Glazing and Plank Wall Tutorial

I found a BEFORE picture.  That I just had to share!

(my cute daughters sneaks in every photo she can)

I have had several questions about my cabinet.  When I went back and read my post I realized I didn't really expand.  Which is so strange to me.  All my life I have been given awards {if you can call it that} for talking all the time, I at one time had the nick name Babbling Brooke.  For some reason when I write I clam up.  So I am going to try to expand...

This cabinet started out black.  I then painted it with Annie Sloan's Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint.  If you have not heard of this paint it is AWESOME.  You don't have to sand or prime!
I painted this piece and then I sanded down the areas I wanted to look old.  The other awesome thing about this paint is if you get a run...just sand it off it doesn't gum up like latex it actually sands off in the consistency of chalk.  You can make any kind of paint job nice and smooth!  I then glazed it with Burnt Umber Universal Tint from Lowes.

How do you glaze?  Let me explain it......

First you need the tint, then you are going to mix a little glaze with water.  It should be pretty runny.  With your brush apply the glaze and follow right behind with a wet rag to wipe off all the left over glaze.

Once this is dry than you can wax it.  I used Annie Sloan's Clear Soft Wax.  I really liked it as you apply it with a brush and it buffs to an awesome shine!
{Tutorial to come soon}  

As for my plank wall.  I have always loved plank walls and I have always wanted one.  Since my house isn't quite old enough to have it's own, I created one!  This project is great because it is cheap and adds a very dramatic affect.  I did take a few pictures.....they are not the best pictures, but maybe they will help a little!

The first thing I did was cased everything in.  {casing is the molding under the stairs and around the whole wall}  Since this is a floating wall I needed something to butt the planks up against.

For the planks I purchased 2 sheets of Hard Board from Home Depot, I think they were about $8 a sheet.

I ripped the hard board down to 5 inch strips and cut them to random lengths.  I started at the bottom and let the first row sit right on my base board.  For spacing I used the width of the hard board, as it was easier than trying to use tile spacers.

I then just used my nail gun to hold it in place.  I went easy on the nails, I don't like filling nail holes!  After it was all up I first primed it and then painted it.  I used Benjamin Moore's Halo for the planks and Benjamin Moore's White Dove for the moldings.

To finish the top off my husband hung crown for me!  I just love my wall!  I use it for lots of my photography shoots too!!

I hope this helps explain better...