February 6, 2019

Driftwood Live Edge Console & Reggio Calabria


Reggio Calbaria is on the bottom of the boot of Italy, it's not a popular destination for American touritsts but it caught us for December. We spent a few weeks there after we left Sicily. The weather was pretty great and we were staying right on the beach. Here's a few of our highlights. 


Here's their main town square (above) where we did out Christmas shopping. From where I'm standing their primary chiesa (church) is behind me. I loved that ceiling and the bronze doors with many different religious scenes.



The gold mosaics get me every time. They reflect light and give a special feeling that they're glowing.


One of the major highlights of this trip was the Riace bronze statues, at their local archeology museum. They were discovered in the sea by a scuba diver in the 1970's. Most the bronzes from the early greeks were melted down, so the only remaining have been salvaged by the sea. The workman ship is incredible!





 Live edge tables are super popular but most folks leave them natural, to show that gorgeous wood grain. But with reactive stains you can get beautiful color and all that grain! The color is totally dreamy and it looks like it's straight out of a Restoration Hardware catalog!

Materials



STAIN Directions

1.] SAND: Here's the labor portion. You want to use a hand sander and 80 grit sandpaper to make sure the wood is opened up, then sanded with 120 to smooth it a little. We did this before constructing the ladder, since that's much easier. 





2.] STAIN: Weatherwood released a new stain that can turn oak into a beautiful driftwood gray, called Light Oaking. This product can work on any wood, so it's less complicated than some of their other products.


Just brush onto raw wood, allow to air dry for 60 minutes and if you like the color, you're done! If you want a darker shade, quickly and easily layer it until you're 100% pleased!



3.] SEAL: To seal the cabinetry use Weatherwood Stain's Varnish and decide how much sheen you want. This is Satin Varnish and it's applied the same way as normal varnish, either brush it on or spray it on. Applying up to three coats for the best protection. Spraying is usually faster and will give such professional looking results. I recommend applying a light coat, then letting that dry. Then layering heavier coats. That will keep the topcoat from changing the stain color too much.





How pretty is this? The best part, it's practical too. Grays are such a difficult color to nail, but this will give you the perfect driftwood color. Light Oaking is layer-able, so for darker shades, apply two coats. It's a perfect look for this home and yours. 


If you're looking for other projects using Light Oaking, check out how we replicated DIY Restoration Hardware Reclaimed Gray Oak Table. The Light Oaking is simply gorgeous and so easy to use. I'd love to see your Weatherwood projects.

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