The Stain and Seal Colors You Need Now

Blue Monday never looked so happy!

I wanted to share with you today my favorite color palette of Stain & Seal.  When I tell people how much I use Colonial Green and Williamsburg Blue Stain and Seal Colors they look at me like I am a Puritan!  Well. let me tell you, Ye Ole Williamsburg Blue and Colonial Green colors are incredibly versatile and dare I say, current. The same with Turquoise and Teal Stain and Seal colors.  No 1980's eyeshadow shades-these two have a lovely grey undertone that takes them more to Scandinavia then Studio 54! And Pickling White should be a staple in your cabinet stains, Poor pickling got saddled with thoughts of  horrible cabinets that turned peachy or chartreuse with time.  Not this color.

Need convincing?  How about a whole house project built around these stain colors.

Beautiful blue, green and cream  French Country china cabinet

with Faux Effects Stain & Seal and Old World Finishing Paint.

One of my favorite clients owns a fabulous French country home. I went with all this palette of  Stain & Seal Colors when she needed an update from warm yellow and terracotta to a lovely up-to-date blue based scheme.

The china cabinet above is from France. Looks like an old antique right?  It's actually from the 1970's but with the right shades (and techniques) it fits in perfectly and naturally with older pieces from Provence.

An iron Jardinière in black grey before

Iron Jardinière after with Faux Effects Williamsburg Blue, Ebony and Pickling White Stain & Seal colors.

Look how nicely the Jardinière (that's what they call these cast iron garden pots) pulls out the blue in the modern art. That little piece is so heavy-moving it was harder than staining it.   

I mix my Stain & Seal with FX Thinner to make it flow better and to control the opacity.

We needed the mirror below to coordinate with the antique seltzer bottles. Turquoise and Teal Stain and Seal colors were a great match.  Plus now the hand-painted scene at the top of the mirror stands out more then it did when the piece was just grey.  

Antique mirror updated with Faux Effects Stain & Seal 

Over these colors, I tend to use a mix of 2 parts Vandyke Stain & Seal + 1 part Ebony Stain & Seal mixed with 3-4 parts FX Thinner. Why do I use this mix to age the blue and green based stain? Why thanks for asking!

If you use over-stains made with a gold base- like Rich Brown or a warmer brown like American Walnut, you will really pull out the green undertone of these blue/green stains. And Rich Brown or American Walnut on Pickling White may skew a bit pink.  Using something with a grey tone will soften the blue/greens and white without changing the color significantly.

Antique clock and thermometer with Williamsburg Blue Stain & Seal and Faux Metal in Rich Gold. All Faux Effects.

What time is it? Time to use some Williamsburg Blue Stain & Seal with Rich Gold Faux Metal to get an antique clock looking cool.... or is it hot?  OK. I just said that because this is also a thermometer. Maybe my poor attempt at humor is lame but the finish product is not.  The combination actually looks authentic which was the goal!

My homage to how much I use Pickling White Stain & Seal.  The fireplace was polished concrete in beige...beige!  Pickling White helped transform it to an old crusty stone. And the walls were Terracotta....now a white washed faux wood. 

Hey there! I'm painting on a mix of Dove Old World Finishing Paint mixed with Pickling White over old pine ceiling planks.  Yes, I usually look at what I am painting but you try taking a decent selfie on scaffold while holding a paint brush. I mix Pickling White with the Old World Finishing Paint because I like how it thickens the mix. Added bonus: the stain reduces some of the dust but you still keep the ability to sand to a really smooth finish.  It also makes this layer less absorbent if you decide to glaze on top.  

Bye dark brown and orange ceiling....hello soft aged blue and cream with antique glaze.

You may be thinking...well Rebecca this is really pretty (at least I hope you think so) but what if I need something more Bohemian?  I  would say "thank you" and "I got Bohemian too."

I found this old oak table for $30 dollars!  It just needed a cheerful update....

I love Duck Egg Blue. All Stain & Seal colors play nicely with Faux Crème Colors, Faux Colors and Faux Crème Color Concentrates!  I paired this table with my Copenhagen Blue finished chairs-more Williamsburg Blue Stain & Seal. The Copenhagen Blue finish is shown near the end of this post (I didn't use the foil layer on these chairs.)

But what about walls?  I showed you a faux white washed wood wall finish that used Pickling White Stain & Seal in a picture above. For our own home, my accent color is Teal and I needed that color for Lusterstone.  So I used Teal Stain & Seal to tint Frosted Denim Lusterstone (I wanted a grey based Lusterstone to start).

This Greyed Teal  pairs nicely with Brown Suede and Charred Gold Lusterstone Colors for this dining room finish.  

Our old kitchen (above) with Pickling White Stain & Seal on the cabinets, ceilings and walls.  I should get a business deduction every time I move into another house because I need a new home every 5 years just to re-do and photograph for this blog!

Want to try a recipe yourself?  This is my favorite French Grey Color:

2 cups FX Thinner + 1 cup Pickling White Stain & Seal + 1 TBSP Dark Brown Faux Crème Color Concentrate + 8tsp Williamsburg Blue Stain & Seal + 2tsp Earth Brown Faux Crème Color.

My mix makes a nice opaque stain color.  I brush it on with a soft brush and wipe it down with cheesecloth as it starts to matte in sheen. If I remove more French Grey then I may see the wood underneath.  I will use the Earth Brown Faux Crème Color + Picking White Stain & Seal to make an over-glaze. The  Dark Brown Faux Crème Color Concentrate is my favorite product to  tip and shade a piece. All of my colors are mixed with FX Thinner. A great way to use your colors for multiple steps and provide a strong binder.

Let's end with a few more cabinet inspirations!

Maison Blue

Urban Fern

Nantucket Blue Crackle

Copenhagen Blue

Winters gate

Cerused Barnwood

Excited to go Green?  Or Blue?  Or Pickled? October is the month to give one (or all a try)

Interested in learning how to use Faux Effects Products for Cabinetry?  Check out my classes Thursday, December 7th (Restoration Re-Stain) and Friday, December 8th (Re-stain Wood Cabinets).  These classes will be at our studio in Dallas, TX. You may check the class information on the FE Dallas Facebook Fan Page. I will also post upcoming classes from other FE studios and instructors on this blog and on the Faux Effects Facebook Fan Page. Everyone is working on their 2018 schedules!

Until next week....

Rebecca