How To Create A Restoration Hardware Faux Finish

We love this faux paint finish so much we're adding it to our awesome layering paint resource page! Learn how to create an easy DIY Restoration Hardware faux finish for your own furniture. Our step by step tutorial walks you through how to layer and dry brush metallic paint onto your furniture to create your own layered zinc finish that will fool even the choosiest of friends! Save yourself some big money and create your own Restoration Hardware knock off!

I'm not willing to pay several hundred dollars or even a $1000 for a piece of furniture from Restoration Hardware. 


Unless I need a new sofa or mattress, the thought of paying an inflated sticker price for brand new furniture makes me ill.


But, just because I'm not willing to spend a lot of money on furniture doesn't mean that I don't want the look of high end furniture in my home! 


What if you could have both?! 


Today, I'm going to show you an easy tutorial for a DIY Restoration Hardware finish that will leave your family and friends guessing how you got such a neat layered zinc finish...

(A really big thank you to Country Chic Paint for supplying us with the products to complete this project. This post may contain affiliate links. Read our full disclosure here.



In just a few simple steps you can re-create a budget friendly Restoration Hardware look alike using a wonderful product from Country Chic Paint called Metallic Accent Cream.


(Dixie Belle also sells a metallic paint line that I also enjoy working with!)



I'm calling this furniture makeover The Jacob Dresser Project. Here's what I started with...

Overall this chest of drawers was in pretty good condition. The dresser had some peeling veneer and a few gouges that need to be filled and sanded but other then that it was a solid piece with great bones.



*Related: How To Remove Peeling Veneer From Wood Furniture



In just a few easy steps, we had this dresser painted and refinished going from this ...

.... to THIS! What a transformation, right!?

PIN THIS TUTORIAL FOR LATER!

Keep reading to see how we did it!

How To Get The Restoration Hardware Look 

Painting Supplies:

Country Chic Paint in the color Cobblestone

Country Chic Paint Metallic Accent Cream in Belt Buckle

Paper Towels

(1-2) 2" Paint Brushes
General Finishes High Performance

Steps To Get A DIY Restoration Hardware Knockoff Finish

Step 1: Prep your piece and fix any cosmetic damage. 

Make sure your piece is free from dust, dirt and grime. Remove the hard ware.

I love to use TSP to clean the furniture before I paint it.

*(Krud Kutter, or Mineral Spirits works great too!

*The most important thing to remember when you are working with these is that is that you NEED to rinse away any cleaning material once you've cleaned the furniture so that the PH is neutralized. You want to make sure the furniture is free of dirt as well as the residual cleaning product that gets left behind.) 


This is a given, but I'll say it anyway. Be sure your wood furniture is completely dry before you paint.  ;)

Step 2: Apply a thin coat of Cobblestone paint. 

The first step in achieving a Restoration Hardware faux finish is to apply a thin coat of grey paint. To achieve this look, you do NOT want full paint coverage. You want the rich dark wood to peak/show through underneath the grey.


After you paint your first coat, wait two hours (go get a pedi, read a book, go watch a movie... you're welcome! ;)

Step 3: Apply a second light coat in random areas. 

The next step to getting that pretty layered zinc finish is to apply a second light paint coat to random areas all over your furniture. Again, you're not going for a full saturated color. You want the rich dark wood to peak through underneath the grey.


You also want to be sure that you're applying the second coat in random strokes going in different directions (see below picture). This gives the appearance of layers and a natural distressing without having to go back and actually distress.

 Hint: Dip your paint brush so there's just a small amount of paint on the brush. Brush in random strokes and in different directions for your second coat.  This gives the illusion that there's texture. You should get a light feathery look vs a solid streak.


*Related: Natural Distressing Furniture Technique

(Picture Example) Take a peak of the above close up shot. This was taken after two coats of paint. Here you can see the original wood peaking through the Cobblestone paint. Look closely and you can see the directional paint strokes. You'll also see a faint shimmer of Belt Buckle Metallic cream... our next step!

Step 4: Once the paint is dry, tap your brush lightly into the metallic cream, then dab it onto a paper towel. 

Once your base grey paint color is dry, it's time to add a little shimmering contrast! With this step, less is more. 


You should dab enough off paint onto the paper towel so that your paint brush has barely any product on it. Use long and light brush strokes to dry brush the metallic cream over the paint. Apply light pressure at first. 

You can apply more pressure if needed. The metallic cream should appear feathery looking instead of one solid stroke of cream. If you put too much on in one spot it's ok!


Simply add a little more paint to another paint brush and dry brush over the problem area and blend. Continue to layer until you get the desired look.

The combination of the grey paint and the metallic cream gives your furniture a nice dirty worn finish that resembles Restoration Hardware's zinc furniture collection.



*Related: Another Great DIY Using Metallic Cream

Step 5: Protect your piece with a top coat of your choice.

The last step to getting your Restoration Hardware furniture finish is to apply your topcoat!


My go to protective top coat is General Finishes High Performance in Flat. (If you like a little more sheen, they offer it in semi-gloss and gloss.)

If you like the look of this layered zinc finish, go for it!


It's NOT hard!


It's not a long process and YOU certainly can do this...

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

PIN THIS!

If you enjoyed this Restoration Hardware Knock Off tutorial you'll LOVE our:


Balayage Inspired Painted Media Console or our

One Kings Lane Dresser Knockoff tutorial.



You can save this tutorial for later by PINNING IT HERE!


Now, it's your turn to give it a go! You've got this!! :)



Happy creating!
Carrie || Thirty Eighth Street