12 Reasons I Went CRAZY This Year & Discovered 50 Shades of Grey

Adele Kurtz
by Adele Kurtz
2 Materials
This year took an exciting turn after I opened up and experimented with 50 Shades of Grey.
Being an intense, passionate kind of gal, I went over-the-top crazy.
We shared so much together in daring rediscovery.
It all started with a gallon of Benjamin Moore's Regal Select Matte Grey and a quart each of Polyvine Satin and Dead Flat Wax varnishes.
I'll share a dozen short stories of how we intermingled, give you a peek inside our private places. Please tell me if you want to know more of the details in future longer posts.
I'm still kinda new to Hometalk so I thought this inside intro could offer a preview of coming attractions.
Here's the condensed version of where it all happened, and what we learned together.
It all started in our Music Room, a Collector's Living Room. Earlier this year the walls were tasteful, boring, off white. Don't worry the walls to other side still are. The ceilings are 2-stories, so I'm certainly not going to paint them!


Now you can see a shadowy grey color that sets off the red stone, knotty pine, art and collectibles. That was the Big Change that got me going. Got me over my fear of dark colors and onto something new. I also accented the fireplace flue in the grey with copper flourishes and on I went!
Ready to turn the corner into the stairway of more collectibles. I framed the entry to the stair in the solid matte grey. This is MATTE, not flat. Which offers the greatest contrast in depth of finish, to set off shiny textures in interesting ways. I LOVE IT!


See how elegant the metallic sage green looks with the stark contrast of grey?... and the wood tones pop beautifully.
Now it's time for a RUSTIC TURN. I added a rough cedar header plank above the entry and continued the frame in matte grey.


I used a scouring pad to remove grit and varnish from the oak handrails and planks, and dry-brushed the matte grey quickly. Then smudged some, intentionally, using my finger in a rag to fake additional rough grain patterns.


Here's where protection is necessary. I do NOT want to lose the dull contrast so DEAD FLAT wax varnish by POLYVINE is perfect.
Welcome to my GUEST BATH. Have a seat. Now that my confidence is slowly building.... I'm ready to try refinishing furniture. Scour off the grime & varnish -- just til the gloss is down.


Dilute matte grey with water & try to replicate grainy texture. Work quickly.


Three light coats of Polyvine wax varnish.


Not anal perfect, but not too crappy, either, eh?
This bathroom cabinet is 25-year old oak. Why replace it if you can tone it back a bit? Allow more or less of your prior stain colors to show through. Same technique as I practiced on the seat. I feel my confidence growing from my toilet training.
ALAS, but then the countertop looked poor in comparison. It was a tan tile with white grout. I could rip it out & buy new.... Or I could experiment some more.


I used a Ralph Lauren Metallic blue over all the tile & grout. Then used 2 coats of water-proof polyurethane. Then another coat of blue and another coat of poly. Metallic paints show imperfections in strokes, and a few blemishes I caused from touching up bothered me.


I put on another coat of blue metallic mixing in sand to diffuse the lighting. Then another coat of poly.


Looked good, but too dressy. Like sparkly blue tin tiles.


MATTE GREY to the RESCUE.


I diluted it down and applied it with a sponge.


Finish with Satin Poly.


So far -- after 5+ months it's holding perfectly well.
Also used metallic blue with matte grey over it on mirror. Used solid Matte Grey on light fixtures. This shows how that lamp we adapted changes the colors in the room. The wall is painted a soft grey blue, but the lamp is now in it's yellow green phase. See my separate post about color-changing drama.
Well if it works on counter tops, how about the most abused appliance in the kitchen? My TRASH COMPACTOR is heavy duty, outliving the other appliances which are now in gleaming stainless steel. This was white at the beginning of this year, but I didn't want to replace it. (The oaky tones you see reflected are from the stone floors in the kitchen.)


So I made a precise cover out of cardboard that showed exactly where to fold and put in holes for screws... Brought the cardboard dummy pattern to a metal fabricator. 30 minutes later I had a fresh stainless steel sleeve I could screw right over the white one. Only $69. Smart eh?


I needed to paint a dozen coats over the handle, top and floor pedal. I alternated the same brown I used on the counter top trim with poly coats. Still too brown looking.


MATTE GREY to the RESCUE! Sponged it over the brown and Poly-coated over it.
Greywash became the quick easy way to tie art together. Problem: cheap wood frames that don't match. Now they hang better together after just one coat of diluted MATTE GREY. Drawings POP. Self portraits by my kids when they were young, and one portrait of my step-son by his father.
On to GUEST ROOM furniture. Made this desk long ago with my daughter, above, out of a wooden file, oak planks and half-round. Cool trick is that the left side is turned around to handle clutter (faces library shelves). Very abused over the years. Nice update with same grey-wash technique..


Taught two kids how to sponge in this room too. They picked orange with brown, which is way too hot especially with pine trim and oak furniture! So the grey wash really helped.


Since this room is for experiments, we even refitted the desk chair to cover that peeling fake black leather. Get this: we used rubber mesh shelf liner over the swooping back, let the sides remain open for flare! Hey, it's lasted pretty well now that those kids are out of the house.
Solid oak is one thing, but what about cheap modern furniture? This dresser has some real wood, on drawer face & top, but the rest is the masonite-type where the wood grain is just printed on.


It was falling apart, needed to be glued back together or taken to the curb. So it was worth trying. Yep, my fake brush-graining technique blended fine here too. The masonite surface does NOT grab the paint quite as well, of course -- too slick. But extra coats of poly will help protect it when the drawers slam. The top is real wood, and you can feel it absorb the stain. 4 light poly coats on the top.


Handles were cheap brass, $2 of gloss black spray paint did the trick nicely.
Now I have the confidence to work on my MOST PRECIOUS Furniture. I made this table over 12 years ago with that same daughter right after we built that desk. I wanted her to not be intimidated by "men's projects," as I had been for most of my life. See that confident smirk she drew into her face? ... drawn about the same time we were doing these projects...


We built it at the same time we were putting in the stone tiles, (we etched the stone with Muriatic Acid ourselves & designed the floor patterns). We found a book-matched pair of tiles for the center, and used a plywood base to apply the tiles and oak planks with half-round trim.


This dining table has served thousands of meals and survived dozens of art lessons. It's greatest hardship, however, is standing up to the rocks and stones Rich and I bring home to later become sculptures or jewelry someday.


So I was quite concerned about how stain and varnish could hold up to our challenges.


This picture is after 5 months of wear and abuse. Sure, It's got a few dings and scratches. We are very confident we can take care of them if/when needed.


I used a looser application process on this table, more watered down, which gave into free-form patterns that look wilder -- as are we.


Used six light coats of Polyvine. Two in dead flat, followed by two in satin per manufacturers recommendation (so it doesn't look milky?), then two more in dead flat.
So now it's time to head off to our OTHER PROPERTY. I honestly think Rich bought it so I wouldn't run out of projects. It's a golf & fishing retreat on the Spring River that we use for vacation rentals. See it here: https://www.vrbo.com/819262


Very 70s with tons of stone & wood. Lovely but dated. And the market potential doesn't warrent spending a lot of money.


Grey is gong to do wonders in this room. Really sets off the new appliances and copper back-splash too. I started on the window frames. Made a cut out into the dining room so you can see the golf course and river while in the kitchen. (Not cost effective to break open the wall entirely) Painting the opening in grey frames the view better. Also grey-washed the sink window trim and used solid grey paint on outer wall. Pushes the walls back, recedes, so other elements can come forward visually.


Now what to do with those cabinets!
We tested the diluted grey technique on our kitchen island and everyone is very impressed with how classy and fresh it looks in comparison to the old oak.


I wanted to retain the authenticity of the period appropriate for a golf & river retreat.


I would appreciate suggestions on those concrete countertops, however... They are not working as well as I'd hoped.
While we're adjusting to the change -- and waiting for poly to dry -- I went into the dining room and mixed the grey into white chalk paint 50:50 and used it on the dining room table and chairs. It blends in beautifully with the stonework. 4 coats of Satin on the top, two on base.


Please let me know which stories you want to hear more of the spicy details... :)
Suggested materials:
  • Benjamin Moore Regal Select Matte Finish   (paint dealer)
  • Polyvine Dead Flat and Satin Wax Varnish   (online, US Paint Supply)
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  • Pandalana Williams Pandalana Williams on Jan 03, 2017
    You have inspired me to repaint my den! Beautiful homes! Well done!
    • Adele Kurtz Adele Kurtz on Jan 03, 2017
      Thanks. Post pix if you want to... I'll be working on my guest room /studio /den in the months ahead too... not quite sure what scheme & creative twists to work with -- & open to inspiration !
  • Nancy Flemming Nancy Flemming on Oct 18, 2017

    Thank you, will now have to wait until hubby is gone for a couple of weeks, so I can do the kitchen uninterrupted.


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