wild sparrow designs

Saltwash “Coastal Inspirations”

Summer is here! And there’s nothing better than creating a little DIY project with a  coastal touch!  Let me introduce you to Saltwash! If you haven’t heard of this fantastic product let me fill you in!  It’s a powder additive that you can add to any kind of paint and it gives your furniture an incredible, weathered, chippy, saltwashed, time worn textured look!

This month the Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest had Saltwash   sponsor their June contest and I was thrilled!  The theme was “Coastal Inspirations”. I had seen the amazing effect Saltwash gives to furniture and accessories and I couldn’t wait to try this stuff out!

This info is directly from the Saltwash website:

“Saltwash™ is a product, invented to create a unique weather worn, layered sun  and salt air soaked look in just two quick steps. Saltwash™ is made with real sea salt, so you will notice it dries quicker and adheres to almost any surface that takes paint. It was designed to be mixed into any brand or type of paint and used as the base coat. When mixed to the desired consistency, it can be applied to almost any surface that takes paint. Originally intended for furniture, Saltwash™ also has found to give a unique look to walls, flooring, metal and even plastic.”

“Saltwash™ is a low voc product and all of the ingredients in it are considered safe in a working environment. We at Saltwash™ LLC., are very concerned with safety, so we recommend to always take precautions, and because Saltwash™ is a powder, we suggest wearing proper respiratory and eye protection when mixing and sanding.”

This was the table I decided to work on.  It was a freebie from a friend of mine and I thought Saltwash would work perfectly on here!  I had just given it a coat of  white chalk paint.

I had some leftover paint that my dad and stepmom had given me from a project they had done at their house. I can’t remember the name of the color, but it was a very bright green, almost a jadeite green color. It was an eggshell finish.  This was the first color I layered on .

This is the paint mixed with the Saltwash. You want to add enough of the product so that it becomes VERY thick like cake icing.  When in doubt, add more.

I just used my Wooster brush to apply the paint and Saltwash mixture.  Instead of painting, you want to use a pouncing or dabbing motion when applying.

Here you can see the texture starting to come alive.  It adheres wonderfully and it dries very quickly.

Here is the first layer of the green applied. Notice the chunky texture! This is exactly what you want to achieve.  I was thinking about just going over the green with my white topcoat but I wanted more dimension and layering appeal so I decided to add another color over the green.

Here is the second layer of paint and Saltwash.  This was a bright tropical blue, also a leftover paint from a project! Also an eggshell finish.  However, it doesn’t matter what finish you have on hand, Saltwash will mix with any kind of paint!  I just glopped this on!

Love this texture!!  I let each layer dry thoroughly before adding the next.  It didn’t take long, maybe a half hour or so before applying the next layer.

So here is now a picture of the top coat applied over the 2 layers of color. This was just a white that I had on hand. I believe it was Snow White by Benjamin Moore.  I didn’t add the Saltwash to the white.  You use only the paint for the final top coat.

I let this dry overnight.  Look at all the crevices and divots! I am in love!!

Another close up of the white over the green and blue.

This picture is after I sanded with my palm sander!  Look how the blue and green layers of Saltwash come through!  It looks just like its been sitting in a coastal cottage for decades!!  I sanded a lot on the edges because I wanted to bring out some of the wood tones as well.

This is right after I applied my Johnson’s Paste Wax mixed with some dark Provincial Minwax stain.  I just used an old sock and rubbed it in. I wanted an aged, distressed, stained feeling.  I left the excess in the grooves and the corners.

And here it is inside!!

Doesn’t this look amazing? Beachy, weathered and worn and perfect!

I was so addicted to this stuff  I couldn’t help but create a “Beach House” sign as well with all the same colors I used on the table. I can’t wait to experiment on other pieces with other colors. You must try this Saltwash product!!  Try it out. You won’t be disappointed!

The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest is open only to the entrants who have signed up through the group Facebook page. If you are an active, furniture flippin’ blogger, and you’d like to participate in future contests, we’d love to have you! Please contact us at info@fabfurnitureflippincontest.com to find out how!

I am linking up to these wonderful blogs!

http://www.thirtyeighthstreet.com

http://www.58waterstreet.com