In the early 1900's, my wonderful great-grandfather immigrated from the beautiful mountainous town of Benevento, Italy. 🏔 This is not a tourist trap by and stretch, it''s about a hour and 15 minutes away from Naples, but we easily made the beautiful drive.
We were greeted by a late spring snow, which turned the whole landscape into a dream. We sat and enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate, Italian style which means it's like a warm pudding.
Although 100 years have passed since my grandfather walked these streets, it feels like he could’ve been there right beside me! I can't even explain it. It was one of my best days in Italy and I was left in awe of him and his journey. Leaving Italy as a very young child, giving up the land of his ancestors, he provided his posterity with all the opportunity America has to offer.
Feeling super grateful to walk in his shoes and feel so close to him. I hope I've made him proud.
I found this project to be super inspiring- ugly douglas fir siding magically transformed into gorgeous weathered wood, perfect for this show home or yours!
Materials
- Douglas Fir- raw wood
- Weatherwood's Stain- Salvage for a light grays & browns (Save 10% with code: Welcome10)
- Weatherwood Exterior Waterproofer
Directions
1.] PREP
If you're looking to replicate this beautiful weathered look, you'll need to start with douglas fir. Our beams were rough sawn (textured) so they didn't need sanded. If your project is smooth wood, then give it a quick sand with 80 grit before staining.
Choose your wood stain color. This company went with Weatherwood' Savage stain- it's the most popular on this species.
3.] STAIN
Stain wood using a large paint brush. You want to really drench the wood. That's all you have to do, just let the wood stain absorb into the wood. Douglas fir is very very sappy. Reactive wood stain will not react with sap, because there are no tannins in sap. That means, if you get any sap spots you'll need to re-sand those and then stain them again.
4.] PROTECT
Apply two coats of Weatherwood Exterior Waterproofer to both protect the wood and the color. This product will last for 5 years, so less labor and no headache! After sealing wood, it will still look like raw barn wood because this protectant works from the inside out, without forming a hard-shell on top.
DIY Restoration Hardware Burnt Oak Driftwood Finish
Reclaimed [Looking] Douglas Fir Tables
I hope you're following along on our awesome adventures abroad and, of course, more fantastic projects to come! See you at the party tomorrow!
