I had a question from a reader today and the idea of using a Faux Wood Grain Finish popped into my head.

Cheryl writes:

Ok, you asked for it.  I haven't exactly started my project yet but I have
been reading your informative emails everyday.  Actually looking forward to
receiving them as they are full of great tips.

My project is kind of in the planning stage right now and I could really use
some expert advise.

I have purchased an old Victorian Mantle and my brother has built a false
wall behind it to make a bit of a faux fire box.  Herein lies my
dilemma...what do I do with the inside. The material on the floor is marble
tiles in a whitish pink coral colour.  I will be painting the box the same
colour as my wall (Cuban Cigar) and the mantle, I thought that I would paint
it antique white and maybe rub a glaze over all the carvings to give it a
bit of an antique finish.  What do you think???

I was thinking of painting faux bricks on the inside but I am not sure of
the style or coloring I should go for. Should I do cement block type or
brick and if so, what pattern??  Too many questions. I could really use an
expert opinion??  I am attaching a picture.

Thanks for the wonderful information and inspiration.

This is the picture Cheryl sent in… isn’t this the greatest looking mantle?

It is very Victorian in style and yet has simple clean lines for the most part.

At first I thought that painting the mantle with white and glazing was the best option… but then I thought “Light Bulb” – wouldn’t this look great with a faux wood grain finish? Wouldn’t that bring it back to life? Yep… I knew you would agree.

So Cheryl… my first suggestion would be to learn the easy faux wood graining techniques I teach and go for it. It’s just as easy as painting and glazing with a more spectacular result!

No stripping or smelly solutions – just paint and use the faux graining techniques…. your done!

Okay – let’s talk about the fake fireplace insert. It’s big! If you paint it black it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb.

At first – I thought you should paint it to match the marble on the floor. Using a pink faux marble technique it would look very “finished”. But… I think it might look odd and not realistic.

Of course, if this were a “real” fireplace – I would suggest a brick looking insert. I’m all about brick these days. But… this is Victorian and they used a lot of tile with a small stove in front of it.  I can see that some unique subway looking tile would be great looking.

In my mind… using “real” tile is the best option… it is a built-in unit after all. You could do a faux tile technique – but I think you would get more bang for your time (and buck) by using real tile.

You could just use the same tile as the floor surround… but cut it into “subway tile” dimensions (3″x6″) and get a nice result. But to go really over the Top… I would look for a tile that looks aged and “Victorian”… something with a crackled glaze and a bit of muted colors.

Check out these Victorian Tile installations for inspiration.

Hope this is helpful in your new adventure!  Make sure to check out the Faux Wood Grain Finishing Ideas.

Anyone Thinking About Remodeling?

I found a great “Free” resource for you. The website is all about Victorian Style Home Remodeling… but the free download book is full of tips and hints you should think about before “any remodel. You just have to give your name and email address… and Whoosh – it’s right in your in-box. Cool huh?

Go – get this great free resource right now – before you forget about it.

My kitchen cabinets are oak that are stained a medium color.

I would like to glaze them, but am not sure how it will look glazing over stain. Has anyone glazed over stained cabinetry and do you use different products than you would if you were glazing over paint?

My cabinets are about 20 years old and UGLY.

I was going to paint them, but my husband is dead set against painting woodwork that has a stained finish…so I thought glazing could be a nice compromise as long as glazing over stain looks good.

I’ve seen all kinds of pictures of cabinets that have been glazed over paint, but have seen no pictures of glaze over stain. Any ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I am new to the glaze technique. Since my husband is against painting our cabinets, I searched online for some other ways to change the look of our cabinets, and I came across “glazing technique” to make them look aged or antiqued.

The directions given were to mix paint or oil stain color with faux finishing glaze and then brush it on and wipe it off. This technique supposedly can be used on stained or painted cabinets, however, the only before and after pictures I saw were of painted cabinets.

So I wasnt sure if this would look okay on stained cabinets.

Also, if this technique does look good on stained cabinets, I was wondering what color I should use….My cabinets are a medium oak, and I do believe there is a clear coat or varnish on them.

Thank you so much for any help or suggestions!!!!

The wipe on and wipe off glazing / antiquing method is do-able.

Since you have medium oak cabinets, I would go with a dark stain color. It may lighten up a bit when mixed with the glaze. Also when you wipe on and wipe off, most of the glaze will be removed anyway so you want to go with a color that will show up. Choose a couple different colors and practice on an area of cabinet that is hidden in a corner somewhere.

Also, since the cabinets have a clear coat on them, you may need to clear coat them again after you do your antiquing technique so the antiquing stain does not rub off with use.

Let me know if you need any more advice. I am here to help

This idea sounds fantastic to me, Debra.

Do you have the procedure detailed anywhere? (And, by “detailed” I mean the step-by-baby-step glazing stained cabinets “For Dummies” edition!)

Here are just a few questions to get you started:

• Assuming there is a polyurethane coat on the cabinets, would you use a water or an oil-based stain, or does it even matter?
• Is there only 1 type of glaze–a generic that is mixed with paint or stain?
• What if parts of the poly coating are possibly thinned or rubbed off–will that affect the outcome?
• Perhaps it may just add to the antiqued look?
• When using this process on cabinets beneath a formica countertop, how difficult is it to keep the stain off of the formica? Will it wipe off completely if caught right away?

Thanks!

I don’t think I have a step by step “Dummy” version of how to antique cabinets,  but it is really not that hard to do.

You would first need to clean the cabinets and then glaze them with a darker antiquing color. You can use an artist brush to get the glaze into the recessed areas. Brush on and wipe off with a rag. You would then want to seal the cabinets with some kind of varnish or even poly.

To answer a few of your questions:

There are many different glazes to choose from. There are different glazes for oil based paint and latex paint.

You can use either oil or water based paint, it really doesn’t matter as long as you are sealing the cabinets after antiquing them.

Be careful with the glaze on areas where the poly has worn off, especially larger flat surface areas. Bare wood can soak in the color and cause the cabinets to be darker in those exposed areas. But in smaller areas where it is not as noticeable the glaze will definitely add to the aged look that you are going for.

I would use a little painter’s tape. But if you don’t, you should not have a problem wiping it off of the Formica if you do it before it dries.

I hope that this helps a little bit. Now that the new site is up and running, I will be offering a lot more step by step instruction

I own a jewelry store in southern california. My show cases are a are a laminate wood finish. Can these cases be painted? If so, can the finish look like wood like with wood grain look? Joe

Yes, check out the TPL post:

http://www.thatpainterlady.com/faux-granite-on-our-laminate-counter-tops/
Here are a few steps to follow:

1. Clean the laminate well with soap and water, rinse well and let dry

2. Sand lightly with steel wool to remove any glossy spots

3. Clean the counter with TSP to also help remove the gloss, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. You will need to wear safety gloves so you don’t get it on your hands.

4. Apply a good Primer Sealer (Bin, Zinsser, etc). This will prepare the surface to accept the paint. Let it dry thoroughly. The fumes can be strong so be sure to open the windows and maybe put up plastic to close the room off from the rest of the house.

6. Tape off with painter’s tape

7. You are now ready to paint. Use a roller for your base coat.

8. Start your faux finish (in your case the faux woodgrain)

9. Final step: Seal the paint with three coats of non-yellowing polyurethane. Water-based is my first choice because it will not change the colors that you use.

Oil based poly can yellow over time and wear.

Also, you don’t need to sand between the layers with steel wool.

The tiny fibers of the steel wool will break off and can rust in the poly, creating little tiny brown spots.

Check out THAT Painter Lady video on How to Create Faux Woodgrain:

http://www.fauxfinishhowto.com/Faux_Wood_Graining.html

Hope this helps. That Painter Lady