Reclaimed Wood Herringbone Pattern Ceiling Project!!!!

So I believe I mentioned a few weeks ago about wanting to try something different on our living room ceiling. It's vaulted and huge and so bare! I got a huge pile of 100 year-old reclaimed douglas fir.

This wood has so much character! I envisioned a wood that was distressed yet

smoothed over by coastal grays, whites and blues. I'm redoing the room in grays witha  

charcoal-gray velvet on the couch, silver walls, silver travertine flooring in a Versailles pattern,

touches of yellow, teal, white,,,,,I can see it all in my head. But for now, all I have 

is the ceiling. I worked for two solid days.

What in the world was I thinking!! Houzz and Pinterest should be removed from the Internet!

***Please click on the individual picture to see the larger format**

I need a wide-angle lens. I just can't get the whole room in the shot!

So here is how it all began and what I started with:

Of course I had a multitude of other projects going on!

 Over 300 square ft!  They were all stained and painted....one by one.....oy!  I used a weathered gray stain, sunbleached stain, and mixtures of white and gray milk paint  

(REAL MILK PAINT CO. is my fave milk paint!!) 

I would work in batches since I was limited in space. This process alone took me about 2 weeks.

My husband stripped each board of it's "tongue"(it was fabricated for flooring) and cut in 3' lengths. We made a jig for that part to assure each board was identical in length.

We measured off the center of the ceiling and snapped a chalk line. 

 From that point we found the 45 degree angle and started the first board. 

The boards were secured with Liquid Nails and a pneumatic nailer. 

(Lord help me if I ever get tired of this look!)

Excuse the armpit shot

We would check for our 45 angle to make sure we were on track. It is imperative that every board is cut identical when doing the herringbone. One funky board will throw off everything!

randomly picking out "random' colored boards

We used liquid nails along with the nailer. This is earthquake country baby!!

This is the part where the work came in. Thats 14 feet up! Mr Pretty stayed on the ladder, called out the measurement of each board, and I cut them and threw them up to him. Going up and down the ladder for each and every board would have been tortuous! Ditto for the boards that butted up against the boarder. I got really good at the chop saw and making miter cuts!! 

(BTW,,,each single row is 39 boards!! Um,,there were like 11 rows!
 Uh-huh...You can do the math!!

Click on this pic to get the full page effect. The wood is so cool looking!

The pics don't do justice to the chandelier!! 

Placing the very last piece!!! OMGthankyouJesusI'mdone!!

below pic shows part II beginning. (Does this never end???)

4-2-13
Getting ready for some silver travertine flooring!
Got the floor finished in the past few days! Versaille pattern. Man oh man, that is some work!
Still have to grout.....I hate grouting.

daytime-no cat

night time-cat

To see what the room finally looks like all done.....see HERE

I've since changed things around (2016),,,new rug,,dining room was painted a similar gray, chairs are gone,,,

Linking up at these great parties:

Restore Interiors - Restored it Wednesday

Kammys Korner - Trash to Treasure Tuesdays
Tuesday....PJH Designs

Domestically Speaking - The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage - Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed - Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux - Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings - Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Night Special

1929 Charmer - Sunday's Best Party

Knick of Time Interiors - Knick of Time Tuesday

Elizabeth and Co., My uncommon Slice of Suburbia,

Savvy Southern Style. Weds, Beyond the Picket Fence, PJH Designs

From my Front Porch to Yours,  

Between Naps on the Porch, Primitive and Proper, 

                                                   The Dedicated House, Redoux


entered at East Coast Creative!!