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You are visiting: Home » Decorating/DIY » Transform Your Furniture » Furniture Stain can be Grey-t

Furniture Stain can be Grey-t

by Lindsay Ballard on July 28, 2011 27 Comments

When considering a furniture rehab project, my mind very rarely goes to wood stain.  I’m a custom color sort of girl, and traditional stains have always seemed too reddish or light for my taste.  I like my stained furniture to be quite dark brown, and you can only have so much dark furniture in a room.

I had never really considered the fact that stain can be mixed in a range of colors other than brown, but upon further investigation, I found that it can be.  I think the key to a good custom stain color is to keep it a natural color – kind of like your hair color. Save your bright colors for painted furniture (although, I have seen brightly stained pieces AND people with bright blue hair that totally rock, so I wouldn’t say it’s a “rule” by any means).

Using the following pieces as inspiration, I’ve decided to go with a custom mixed grey stain for our top secret lumber yard project.

We are thiiiiiiis close to being finished building and will begin staining soon.  I can’t wait to see how it turns out.  And if I hate it, there’s always paint.  🙂

What are your thoughts on wood stain colors?

Image credits: Apartment Therapy, Your Furniture, Room & Board

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.

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Comments

  1. Kathy C. says

    July 28, 2011 at 1:28 pm

    I love gray stain…It’s so unexpected and neutral at the same time.

    Reply
  2. Brooke @ Inside-Out Design says

    July 28, 2011 at 1:38 pm

    I love that gray stain! Dang it, now you’ve got me rethinking my kitchen table plan….I can’t wait to see what it is you’re working on!

    Reply
  3. Linda says

    July 28, 2011 at 9:07 pm

    Love the grey! Can’t wait to see the finished project.
    Is it just my computer or what? I can never read the first comment because the ad pop-up (today it’s Lamps Plus) blocks it. I can’t get it to go away either.

    Reply
  4. Centsational Girl says

    July 29, 2011 at 1:21 am

    Oooh, I love the idea of gray stain, cannot wait to see the top secret project!

    Kate

    Reply
  5. Jenna, SAS Interiors says

    July 29, 2011 at 4:40 am

    I love the color of the grey stain, and wouldn’t have thought to use it either. That has me thinking now….I still have my office desk to redo and this might be the answer ~ thanks Lindsay!

    xo, Jenna

    Reply
  6. Abi says

    July 29, 2011 at 7:32 am

    I LOVE love love the grey stain!! It looks like a perfect combination of natural + industrial! I need to find something to stain so I can try it out=)

    Reply
  7. The Hidden List says

    July 29, 2011 at 6:11 pm

    I love it! I was born in the early 60’s (I know…I’m ancient) and I have pictures of me as a baby on my parents bed and it was stained grey, so it’s making another round! Most things are always better the second time around!

    Reply
  8. Carrie says

    July 30, 2011 at 2:28 pm

    I love the grey, too! Still warm with the wood grain but a whole different vibe than brown. Reminds me of driftwood which always looks chic!

    Reply
  9. Dezzy says

    August 1, 2011 at 1:40 pm

    I love stained wood! I’ve found it’s the cheapest and relatively the easiest way to spruce up a piece of furniture. I really like the grey, I’ve never seen this shade as a stain before!

    Reply
  10. Shannon says

    August 1, 2011 at 2:43 pm

    This is my first time here via reading about you at Southeran Hospitality! Great idea…didn’t know you could custom mix stains either. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  11. Laurie Laizure says

    August 1, 2011 at 6:04 pm

    I LOVE the gray stain! The color reminds me of driftwood and aged shakers on a cape cod home. Good idea!

    Reply
  12. Bernadette says

    August 2, 2011 at 9:55 pm

    awww…how timely. I just had an AWESOME project fail with some gray stain that worked so fantastic on our gate out back, but not so much on my freecycle deck chairs. MIGHT have to give it one more go.

    Loving the look of gray stained furniture lately.
    Bernadette

    Reply
  13. Daisy says

    August 8, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    Can you share with me what stain color are you using and where to get the stain? I have never stained before and I need to stain stair ledge caps and loft trims to a tone of grey to go with my floors and cabinetry. I am lost here. help?
    Daisy

    Reply
  14. Towana says

    October 12, 2011 at 1:06 pm

    AWESOME GREY! That is a color that I would not think of…because I love the dark expresso colors in a stain. So, the Grey will go perfect the darker pieces that I have…and will also help to balance out the room from being too dark…:)

    Reply
  15. orlando furniture stores says

    October 25, 2011 at 1:56 pm

    Thanks for sharing! I look forward to viewing more grey stain. My furniture needs a new “look” and I feel this would be awesome.

    Reply
  16. kathy says

    February 14, 2012 at 7:07 pm

    I have been trying to get the right grey stain color for my beams and the table at the top looks like what I am trying to achieve. How did it get that shade. what was the stain?

    Reply
  17. Sarah-Ashley says

    April 25, 2012 at 6:39 pm

    I am trying to either find a coffee table this color, or the right stain! Can you direct me to the website you pulled that coffee table picture from? And also, since I am a new reader, where is the finished product post, I’m curious how the stain worked out!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      April 25, 2012 at 9:04 pm

      Hi Sarah-Ashley,

      That’s the Zen table from West Elm, which they don’t make any longer. My project is here: http://livingwithlindsay.com/2011/08/mastering-the-master-bedroom-the-handmade-bed.html

      Reply
  18. siobhan thomas says

    May 23, 2012 at 8:29 am

    How did the furniture turn out? I’m thinking of staining wood floors grey and would love to know what stain you ended up using. I’m looking for a warm tone that will work well on oak.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  19. Stacy says

    August 16, 2012 at 5:36 pm

    What is the grey stain that you use? I’m trying to find one for sale, and can’t find any. Help!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      August 17, 2012 at 9:06 pm

      Hi Stacy,
      It was a custom color from Sherwin-Williams. Here’s the color formula: http://livingwithlindsay.com/2011/09/how-to-stain-bare-wood.html

      Reply
      • Christine says

        July 22, 2019 at 7:51 pm

        Anyway to resurrect the old article? Grey is back in and I was looking to see your final project and stain formula. I am redoing my kitchen cabinets and want to do this brown gray tone.

        Reply
  20. Ashley says

    September 12, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    I think nearly all of the furniture inside my home provides a double purpose.
    Due to the fact we now have such limited space, some sort of sofa which is also a bed
    and a bed that also has storage drawers beneath is invaluable.

    There are plenty of great designs to choose from
    too.

    Reply
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About Makely

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.


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