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Hackers Help: Mix IKEA BEHANDLA white & black for grey?

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I have been an IKEA addict since 1988 when I first visited IKEA in Falls Church, VA. I have a question about finishing a TARVA dresser; looking for an answer to my question is how I found IKEAhackers.

Behandla glazing paint mix

IKEA sells BEHANDLA stain/ paint in black, white and blue. I am wondering if anyone has ever mixed the black and white together to get a grey? Was it successful and how did it look on the pine?

~ by Bonnie

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Hi Bonnie

I’ve not mixed them before so I can’t be sure. But getting a grey from black and white sounds logical.

The BEHANDLA is a glaze which makes the surface of untreated wood more durable. The coloured finish will become deeper and more opaque with each additional  coat of glazing paint. So you may not need to mix a very deep shade of grey to get the tone you want.

A glaze has a few different characteristics from stain. With a glaze, the color pigments sit on top of the wood, unlike pigments in stain which penetrates into the wood. Generally, glazes do not need a topcoat, while some stains may require it. 

I found this photo from Instagram and it shows varying shades of grey, so we know it’s possible with BEHANDLA.  

If you do mix it successfully, do let us know and show us the outcome.

Perhaps some other IH reader may be able to shed light on this?

Jules

 

 

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3 Responses

  1. Personally, I would not bother trying to mix the Behandla colors at all. You can find a much wider variety of finishes (stains, paints, clear coats, etc) at Home Depot or a hardware store that would take some of the guesswork out of getting the look you want.

    BTW, if you haven’t worked with pine before, it doesn’t take dark stains well unless you take some precautions to seal the grain first. I was able to get a rich brown color on my Tarva dresser by staining first with a light brown stain (Minwax golden oak, I think) to even out the grain, followed by another application of the darker brown stain. Similarly, if you want to paint, do use a primer to seal the wood first. I suggest experimenting on scrap wood first!

    Reply

  2. Witch ANY finish, the best way to know is to do a TEST. Especially when dealing with a finish with transparency, such as BEHLANDA, you can’t predict what you’ll end up with unless you actually put it on the piece/wood you’re working with. There are three factors to consider with finishes:
    1) The Finish Itself
    2) The Method & Amount Applied
    3) The Absorption of the Particular Piece of Wood

    Find an inconspicuous spot, and apply your finish. Wait until dry, and THEN see what you have.

    And REMEMBER, if you want to be able to control/repeat your finish you need to MEASURE each of the finishes you are mixing. If you simply mix “some” black with “some” white how will you be able to get the same thing twice, or change one or the other to shift the shade?

    Reply

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