The Country Gallery

Gustavian Gray in milkpaint

L-R

50/50

75/25

100% Gustavian Gray

and in 75/25 paint...

L-R Buttermilk/Pumpkin/Snow White/Marigold

a cabinet and mirror in pumpkin as a wash...

Federal Blue

two coats of 100%

this is 50/50

25/75

Soldier Blue

50/50 mix

mixed with black

Bayberry Green

this is one coat of 100%

2 coats

Here is a cupboard which is washed with a Whitened Tavern Green Buttermilk. (75/25)

and with two coats

This desk is washed in snow white and the interior in whitened tavern green.

Here is a plate rack and cupboard done in Buttermilk color and a headboard...

Grey One

From this to this

This Gustavian Grey has a ghostly silverly color with a greenish undertone.

and from this to this

... a closeup of the color

to this....

and a beautiful dresser...

painted in Gustavian Grey One

Grey Two

Here is a piece we just got in from Sweden with another beautiful shade of Gustavian Grey that I have duplicated....

It is on this piece.... and on this piece... This grey is darker with more brown, no green undertones.

From this to

and washed with this color

From to

This table is slightly distressed. (For heavy distressing imagine us swinging the chains and hammer! )

and here is a sample of this color with a brown antiqueing glaze over oil paint...

Grey Three

and in a wash...

This is a medium gray with a bluish undertone.

These finishes are painted in a dry technique and distressed lightly...

Grey Four

And here is Grey Number Four! A soft gray with buff undertones. Shown here in oil paint, dry brushed on. It has a rustic aged look with some some soft gloss-typical of farmhouse Swedish finishes.

This piece looked like this before painting...

and here is an armoire painted and lightly distressed...

and in a latex wash.... with white #5 contrast....

and in a latex wash...

and

in a light paint, slightly distressed

Gray #5

This color shifts from dove gray to beguiling blue according to the light.

and done in a wash...

and this desk was given a strong wash with a whitened Gray #5...

Gray #6 (shown in Oil, available in latex)

and with a brown antique glaze....

and shown over a desk in Tudor Brown Wax

A little editorial from us....

Neither Borge nor I have ever in fact seen an original Swedish Gustavian era piece in an original grey painted finish, not even in a museum. Recently we have gotten a long of phone calls and emails about this color so I decided to get some information for everyone. In the past several years, a nice pale blue gray shade of paint got very popular in Sweden and many old pieces and new pieces of furniture have been painted this color. The color is called Gustavian Grey and of course some dealers have tried to pass this off as old paint. It is a lovely neutral color, sophisticated and yet very pleasant, a nice change from white or cream, so we do understand its popularity.

In Katrin Cargill's book 'Creating the Look Swedish Style', on page 25, she writes...

Oil paint was commonly used for furniture in the eighteenth century, though the specific pearl-grey finish associated with Gustavian furniture is now thought to be something of a myth. Restorers have stripped layers of oil paint off this furniture until they reached a grey paint presumed to be the original finished surface, but which in fact is the original lead white undercoat. This white undercoat might have had some black pigment added to compensate for the yellowing that occurs with lead white, and it would also have discoloured as succeeding layers of oil paint were added. The resulting grey may not have been the original surface, but is has now become very common to regard it as such. And why not? It may not be historically authentic, but is certainly most attractive and without doubt suits the lines of Gustavian furniture.

When you have made your decision, we have a paint sample on old wood that we can lend to you.

We strongly recommend adding this book to your reference library. It is from 1996 and if it is still available, you will enjoy it for years to come. One of my favorite references.

White One

Very white paint....applied as a painted finish

This is a paint that has a very slight greenish-yellow undertone but that appears very white without being stark.

and a light paint finish... and

and pickled...

and painted...

here is a table whitewashed in this color...

and a cabinet...

and a bed with a strong wash...

and this piece too in a wash... and this armoire as well

and the same color in oil...

and with a thin paint and a worn look...

White Two

This is an eggshell color. I have painted and washed this color but have not taken photos. Here is a sample...

and with a brown glaze...

White Three

This white has a slight yellow undertone.

Applied as a strong wash....

this is a crisp white in a chalky finish, shown painted. No greenish undertones.

More photos....

and pickled in this color...

White Four

This is a snow white shown in a chalky washed finish.

and painted...

From this to and a dresser to match

White Five

Comparison of a wash vs a paint...

The desk is done in a strong wash and the cabinet in paint, but both in this color.

Soft White Paint....applied as a wash

is another wonderful choice. It is a soft white with an aged appearance.

From this to this

and applied here as a whitewash...

pickled white also also pickled

and a pickled trunk...

and an armoire...

This apothecary has a light wash....

and installed!

Done in a strong wash...

and painted...

White Six

This white tends towards beige.

applied as a painted finish

White Seven

Shown in a soft oil finish. This color is a light tone of warm golden vanilla.

Blue #1

Beachy Blue

Shown antiqued on the right hand side. Oil Paint

Blue #2

Blue Jean Blue

Oil Paint

Blue #3

Antique Blue

antiqued

Oil Paint

Blue #4

Madam Blue

Latex Paint

and antiqued

Dream Blue in oil paint

Dream Blue in oil paint

Soft Yellow in Oil paint

Charcoal in Oil Paint

the top is glazed black

Greeny-Blue

Medium Cherry Red

Soft Green shown in a latex wash

1. The finish is a soft gloss appropriate to antiques.

2. It can easily be waxed over with another color and made lighter or darker if your tastes or decor changes.

3. Wax is easy care and does not normally need to be reapplied for up to 7 years.

Of course on a dining table, you will need to rewax more often but it does acquire a beautiful surface from rubbing over time..

4. Wax allows age marks and patina to exist and shine through.

5. Wax is easily removed if the piece needs to be painted or another type of finish applied.

Classic 'Antique Mahogany' (walnut)

We expect mahogany to have a reddish undertone but this wax seems to be a brown mahogany. Shown on several wood samples.

The samples look like a light Walnut.

and here shown with the lighter Classic Antique Pine wax...

Howard Mahogany

Shown on the left with a true reddish undertone it is very beautiful and gives the appearance of cherry on our pine.

On the right is the Briwax Antique Mahogany.

Classic Antique Pine on the left

Howard Golden Oak on the right

Clear wax puts a soft finish on the bleached wood color. The piece will look complete but ethereal.

Here is a sample board with clear wax on top of a table which has not been finished as yet...

clear waxed base with a satin acrylic top...

Honey Color or Light Brown Wax

If you want a warm neutral shade without red or yellow overtones.

Briwax light brown.

Same wax, variation depending on wood color.

Classic Pine

Classic Pine. A shade lighter than Briwax Light Borwn

From left to right...

Clear/Light Brown/Classic Pine

Classic wax which gives a beautiful finish somewhat lighter than the light brown Briwax...

Neutral dark brown

To achieve this color we wax with Tudor Brown. This color fits in very well with 'brown' mahogany furniture from the 1940's.

This color is no longer being made but we have enough left to do several pieces.

Cherry (waxed with antique mahogany wax)

Antique Mahogany Briwax gives a light warm cherry color.

The oval table is waxed to a cherry tone. The armoire photos below show a cherry colored armoire to the right with an armoire waxed light brown to the left and behind. The reddish tone is evident by comparison.

We have limited supplies left of this color.

Top is polyurethaned for use as a bathroom vanity.

And over oil....

Golden Oak wax gives a yellow overcast to the furniture which looks great with newly refinished oak floors.

We have limitied supplies left of this color.

Fully waxed and restored bed.

In this photo you can see unwaxed wood and waxed wood...

On the left is the Golden Oak, on the scalloped piece to the right is Light Brown. The Golden Oak is lighter and brighter. The Light Brown is a neutral light brown.

and more in Golden Oak...

Brown shade comparisons

top row classic pine (close to briwax light brown)

middle row ...on left is classic jacobean ( has black)

Middle row ..on right is classic Dark Pine

bottom row....left is right is classic mahogany (no red) and on the right is Howard's Walnut which is a definite brown

top row is classic pine

middle row on the left is Jacobean, on the right is Classic Dark Pine

bottom is Classic Mahogany (no red)

This sample shows the same single piece of siderail Danish c.1880. The lightest spot is unrestored wood. The deepest color is linseed oil/light brown wax finish and the middle light brown is light brown wax.

I have placed this piece of wood against deeper backdrops to give you an idea of the difference between a light brown wax and a piece that would be oiled then waxed. The oiled piece will continue to darken somewhat more over time, the waxed section will remain pretty much the same.

plain white paint on a cupboard c.1880

varnished--the varnish has turned dark over time on both of these pieces. Biedermeier desk c.1850 above and Danish dining table below c.1860.

Grain painting. Cabinet on left is from c.1880, cabinet to the right from c.1870.

Grain painting on an armoire from c.1880.

Grain painting on a little dresser from c.1900.

Grain painting on a large cabinet c.1880.

in our workshop

in the home

Same board taken in different light.

Top section is polyurethane satin type

From Left to Right....middle section is

mahogany over cherry/mahogany/mahogany/mahogany over cherry/light brown wax/untouched

Bottom section is on the left a mix of mahogany and cherry stain with polyurethane and on the right cherry stain with polyurethane

If your base is waxed with mahogany wax or a combination of light brown and mahogany AND you need to have the top polyurethaned there are several options.

1. plain satin polyurethane which will give your piece a two toned look

2. cherry stain one coat plus polyurethane

3. 2 coats of cherry stain plus polyurethane

4. cherry and mahogany stains plus polyurethane.

Top is polyurethaned, base is waxed light brown.

Here is a sideboard that has been prepared to be made into a vanity. The original top which is oak has been bleached and is now polyurethaned, the base has been waxed light brown.

The piece shown below is pine. Base is waxed light brown and the top is polyurethane.

This table has been restored. The base is waxed light brown and the top is polyurethaned and waxed.

You can get an idea of how similar the color is from these photos.

Dark Walnut Stain with polyurethane and wax

This nice table was stained twice, top polyurethaned and whole table waxed for softness. In addition, my husband added breadboard ends.

and a kitchen table with a soaped top....

Here is a table with no finish shown with an oil soap sample...

and a comparison between oil soap and clear wax...oil soap is the top sample....

Staining...We often get a request to stain a piece of furniture. Staining is very difficult to get even on antique pine and very time consuming. It is possible to get good, even great results, however after many years of inhaling hydrocarbons, we have put our staining rag to rest. If you would like to stain a piece or have it stained, we can get things ready for you and explain the process. Here are some examples....

On the left is Dark Walnut, on the right is Special Walnut.

Both samples have been waxed with Light Brown Wax to give an even gloss.

Here is a plank table done in Dark Walnut that we did for a local customer last year. Pretty nice huh? It was VERY difficult to get the color even but we are still married.

This Mora clock was stained with Dark Walnut and will be waxed. Gorgeous!

Dark Walnut plus wax

Dark Walnut. Base is waxed. Top is polyurethaned and waxed.

Light distressing

More distressed for a worn look.