Turning walnut into cherry

by brae Email

For one of the rooms in my Spring Fling, I wanted a dark wood floor.  All I had on hand was a sheet of walnut wood flooring.  I cut a larger portion than I needed for the room and taped it to a flat board.


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I brushed on FolkArt Antiquing Medium, covering two or three boards at a time, and then wiped it off immediately.


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There were a few boards that were lighter to begin with, so I added some more antiquing medium and let it sit for a minute or two before wiping away the excess.  It helped it blend a bit more.  After a few minutes, I took a barely damp cloth and wiped the boards again to bring back the grain.

Here it is mostly dry with a scrap of the original walnut next to it, before any finishing sealer.


click image to enlarge

I think it's still not as dark as I wanted or maybe just too red for what I'm looking for, but I will let it dry completely before continuing with any additional experimentation.  Either way, now I know how to get a deep cherry wood floor!  :D

4 comments

Comment from: Dale [Visitor] Email
I think it looks beautiful.

What do you think now?
04/20/11 @ 00:29
Comment from: Lyssa [Visitor]
Again, I say... I think there is a certain *dark* you are looking for that I may be able to help with. To darken it up, try to use a light wash/stain of actual Walnut coloring on top. Should darken it a bunch and tone down the red if you don't like that.

So curious to see your end product!
04/20/11 @ 04:23
Comment from: Kathi [Visitor]
Looks nice Brae. Perhaps the final finish will darken it just enough?
04/20/11 @ 05:43
Comment from: michelle [Visitor]
That is such a gorgeous colour!
04/20/11 @ 09:50