Aged, distressing, DIY, Furniture, Glaze, Home Decor, , stain, staining vanity cabinet
I’ve fallen in love with the Restoration Hardware Salvage Gray wood stain. But, try as I might, I haven’t found a pre-mixed stain that producesthe same look. That never deterred me, andI don’t like to give up. Therefore, I created my own recipe for approximating that Restoration Hardware Weathered Gray stain. You may have seen this beautiful gray stain on my Sports Gear Storage Shelves the other day. Because I love you and I love to share, here is the DIY Restoration Hardware Weathered Gray Stain Recipe.
Materials:
- Minwax Provincial Stain
- Old sock
- Rubber gloves
- Fine sandingsponge
- Paint brush
- Clean rag
Glaze:
- 1 partValspar Arid Plains
- 3 partsValspar Clear Glaze
- Jar with lid
DIY Restoration Hardware Weathered Gray Stain Recipe Instructions:
Premix your glaze in a jar or bottle. 1 Part Valspar Arid Plains with 3 parts Valspar clear glaze.
Sand your wood smooth. Put on a rubber glove and slip an old sock over the glove. Dip you hand into the stain and wipe the stain onto your wood. Always wipe on stain with the grain.
After the first coat has dried, repeat by adding a second coat of Minwax Provincial stain. Let the stain dry.
Lightly sand the wood before applying the glaze.
Dip your paint brush into the glaze and paint on top of the stained wood.
Wipe off excess glaze.
And now you have a beautiful warm weathered gray stain.
Pin this graphic to share with friends:
You might also like:
Faux Weathered Gray Wood Grain Tutorial
Hopefully some day Restoration Hardware will sell their beautiful weathered gray stain pre-mixed. Until then, you can always DIY it!
Pin for later!
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/41 Comments/by Brittany Bailey
41 replies
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Paige says: October 7, 2016 at 7:50 pm
Hi! Trying to do a large tabletop, and am having trouble with “streaks” when I wipe the glaze off…. Any suggestions ?? HELP please 🙁
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Brittany Bailey says: October 7, 2016 at 8:54 pm
Paige, how about trying to use a large dry brush instead. That way most of it will stay on the table. Also try mixing more glaze and less paint to see if that helps.
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Leah says: September 13, 2016 at 5:31 pm
The paint sample listed is a tannish color, how does the gray wash come into effect?
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Brittany Bailey says: September 13, 2016 at 10:36 pm
Leah, this is the color I used. Did you have it mixed up? The color displayed on your screen may not match the actual color. It is a warm gray.
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Krista Parrett says: June 22, 2017 at 7:16 am
Hi, I just used this on a kitchen table the I built myself, and I wondered the same thing. Yes, it looks tan in the jar, but once it is on the stain, the colors combine to give it a a natural gray wood finish. Its amazing how much it changes the stain color! I was really worried when I got the stain on there, then saw the paint. But I followed her directions, and it really does work. Just fyi, I used 2 coats of wood conditioner (a MUST if it is a soft wood), then 2 coats of stain, then I applied this mixture with a large brush, put on a thin coat, then after just a few minutes rubbed off the excess- it gave it a more subtle look. The glaze also lightens the color of the stain quite a bit, but, yes, it really does work.
Oh, And they do still sell Valspar Arid Plains- it’s paint number 6007-2A, and the glaze is in a smaller jar now. Good luck!Reply
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Kelly says: September 1, 2016 at 2:45 pm
What does the glaze do? Wondering, would I follow same steps for tabletop? And poly after?
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Brittany Bailey says: September 7, 2016 at 10:03 pm
The glaze keeps the color transparent and allows you time to work with before it dries.
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Alyssa says: March 15, 2016 at 10:03 am
This is awesome! Would I need to add anything else if I’m using this stain on outdoor furniture?
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Brittany Bailey says: March 15, 2016 at 10:32 am
I would definitely add a layer of varnish or polyurethane for exterior protection.
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Alyssa says: March 15, 2016 at 10:43 am
Perfect! Thanks so much for your quick response!
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Jess says: March 9, 2016 at 10:07 pm
I love this! I want this look but a bit darker.. Would you just use a shade darker paint?
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Anna says: October 5, 2015 at 2:48 pm
I randomly stumbled across this page looking for how to do a gray wash. I used it on a shoe rack and it looks amazing! I just had Lowe’s do a sample size of the paint and it was more than enough. Thanks for this!
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Mike M says: April 12, 2015 at 1:47 pm
How do you think this stain would work on unfinished ruff sawn red fir?
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Brittany Bailey says: April 14, 2015 at 10:42 am
Mike, you might need to test it in an inconspicuous spot first. Stain will react and color differently with each new wood.
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dj j says: January 3, 2015 at 2:36 pm
I was wondering if this would work on wood paneling. It is already brown just wondering if I just glazed over it with paint I would get this effect? It would probably be darker since the paneling is darker..maybe pick a lighter gray paint for the glaze?
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Brittany Bailey says: January 3, 2015 at 4:14 pm
If you use a more solid mixture of the paint and glaze you’ll get more coverage going over the dark paneling. Experiment with a small section first.
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MJ says: January 2, 2015 at 10:22 am
I have standard, builders grade bi-fold doors that are painted white that I would like to transform. What are your thoughts on trying this technique realizing that there will not be any wood grain that shows through.
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Brittany Bailey says: January 3, 2015 at 4:16 pm
MJ, you may have to paint the doors a medium solid color first. You might want to look at my tutorial for faux wood graining this table. I’d use a similar technique: https://prettyhandygirl.com/faux-finish-weathered-wood-grain/
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Carl Cantrell says: December 30, 2014 at 8:45 am
This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing this idea and I will definitely try this out. Happy new year to you and your family!
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Cynthia @ her lovely nest says: November 15, 2014 at 11:54 am
Thanks for the great, easy recipe! It’s beautiful. Pinned it for later 🙂
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Colleen Taylor says: November 15, 2014 at 10:07 am
Ohhh, I love this stain, a real keeper & thanks for this tutorial. X
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Feral Turtle says: November 15, 2014 at 9:05 am
I definitely pinned this one. Looks amazing Brittany!
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Kirsten says: November 14, 2014 at 9:34 pm
I love this stain! Thanks for the DIY concoction – it turned out great! 🙂
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April 17, 2015 at 10:15 am
[…] get the weathered gray look from Restoration Hardware? PrettyHandyGirl.com shares her recipe here. On my to-do list this […]
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