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| The Trunk before white-washing |
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| Close up before white-washing... woodgrain and water marks. |
The trunk was stained a warm wood tone and had a few water spots, but since I was always planning to white-wash it that didn't matter. I am not someone who loves the look of wood-grain. I know some people love wood in its natural form... but I wanted something a little softer. I had considered white washing for a long time for various reasons:
1. Because it looks soft and feminine... which we needed to break up the dark leather couch.
2. Because it makes me feel like I'm in a beachy cottage. :)
3. Most importantly, because it's child friendly. The more beat up and worn it looks, the better.
Oh, and also because it's sooo easy to do. This make over took me 30 minutes and zero dollars to do. I thought I would write down my method for anyone who is ever curious about how to white-wash wooden furniture.
Step 1. Sanding. This really isn't as bad as people think it is. I sanded by hand (as opposed to power sanding, which is alot easier and quicker) with 80 grit sand paper and it still only took me about 15 minutes. I sanded both with the woodgrain and against, which normally would be a big "no-no" but since I wanted it to be imperfect and worn looking I didn't mind beating it up a little. The point of sanding is to get off any previous stain. It doesn't have to be perfect, you know it's good enough when the wood is no longer slick or shiny looking. It needs to be nice and pourous.
Step 2. Clean up the dust. There will be alot of dust from sanding so you will want to wipe it down with a wet cloth and then with a dry cloth. Make sure to blow or vaccumm the dust out of any crevices.
Step 3. Mix your medium. For white-washing I mixed equal parts white latex paint with water. You can always add more water if it's not translucent enough for you once you start applying.
Step 4. Application. This part is obviously the most important step, but also the easiest. Some people like to white-wash with a paint brush, but I prefer with super soft cloth or paper towel (Viva paper towels for example). I like to dip the paper towel in the mixture and rub the medium on just like a stain. You don't need much and you will rub with the grain of the wood. As soon as you get started you will be able to figure out exactly how much or little medium you need to use to achieve the look you want. I hardly used any because I wanted to still be able to see alot of the wood through the "white" so it didn't just look painted. Make sure to keep your cloth damp to keep things even. If the "stain" that's left when you're done with the first coat is not thick enough for your taste, apply a second coat. I only applied one.
Step 5. Dry. Let the paint dry before bringing it back inside or setting anything on it. Because the wood is so pourous it probably won't take very long for it to dry. Try to wait a full 24 hours anyways just to ensure that any fumes from the paint are completely gone (especially if you have little ones in the house).
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| After- excuse the bad lighting |
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| After |
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| Tried to get a picture the next day in better lighting, but it just doesn't photograph true to life in any lighting. |
This was so easy, and totally and completely free! I love a cheap and easy project. What I love even more is how great it feels to finally have a coffee table in our living room again after being without one for 10 months! Oh, and the added storage is just as great as I thought it would be. I did this project about a month ago, and have not seen a single scratch or sign of wear so it's holding up perfectly... even with a rambunctious toddler around who loves to climb on it. :)
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