Sometimes, glass table tops, cabinet doors, trays, and even backsplashes need a little extra “something” to make them pop. This week on Finish Friday, Amy is showing us how to create patterned backsplashes and glass surfaces with Amy Howard at Home’s line of High-Performance Furniture Lacquer. This look — called Églomisé — allows you to decorate the back side of the glass and leave the opposite side free of paint or designs so that it can be cleaned and used as usual.

With this Églomisé technique, you can have a surface that looks professionally designed and built to last in just a few minutes! Follow along with Amy in this week’s Finish Friday video for more tips and tricks to make your glass surface truly stunning.

Prepping to Apply Lacquer to Glass

The first step in any lacquer project, Amy reminds us, is to ensure proper ventilation. The lacquer comes in a spray can and therefore has particles that mix to create the high sheen and finish. To protect yourself and any surfaces around you, make sure to create a cardboard or tarp “tent,” and don’t forget to wear a dust mask. Always avoid very hot, cold or windy areas, as well, as this can impact how the lacquer goes on and dries.

Once your lacquer station is set up, you’re ready to start painting! If you want to create a backsplash glass tile like the one Amy decorates in the video, you’ll need:

• Glass tiles (your choice of size)
• Glass cleaner
• Ballet White One Step Paint
• Spray bottle with water
• Wall stencil
• High-Performance Furniture Lacquer in Silver Fox
• High-Performance Furniture Lacquer in La Grange
• Paint roller
• Roller pan
• Lint-free rags (or untextured paper towels)
• Dust mask

Before you get started, clean your glass surface with glass cleaner, making sure all paint and stickers are removed. Once your surface is totally clean, spray your water bottle with the nozzle facing up (towards you). Spray the surface lightly, sprinkling the glass with a variety of droplet sizes. While the water is still wet, you’ll be applying the lacquer.

Then, make sure to shake the can for at least 3 minutes! Amy reminds you to watch our previous Finish Friday video where we cover how to use lacquer — it takes precise application!

Applying Lacquer to Your Glass Surface

Once your can is properly shaken, spray your first layer of lacquer (in this video, Amy uses Silver Fox, but you can use whatever color you want) and let it dry for a minute. Then, wait just a minute before patting the droplets with a lint-free rag or non-textured paper towel. You don’t want the lacquer to fully dry before doing this. Once all the water is soaked up, you’ll have beautiful speckled areas of glass peeking through.

Next, you’ll lay down your choice of stencil and apply your second color (Amy uses Le Grange). Once the lacquer layers have fully dried (at least an hour), you can use a layer of One Step Paint to seal the color and make it stand out even more on the “clean” side of the glass. Of course, lacquer requires a very specific application, so make sure to watch the video to follow Amy’s guidance. In no time, you’ll have a speckled, unique surface that makes for a great backsplash, cabinet door, tabletop, or other glass surfaces.

And if you want to take your glass Églomisé project to the next level, Amy touches on how to use gilded leaf and Gilding Size on the back of your glass piece to add a metallic, rich look. Imagine how beautiful a gold, silver, or copper leaf would look behind your speckled stencil design!

More on Next Week’s Finish Friday

On this week’s video, the winner of the lacquer bundle was also announced, so tune in to see if you won! If you’re not entering these giveaways, you should start! All you have to do is register and you could win next week’s Finish Friday giveaways.

Then, tune in next Friday (and every Friday) at 12 noon Central time to see Amy’s next project. Follow and “Like” us on our Facebook page to see when our next video goes live.