medical bills! I luv this story.

 

Here is the table,lovingly stripped by Amy and the base coated in a creamish white finish below the table top!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the table top before it was in the first coat stage (on the right).As I applied the first coat of greige to transform this pine beauty into a lighter, more gray beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the tabletop after one coat of greige... already looking more modern!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finished with a couple coats and sealed with a clear wax top coat for durability.

 

Now the hunt for some different chairs, she is going to mix them and maybe some modern with a couple of upholstered ones too! Stay tuned.......

 

 

Before tackling Amy's table I have done several different pieces of furniture and smaller pieces like lamps and boxes.This is a piece that I actually refinished and added many years of chippy creamy paint, texture and a chippy finish to.I loved this little French buffet, but it needed something besides a coat of medium stain.It took a while before I decided what to do, refinishing the floors made the decision easier, I went greige.

 

 

Before and after the lower portion was faux finished and distressed.

 

 

 

 

 

Sanded and ready for a topcoat of some kind!

She had been topless for too long!

But light or dark?

 

Well, I went light and never looked back.I luv the end result, have a gander.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lower is almost finished, it used to be a little darker but went lighter this spring and I like it better.

I need to lightly glaze the finish and seal, we will be done by fall!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little closer look at her face time and aged finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love the rough against the refined. Surround yourself with the things that you love and you will achieve a great home design!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The top greige, light and airy but translucent enough to see the wood grain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The top coated and filled with lamps,a tea cup orchid,rattan ball found at a local flea market,African cutting / chopping board and a custom painted Jack O Lantern in a customized color palette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A closer look at the top coat finish.When you are decorating for the seasonal holidays think out of the box, more modern or customized colors are interesting and so much more fun than traditional color schemes sometimes! The painting in the background is available as are many more coming exclusively to Flirt in the next week.

 Check out this store and the artwork will be up and on the walls for fall 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course it is always in transition, but fall is right around the corner!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oops! There I go again, always reworking the house and everything inside of it!

 

Greige is great, if you are in need of a transformation, give me a ring or and email!

 

 

 

 

Leslie rowlands Interior Artist LLC

Leslierowlands@cox.net