- Milk
Paint
- Paint
Gray - Paint
White - Blue/Teal
Paints - Paint
Other Colors - Wax
Finishes - Oil/Wax
Finishes - Original
Painted - Polyurethane
& Acrylic - Brown Soap/
Oil Soap Finish - Stained
Finishes - Special
Techniques - Swedish Palette
- Antiquing
MilkPaint....available only in a wash 
the grain is visible.
Gustavian Gray in milkpaint L-R 50/50 75/25 100% Gustavian Gray
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50/50
and in 75/25 paint...
75/25 medium wash, lightly distressed....
This is 75/25 Gustavian Gray with detail picked out in Cream...
We can also antique over any color, here is an example.... Small Sample on the left has clear wax Small Sample on the right has light brown wax
and on the clock itself with brown wax....
and in 100% Gustavian Gray
75/25
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Driftwood gray. Top photo shows driftwood/gustavian/soldier blue The driftwood color is a brownish gray with no blue overtones. |
Marigold
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Yellow/White wash 100% and 25/75
L-R 50/50 Marigold, 25/75 Marigold, 100% Buttermilk
L-R 50/50 Marigold, 100% Buttermilk, 50/50 Federal Blue
T-B 50/50 Marigold, 25/75 Marigold, 100% Buttermilk
L-R 25/75 then 50/50 then 100% Marigold
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| Cream |  |
L-R Buttermilk/Pumpkin/Snow White/Marigold
L-R 25% 50% 100%
L - R 100% 50% 25% |
a cabinet and mirror in pumpkin as a whitened wash...
and 100% pumpkin
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| Cream |   |
| Snow white milk paint in a heavy wash. |
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Federal Blue |
two coats of 100%
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Soldier Blue
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50/50 mix .
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| Lexington Green |
This color changes dramatically with the light.
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Bayberry Green |
this is one coat of 100% Bayberry Green on a sideboard converted to a bathroom vanity. Multiple coats.
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Tavern Green
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Here is a cupboard which is washed with a Whitened Tavern Green Buttermilk.
(75/25) and with two coats
and Tavern Green at 100%....
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Salem Red
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Salem Red mixed with White. Custom mixed buttermilk paint in a soft rose on an apothecary converted to a bathroom vanity. |
Madam Blue
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Madam Blue...lovely match to the classic Danish enamelware color. |
Buttermilk |
Here is a plate rack and cupboard done in Buttermilk color and a headboard...
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This photo shows the range of Greys.
Grey One
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From this This Gustavian Grey has a ghostly silverly color with a greenish undertone. and from this ...
and a beautiful dresser...
painted in Gustavian Grey One |
Grey Two
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Here is a piece we just got in from Sweden with another beautiful shade of Gustavian Grey that I have duplicated....
From this and washed with this color From
and here is a sample of this color with a brown antiqueing glaze over oil paint...
and in oil paint with a clear wax...
slightly distressed...
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Grey Three
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and in a wash...
This is a medium gray with a bluish undertone. These finishes are painted in a dry technique and distressed lightly...
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Grey Four
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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 in a latex wash.... with white #5 contrast....
and in a latex wash...
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Gray #5 |
and done in a wash...
and this desk was given a strong wash with a whitened Gray #5...
also slightly whitened and rubbed in to give just a hint of color...
And with just one coat and distressed...
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Gray #6 (shown in Oil, available in latex)
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and with a brown antique glaze....
and shown over a desk in Tudor Brown Wax
and with a thin coats slightly distressed...
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| What exactly is Gustavian Grey?? |
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.
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Gray #7 Shown in Oil - more ccolonial in feel than Swedish.
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and unglazed...
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White One
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Very white paint....applied as a painted finish and a light paint finish...
and pickled...
and painted... here is a table whitewashed in this color...
and a bed with a strong wash... and the same color in oil...
and with a thin paint and a worn look...
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White Two
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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...
and without a glaze in oil in a very light paint... classic Swedish....
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White Three This white has a slight yellow undertone.
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Applied as a strong wash....
More photos....
and pickled in this color...
White #3 in a flat latex finish, distressed then antiqued.... this is how it looked before we started antiqueing...
then we distressed...
and added antiquing...
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White Four |
and painted... From this
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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 and applied here as a whitewash...
and a pickled trunk... This apothecary has a light wash....
Done in a strong wash...
and painted...
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White Six |
This white tends towards beige.
and as a strong wash...
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White Seven |
Shown in a soft oil finish. This color is a light tone of warm golden vanilla.
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| White Ten and Eleven |
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White 12 is a chalky romantic white
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Blue #1 Beachy Blue Shown antiqued on the right hand side. Oil Paint
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Blue #2 Blue Jean Blue
Oil Paint
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Blue #3 Antique Blue
antiqued Oil Paint
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Blue #4 Madam Blue Latex Paint
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Dream Blue in oil paint
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Blue #10 |
and with a clear coat of wax
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Teal #24
Shown antiqued and with added white, top color is a very stark white |
Red #2 brighter
Red #3 Falun Red more authentic and darker
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Other Paint Colors...washed or painted
Flat Black available in latex, oil and buttermilk
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in oil paint...latex is very similar
If one in Milkpaint would be more transparent. |
| Cream #2 |
This is painted in oil base paint several thin coats.
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Beige |
Beige paint color shown on white background (left) and gray background (right).
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Red over Black
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Dream Blue in oil paint
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Soft Yellow in Oil paint
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Green #1 |
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Green #2
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Soft Green shown in a latex wash
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Medium Cherry Red
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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.
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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...
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clear waxed base with a satin acrylic top...
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Honey Color or Light Brown Wax If you want a warm neutral shade without red or yellow overtones. Briwax light brown.
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Tudor Brown Tudor Brown gives a very neutral medium 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.
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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.
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And over oil....
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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. |
In this photo you can see unwaxed wood and
waxed wood... and more in Golden Oak...
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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. |
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Oiled then waxed with mahogany wax to give a deep cherry color. |
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Oiled and waxed light brown. |
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These two sideboards have been oiled then waxed. A rich patina! |
Original Finishes...
Here are some photos of different pieces in typical as found condition.
plain white paint on a cupboard c.1880
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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.
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Grain painting. Cabinet on left is from c.1880, cabinet to the right from c.1870.
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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. |
Borge in his workshop, polishing a
plank table to which he has just added bread board ends and since this family
has young children, polyurethane on the top.
Polyurethane...
When we first started in business,
we were reluctant to use this product. It does wear off and then must be sanded
and redone. However, we now understand that it is necessary for vanities and
some people do need this for their kitchen tables, so we are happy to do it
for you. Usually we can include this in the price, please ask. Generally we
will only polyurethane the top of the piece and prefer to wax the rest.
Satin Polyurethane
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The base and top of a stepback finished in a satin polyurethane.
in our workshop
in the home
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Vermont Naturals
click on any photo to see an enlargement |
The base is waxed clear. The top is sealed with a vermont satin acrylic. Beautiful!
And an armoire and cupboard to be used in a kitchen as a pantry....
and an armoire and sideboard...
and a plank table
This table was waxed clear on the base with Vermont Natural applied to the top....
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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
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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Polyurethane on the top and light brown wax on the base. The light brown wax and the polyurethane are just about the same color. |
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This table was stained lightly with mahogany, then given many coats of cherry polyurethane. |
A brown soap finish was common on table tops and floors as well. It gives a beautiful scrubbed look and is pretty easy to keep. Just wet down a cloth with a little soap and wipe off the surface.
Click on photo to see an enlargement. |
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Before restoration |
and after! |
 close up of table top |
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....
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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.... |
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This is a custom brownish black glaze shown on new wood. It will be deeper on old wood and smoother. The upper sample has been waxed with light brown wax. |
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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!
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washing/pickling
Cloudy Wash
Here is a clock that has a base coat of Gray #6 which has been washed with White #7.
We plan to take this finish, distress and age the paint like this sample shown below...
Thick Paint with red undercoat:
Orangey Red #3 undercoat with a soft sage green top coat
Very thick paint.
and here is the same Red #3 undercoat with Gray #6 over in a very thick paint
Distressing...
We generally start with two thin coats of paint...
Then we distress....
Then we can add antiqueing...
Here is a clock in white #6 with a lighter distressing...
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One more example....
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Antiqueing
| With Wax |
We can also antique over any color, here is an example.... Small Sample on the left has clear wax Small Sample on the right has light brown wax
and on the clock itself with brown wax....
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Dark red oil strain over flat black |
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| With Stain |
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Bleaching...
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On occasion we either need to or are requested to lighten a piece. The table to the right had its original finish removed perhaps 20-30 years ago, remained unwaxed and this is the color that happened over time. The same thing occurred for the table to the left but the color was so unever that we decide to bleach and start again. So the table to the right would get the same color as the table to the left if we bleach. |
A very good example of Swedish colors can be found in Jocaste Innes book from 1997 Scandinavian Painted Decor. It is out of print, but can often be found on amazon.com
Click on the photo to see an enlargement.
