I love to white wash wood, it can drastically change the appearance of your furniture. I am excited to show you my latest project on just how I did it with minimal supplies on hand. We are going through a crisis right now so to keep some of you occupied here is a great option to do!
What You Will Need
- White paint any brand
- Sandpaper
- Paste wax or any top coat
- Rag
- Water / vinegar
My How To Tips
Type Of Wood You Can White Wash
So lets chat a little bit about what will look good when you white wash. Pine wood is perfect! Oak could be ok but they oak grain is heavy and might change the look quite a bit. A birch or poplar wood would also look really nice! Walnut could be ok it is a pretty dense wood but it has a greenish tone to it which white washed would enhance the look of the wood. Mahogany or cherry wood I would be careful white washing those woods could turn pink.
After White Washing
After white washing I top coated with one coat of General Finishes High Performance and then one coat of a Paste Finishing Wax. I wanted the dull look but also wanted to maintain durability so used a durable top coat first and then used the wax to get the look I desired.
The Final Product
Here it is take a look at this barn bench all completed! I wish I had a large foyer if I did that’s where she would be. Perfect mix of farmhouse and cottage!
Want to learn more?
Check out my furniture painting eBook! Furniture painting can be fun and therapeutic for some. However other can have a hard time getting started at the risk of messing things up. Am I right? After reading this eBook you will have the confidence to get that project done. It is going to be so amazing when you are finished!
Furniture Painting and Refinishing eBook
Hope you have enjoyed this! White washing can really be a lot of fun and fairly simple to do. I am so in love with the natural wood look I just can’t seem to get enough of it and creating different ways to make it!
Thanks for reading and many blessings,
Tara Lou
Hi Tara, you look like a VERY skilled furniture refinisher—so I am hoping with your expertise that you could advise me about a cane headboard that I want to redo. It is painted all white, including the cane. I would like to strip and repaint the frame to the colour I want but I would also like to strip the paint off the cane so that it could be its natural colour. I’ve done some inquiring about stripping cane but I’ve been told that it is not advisable to do this. Do you know of any safe way of stripping cane so that it won’t be ruined? If not, I guess I’ll just have to paint the cane a beige colour as I really don’t like the white on it.
I have stripped cane before it should be fine. Keep in mind: it will take a long time to dry. Don’t be too rough on it it’s thin. Use a soft wire brush to get in between and the lines and grove of the caning.