"Urban Concrete" by Studio By Shauna, Inc.
DECORATIVE FINISH HOW-TO

Urban Concrete

Artist: Studio by Shauna, Inc.

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PROJECT SUPPLIES:

INSTRUCTIONS:

Simulate the look of concrete on vertical surfaces with ease, and add polish with a silver glint in the overlay. Modern, organic looking, and industrial chic! This finish is fantastic on architectural features such as fireplaces.

1 | Mix Sandstone (Untinted) and Sandstone Purple Agate at a ration of 3:1.

2 | Apply Sandstone all over the surface with a trowel, finishing off the direction of the trowel marks vertically. Trowel this layer smoothly and evenly with minor texture. Allow to dry.
(Photo 1)

3 | Mix a glaze with Glazing Medium and Slow Dry Fluid Acrylic Van Dyke Brown, Slow Dry Fluid Acrylic Carbon Black and a little Slow Dry Fluid Acrylic Titanium White to create a warm mid-tone gray, about a 6 out of 10 in darkness on a gray scale.

4 | Sand the surface lightly to smooth texture and seal the pores of the Sandstone. Spray surface with the water/glaze mixture and even out with a large brush. Apply the gray glaze with a mini roller, finishing off the rolling pattern vertically to minimize pattern. Using a large brush, brush through the glaze vertically a couple of times, offloading the brush on the towel if it becomes loaded with glaze. Then brush through the glaze horizontally to negate any vertical patterning that may be in the glaze, and finish with a final softening of the glaze in the vertical direction. The result should be an even veil of gray color. Allow to dry.
(Photo 2)

5 | Create a mixture of Soapstone and Pre-Mixed Metallic Paint Bright Silver, using a ration of 3:1. Tone the mixture slightly by adding about 5-10% of the above gray glaze mixture. Add an additional 5% Glazing Medium. Using a blue blade spatula or Japan scraper, apply the mixture to the wall and scrape off in vertical movement, leaving a slight haze on the surface.
(Photo 3)

6 | Allow to dry. Here is the completed finish.
(Photo 4)

Note: The metallic in this finish is subtle and adds a designer appeal. For a more authentic concrete finish without the metallic sheen, omit Bright Silver in the Soapstone mix and add a small amount of white with the gray glaze instead. Additionally, this finish is a deeper toned concrete. For a natural light concrete color, use Sandstone Untinted only, omitting the Purple Agate. All other steps remain the same.

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Studio By Shauna, Inc.

About the Artist
An artist celebrating over thirty years in the interior design industry, Shauna Oeberst Gallagher found her niche in the world of decorative finishing, marrying her love for both painting and interiors. With an education in Fine Art, and a degree in Interior Architecture, she started her career as an interior designer, then opened her decorative art business 24 years ago. Her work has graced many of the finest homes and businesses in Northern California in styles ranging from historical to contemporary. After teaching at local colleges for several years, she co-founded a decorative art school in 2004 and also began teaching nationally at events and conventions. Shauna has taught well over 1000 students throughout her career, as well as been published by Sunset books, contributed to DIY channel’s House Crashers, and consulted for HGTV on numerous projects. Teaching other artists to excel and enhancing their ability to create beauty in the world is a passion Shauna will continue with soulful direction. Shauna’s greatest joy is being mom to her twins, who motivate and inspire her to thrive in her business of creating sanctuary spaces for clients and making art that creates a connection with the viewer.

More from this artist

Looking for more inspiration? Click here to view all of the decorative finishes from our Limited Edition Collections.