Faux Barn Wood - Part III

I have a small amount of specialist chalk paint varnish on hand, which must be what I used on the bathroom vanity (see image) but I wasn't sure there was enough, so I sallied forth to the hardware store to pick my way through the complex world of varnish. Luckily I had done my internet research and had a couple of products to look for ... Varethane Satin Crystal Clear Fast drying Heavy Use, or, as this seems to have been discontinued, Varethane Polyurethane Satin in an ochre and white can. As usual in Western Canada, neither of these products were available, but I knew what I was looking for.

1. Matt finish
2. Polyurethane
3. No Odor
4. Non yellowing
5. Fast drying
6. Works with chalk paint
7. Could be painted over

The nice young shelf stocker advised that anything with oi in it will yellow, so he recomended Varethane triple thick. However, when I asked a specialist paint assistant she said a customer had recently told her that product yellowed even though it wasn't supposed to. She said there is never a problem with Varethane Diamond Wood Finish Matte. On the can it says Interior water based, Ultra Fast, Fingerprint resistant, Superior durability, Soft touch Natural Wood Feel. (See image). This assistant said that any water based varnish may go cloudy if applied too thickly, so use a brush not a roller. Again, two thin coats are better than one thick coat. All good!

I've learned from past experience to sand lightly before applying varnish. On the internet I found a tip to use a brown paper lunch bag, so of course I had to try. The upside is yes, it does create a nice soft, smooth surface, which will absorb less varnish (cheaper) and stops milkiness. Downside is that it ends up completely shredded (see image) and makes a mess, so be prepared. I have to admit that it creates a better surface than sanding sponges or fine sandpaper, it's cheap and smooths roughness and those little hard balls of chalk without removing any of the hard won paint effect. I will use this idea from now on. The varnish I selected is self levelling, but just in case I recommend brushing in the direction of the faux wood grain. Voila!

I recently discovered some LED bulbs for my halogen pot lights, so I replaced them in my kitchen sunshine ceiling which are a pain to do and the new ones are supposed to last 9 years. The surprising thing is that as an artist I'm very fussy about light quality and I like these bulbs! I also purchased some new burner covers in keeping with my red and lime theme. Now all that is left is to put the doors back on and enjoy my fresh and bright kitchen. Yay!