Up-cycle a Window Frame

I have always adored the up-cycled window frames. So when I found a whole bunch of these windows in my dad's storage barn, I couldn't pass up on grabbing one.

These windows came out of a school house from the 1920's. This one was caked with many many years of paint on it so cautiously, I got to work on stripping it down. As odd as it sounds, I wanted to paint it new so I could distress it to look old!

My husband thought I was crazy and couldn't understand my process behind it, but I LOVE the results! Each window measures to fit a perfect 8x10 photo!

Original front of the window

Original back to the window 

After stripping it down to the bare wood, I wanted to protect the glass as much as I could. Which in the end really didn't matter because there was paint on the glass to begin with! 

The base coat is a teal and it took 3 coats of paint. 

Now here is where the husband started to complain that I was wasting paint and he didn't understand my envision! 

The next color of paint, I used a matte white. It took about four to five coats. Each color took a full day to do because I wanted them to dry nice and good. 

And enter in more whining from the husband...

I did a gray wash over the white. The gray is a matte finish paint as well. All you do is simply dip your brush in the paint, dip it in water, and dab it on a cloth. After painting over the white with the gray, I would gently wash any excess wet gray off. I did two coats this way. 

At this point in the project I was doubting the outcome. The gray just looked dirty. But I continued on...

...without the husband's whining (he was at work)! 

With a very light grit sandpaper and on the lowest setting, I simply sanded over the whole frame. For the smaller areas I hand sanded it with the same grit of sandpaper. 

 What this did for me was let the teal peak through, but it also distressed the gray paint to where the frame actually looks like it has taken a hit over the years. Which is what I was going for! 

With the light sandpaper, the gray wash stood its ground in the grain of the wood allowing the white to shine through and the teal to pop. 

End result, happy wife happy life (no complaints from the husband)