Buttermilk based paint....washed or painted
Buttermilk based paints are non toxic. Color samples for Real Milkpaint products. Color samples for Authentic Milkpaint....then click on 20 samples.

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...

|
| Snow white buttermilk paint in a heavy wash. |



|
Federal Blue |

two coats of 100%
this
is 50/50
25/75
|
Soldier Blue
|

50/50 mix |
| Lexington Green |
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.
|

|
Bayberry Green on a sideboard converted to a bathroom vanity. |

|
Custom mixed buttermilk paint in a soft rose on an apothecary converted
to a bathroom vanity. |


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

|

|
Tavern Green at full strength. |
Gustavian
Gray/Grey Paint... painted or washed/pickled.
This photo shows the range of Greys.
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

|
| 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.
|
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
|

|
Other
Paint Colors...washed or painted
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
|

|
Wax
Finishes...
| |
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)
|
Oiled
Finishes...


|
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. |


|
Oiled then waxed with mahogany wax to give a deep cherry color. |

|
Oiled and waxed light brown. |


|
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
|

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. |

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.
 
in our workshop

in the home
|
The base and top of a stepback finished in a satin polyurethane. |

|
The base is waxed clear. The top is sealed with a vermont satin acrylic.
Beautiful! |


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.
|

|
Polyurethane on the top and light brown wax
on the base. The light brown wax and the polyurethane are just about the
same color. |
Murphy's
Oil Soap...
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.
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....

|
Stained
Finishes...
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.... |
|

|
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. |



|
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. |
Distressing...
Light distressing
More distressed for a worn look.
|
Bleaching...

|
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. |