Victorian and Edwardian Mahogany Bathroom Wood Paneling #PublishingArticles

Victorian and Edwardian Mahogany Bathroom Wood Paneling #PublishingArticles

Victorian and Edwardian bathrooms have never really gone out of date which is why mahogany, intrinsic to their style, is an ever-popular wood-grain effect.

Traditionally, real mahogany panels in bathrooms would have been teamed in dark, richly patterned nineteenth-century wallpapers: a rather gloomy combination. Today’s format is altogether brighter. The classic scheme is achieved with colorwashed walls in honey beige to offset the deep mahogany tones. Painted on the cupboard doors and matching bath panel, mahogany adds rich upmarket appeal which goes particularly well with real marble.

The lightest mahoganies have great reflective qualities, with yellow or pinkish hues, while the darker varieties exhibit deep red to terracotta brown shades. The finish result is determined mainly by your choice of base color, which can vary from dusky pink nectarine to terracotta. For the most expensive-looking effect and definite grain, the terracotta seems to work best, but it is a matter of personal taste. Once you have mixed the right color glaze, the actual paint effect is really simple.

You have to use terracotta vinyl silk emulsion paint, medium paintbrush, acrylic varnish, masking tape, acrylic scumble glaze, artist’s acrylic colors in burnt sienna, burnt umber and mars black. Also, the softening brush, stencil brush, clear wax polish or stain acrylic, varnish and cloth.

To begin with, apply two coats of terracotta emulsion paint to cover the paneling. When dry, apply a coat of acrylic varnish to create a non-absorbent base for the glaze.

Mask off the central panel. Mix a dark brown glaze with the artist’s acrylic colors, using equal parts of paint and glaze, and apply it to the panel using an ordinary paintbrush.

With the same brush, make an arch pattern in the glaze keeping it at the same angle throughout. Continue the brush stroke right to the edge of the panel. Wobble the lines towards the top of the arch in a gentle M-shape.

Soften across the grain using the softening brush, working lightly to blur the edges of the brush strokes and create a cloudy effect.

Apply the glaze to one edge of the panel at a time and, working from one side to the other, organize the wet glaze into roughly parallel bands by varying the pressure on the bristles and the angle of the brush to produce variations in tone. Aim for neat straight joints in the paneling: these can be done with masking tape if you are prepared to wait for the glaze to dry.
Soften the brush strokes with the softening brush, dragging it lightly across the stripes at an angle. Make occasional up and down strokes to confirm the direction of the grain.

When the glaze is dry, use a stencil brush to cover the molding. Stipple on the glaze to give it tonal variety and to soften it as before. When thoroughly dry, apply wax or satin scrylic varnish to give the surface a patina.