THE OPPOSITE OF ASH

02/13/2013

By Roblyn Powley

Ray has been working with a client seeking a sleek, high contrast look and they turned to our good friend Ash to make it happen. We’ve talked a little bit about custom finishes and Ash in particular as a species that is super flexible and looks great with just about any finish you can think of to apply. But if you walk out in to our shop today you’ll see something pretty dramatic.

Rows and rows of black wood planks.

Our custom finishing team is working on the black portion of this three toned color application. Here, the boards fill the room while finish coats are drying.

This project calls for Ash to become its own opposite. Dark, smooth and glossy boards will contrast with bright whites and a two-tone grey combination. Not a hint of warm gold to be found. The finishing team has been dedicated to this project, working their way through multiple colors, wiping and top coat applications, literally hand crafting each individual board.

The grey boards have a white topcoat that highlights the reclaimed details- grain, nailholes and insect marks.

Dave works on the application of the white finish. Behind him you can see a clock and thermometer. Temperature can be a crucial factor in finish application and successful curing so it’s closely monitored.

The blackest boards are sleek and uniform with a smooth satin sheen.

We’ve found ourselves doing more and more of this custom finishing lately and the team has been having fun flexing their creative muscles, helping put together exactly the right look for our clients’ projects.

I personally can’t wait to see the finished installation…

Keep you posted!

-Roblyn