Achieving an "old" look on new wood

M

MissRibena

Registered User
Messages
350
Hi everyone

Further to recent major stressing about banjaxed bathroom walls, I've gone with Vanilla's suggestion of using wainscotting rather than a reskim. Now, my usual problem with wood in this house is how to make old painted wood look presentable. This time, I have new wood that I want to make look older.

The T&G panels I bought are white deal (I think) and I don't want to wind up with shiny yellow wainscotting and would prefer an older, browner, duller finish. I reckon that waxing might be the way to go - like the Ronseal brush on wax. Would this be ok to use in a bathroom? There won't be any splashing as the wall with all the fittings is tiled but the room will still be quite humid.

Thanks
Rebecca
 
Was hoping someone with more knowledge would respond, but sure, here goes. We used antique wax on some beams in our house, and on a table. The beams are fine as they are out of reach, but the table is a nightmare as the wax rubs off onto everything. So I'm not sure wax would suit. If you're sure you want the wood grain to show through, varnish is probably best, and I think in a bathroom you should go for a special type ( marine) to combat the moisture. Just get one piece of red deal and paint different samples on until you get the one you want. Alternatively you could just paint them- I've seen some gorgeous ones painted in cream and a kind of New England green- though this might not go with your decor. Somehow I'm imagining russet and wine!
 
Thanks Vanilla. I'm thinking I might paint them too actually. It is just another colour added to the room but I don't know what colour to paint them now. The tiles are white so the cream I'd normally opt for might look a bit weird.

The wine/red situation is getting tricky too. My testers are rapidly turning my boudoir into a brothel! Green is actually my next choice if the whole red thing gets too scary. Did they paint the panels green and the skirting/edges cream or the other way round?

I have myself pure mythered with this bathroom.

Rebecca
 
Well in the bathroom I saw, they had the entire panelling painted in this moss green, and above it the walls were painted cream. They had a wooden floor and underfloor heating, and the natural wood looked good as it somehow warmed the room.

The other room I saw was a utility where the panelling was distressed in a cream colour - in an old country house style- you know the type, old school clothes hangers on the wall, wellies on the floor, trug on the countertop. The panelling was wooden underneath- probably an oak colour, and the cream was painted on and then sanded off in places to make it look aged and worn. The panelling here was three quarters and at the top was a shelf all around the room on which they had put bits and pieces, kitchen scales, baskets etc. I think the wall behind was just painted- but I can't for the life of me remember the colour.

But if your tiles are white, can't see cream working. Blue is cold, green might be nice but will clash with red. Sorry I cant help-I'm certainly no interior designer!
 
No probs, thanks Vanilla.

I'm considering abandoning the red idea for green but my sister has her bathroom done in green with wainscotting (and green colour wash of some kind on the wood) and is a bit weird with people copying her. She doesn't get the whole imitation is a form of flattery thing :)

Rebecca
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top