I've never seen that two-finish approach before. Is that a new trend? I have to admit I'm not sold on it, even though everything on the job looks absolutely first class.
While I personally don't care for the 2 finish approach, the job looks entirely first class… And there are a lot of things that are fad / fashion that I don't like…
Yes we do cut or "run" our own moldings, i own a shop fox molder a W&H knock off, it works pretty good for how inexpensive it was. I love to design our own unique moldings and have knives ground for the molder, and it's nice to have a source for moldings no mater what wood the wood of the day may be.
The "paint" that i use in not actual paint, it is a pigmented conversion varnish from Sherwin Williams, i spray it with an airless sprayer with a fine finish tip. I takes a little practice to learn how to spray conversion varnish but once you get the hang of it you will never go back. It is far superior to any paint you get off the shelf, in my opinion.
The processes that i used to achieve this painted finish is as follows
1. 2 Coats Kemvar primer surfacer.
2. Sand with a sanding sponge and vacuum with a brush attachment throughly.
2. 2 coats Sherwood pigmented conversion varnish medium rub blending white, tinted to color match "Macadamia"
3. 1 coat Sherwood Vandyke Brown glaze spray on wipe off to achieve the desired effect.
4. 1 Clear coat with Sherwood conversion varnish medium rub.
And don't forget your respirator!
Thank you for all the complements, it aways takes a little blood, a lot of sweat, and only a couple tears (after all i'm a big boy), to bring one of these projects home.