Visit to Restoration Hardware

[mark conger]

Did a holiday mall crawl with the wife last night and had a chance to visit restoration hardware. I am getting more and more requests for reclaimed lumber look projects and these guys seem to be a big part of that trend. I do not believe this is really reclaimed lumber but some sort of techniques to create a reclaimed look. Not only does it look like a gray/white/black translucent paint finish they have managed to create a great deal of texture in the wood, much like weathered wood. My first thought was....it is some sort of chemical process that softens the sapwood and then use a wire drum sander to pull it out?? It looks like a veneer in some instances and then a surface treatment in others.

So I snapped some photos and would like to hear what your thoughts are on how they achieve their look.

[Jamie Buxton]

In many species you don't have to soften the sapwood. It is already soft. A wire brush removes it. You can use a muscle-powered brush, but a wire brush disc on a drill is much faster. There is some art to it, so learn on scrap before you tackle a real piece of furniture.

There are also chemical products that apply an aged stain. Varathane sells one, but there are others.

[John TenEyck]

Just as Jamie said.

Rift sawn white oak, hand brass brushed.





Rotary steel brushed red oak, unfinished:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PeUdTXCU3JTfPG5cNzD0jEwN3-O0VxPPYgD3w9UbDpSE3AsCJesdFiwrYHJm3lhKbkL2aa5AtFeA Qtiyv-i1OuazQqP10Hzdhmf0VbKjji_YbaUfrxqgnicFcbNXR-Cr54GgydLCw8yv0oA5xCVCggfZJmmqWzaJxlMZu9hIAK3_cAUK cLfvmAtfUynOt5DkOpbIDbAq-dEcBiLTa_qfm5oyj1uIdJilcwf3DjDR0AmhvMMD4hq1S4pALwQ 7jV3hwoVKYinjfkE9vJGzy2gTvvYpwcJDSIMJY5xgYtTyKU1qe YSfIcinSqd12nauEKKb2GMLGh1HdRA6Z3qRP0nZvB7XqQkGZEx Hhok2T-tfOt4Edyhnq9cygtOI9w78G4r_dFm_9OBB-Bxr9pgjzJQGwf9CaNASTZ6Z-H_CS0OX_afOrrNKJFZh7NUb28e6IvMs9TVvoRs2Z-ylSYED7UdWcHyIB_a_b7gByaj6lvRa6YcSlYA8bsaB-ZmDsAe5TNyh_oaiHAbpnKfSCbonHn9CrzakKpLlLB_ziw4me9W pVX4fMbTLukISxkepRQk4hPmq23zNkTs5tBDN_ANSyX12s5iBj rnqSwZRW3rimG3JeA=w471-h628-no

Supermax makes wire brush machines with a choice of brush types that spit out brushed wood just like a drum sander.

John