The “Seadrift” by Pottery Barn is probably my favorite stain color out there, but I am just NOT willing to pay the price for it. Sooo.. I did some testing in my garage and found the perfect wood / stain combo so that you can build whatever you want and get that coastal, rustic finish!
I really wanted the Benchwright floating shelves for this space, but they were out of my price range as I needed FOUR and that would total up to over $1000. They were also a bit grayer than I wanted, so here’s exactly how I stained my DIY floating shelves and mantel to the Pottery Barn Seadrift finish.
Materials:
- Sande or Birch Plywood, or Select Pine
- Pre-stain wood conditioner
- Providential wood stain
- Antique White wood stain
- Matte Polyurethane
- Stain rags
- Tack cloths
- Orbital sander with 220 grit sandpaper
Step 1:
Sand with 220 grit sandpaper & wipe with a tack cloth to remove all the sawdust. Sanding is VERY important because it will make your stain absorb more evenly!
Step 2:
Water pop! I had never heard of this process until I built these shelves. I did some intense research on staining and discovered that water popping is a great way to help achieve a more even, consistent stain. The thought is that dampening the surface opens up the pores of the wood after the sandpaper closes them. Water wipes are a great way to quickly lightly dampen the surface.
Step 3:
Apply pre-stain wood conditioner. This is another important step. I’ve skipped it before and the stain just didn’t absorb uniformly.
Step 4:
Apply 1 coat of Providential and 1 coat of Antique White. Allow Providential to dry for about two hours before applying Antique White. After applying Antique White, have a spare rag around to really wipe the extra stain off.
Step 5:
Use a foam roller to add one coat of matte polyurethane and you’re DONE!!
