Do you want to make new wood look old? I love the look of old, whitewashed wood and it couldn’t be easier to make new wood look aged and worn by using a whitewash technique! Now that I’ve done it, I want to whitewash all the things! Today, I’m going to show you how to whitewash new wood.
A whitewash was traditionally used in interior and exterior cottages and dairy barns. It is actually a lime wash, made of lime and water and has been used in historic houses for centuries because it is more breathable. When cured, both a limewash and whitewash become the same.
I already had some of my favorite white paint left over from painting the trim in Sherwin Williams Bohemian Lace. I just used what I had. Any can of old white paint will work for this whitewash technique!
Whitewash Wood Materials:
- Wood
- White Paint
- Water
- Old Bucket
- Paint Brush
- Old Rags
- Medium Grit Sandpaper
How to Whitewash Wood:
- Sand the wood down so the paint will adhere.
- Mix together equal parts water and white paint in an old bucket. The paint should be runny, but not watered down. You can always add more paint or water if needed to reach the right consistency.
- Using your paintbrush, lightly brush the wood with the paint mixture. You want to paint against the grain in even strokes.
- Lightly wipe off the paint using an old rag or paper towel. You also want to wipe against the grain.
- Keep repeating the steps until you have the desired whitewash consistency.
- Once dry, you can sand certain places of the wood against the grain to make it look even more weathered.
There really isn’t a right or wrong way on how to whitewash wood. Just keep painting and wiping until you like the wood grain exposure! For me, I like how some of the wood grain is peaking through the whitewash and it doesn’t look perfect. It’s suppose to look aged and worn. I’m already thinking of some other things I can do with this whitewash technique! Now that you know how to whitewash wood, will you give it a try?
Check back tomorrow and see what I did with the whitewashed wood for the $100 Room Challenge. 😉
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