A Door for a Headboard

I picked up a fantastic old door from a barn that's not too far away from where I live. The place is FANTASTIC. It's like walking into an episode of American Pickers, but in real life!

Not going to lie, I may have drooled a little bit during my visit, but let's not go there.

So...on to the door!

The weather this past weekend was amazing, so with windows wide open, I set to work turning this old door into our new headboard.

I looked at quite a few doors while I was at my favorite barn. I picked this one because it was relatively light in weight, symmetrical, and the perfect width for our king sized bed.

Plus, it has sweet details and amazing mortise and tenon joints!

The rough patches didn't bother me one bit. It's all part of the door's story.

Our comforter is wonderfully nubby and navy-striped. To match it, I decided to paint the raw wood door with Miss Mustard Seed's "Artissimo". I had a bit of "Grain Sack" leftover and mixed that in there for good measure. I measured out 1/3 cups of milk paint to 1/3 cups of warm water and used a mini whisk to combine everything.

The first coat went on as usual. Don't be afraid of how milk paint looks at first. The first coat is always the ugliest. It looks streaky and awful, but trust me - that second coat (and an amazing top coat) makes all the difference!

Here's a comparison to show you how much the coverage changes when you apply the second coat.

The left side has two coats, and the right only has one.

For a topcoat, I went with the amazing Hemp Oil. Hemp Oil deepens and intensifies the color of milk paint, especially when it's applied to raw wood.

I used a technique called wet sanding to finish it off. Basically, you apply the hemp oil and use a fine grit sandpaper (I used 400) to gently smooth the surface while simultaneously working in the hemp oil. The result is a super soft finish. Once I was done wet sanding, I went over the entire piece with a clean cloth to wipe away any oil that had not been absorbed.

The headboard is finished, but we need to wait for the piece to cure (hemp oil takes about 30 days according to the label). It's dry to the touch, but I don't want to run the risk of having oil seep onto our sheets.

I also need to have a piece of 1 x 4 cut to specific sizes so we can install it on our wall. More on that to come because, let's face it...I can't have a table saw in an apartment.

Well, I guess I could...

but then my neighbors wouldn't like me anymore.