Introduction: Top Secret Weathered Finish for NEW Furniture
Here is a brand new way of giving wood furniture a rustic weathered look without whitewashing it. I hate to see real wood covered up with paint. This is a way to make it look old, but you get to keep the wood look! I have all the steps on this instructable, but you might find it easier to watch my video. Copy and paste the link below for a tutorial.
Supplies
You'll need two stains a very dark stain and a lighter stain. I used Dark Walnut and English Chestnut
You will also need a clear coat of some kind. I recommend a satin polyurethane.
Also, you will need a cloth and a small paint brush.
Step 1: Prepare Your Wood
Step 2: Start With Your Dark Stain
For this step, I chose "Dark Walnut" because I had some left over from another project. If you don't have any left over, you won't need much, even for larger projects. Take a rag or and old cloth and spread the stain in the cracks and interior edges of your furniture.
Remember, Old furniture tends to lighten up in the areas that are most exposed. The interior edges are often much darker.
check out my video on the process:
Step 3: Spread More Dark Stain Throughout the Piece
Once you have spread the stain throughout the interior edges, continue to spread some of the dark stain throughout your furniture in random spots. I wouldn't worry about doing this to the inside of your pieces. We will take care of those later. Your piece should look like this when you are done.
Step 4: Allow Your Stain to Dry
I recommend letting the stain dry for at least 30 minutes. You can let it dry for 6-8 hours. This will give the darker areas a less blended appearance. It looks more rustic in my opinion.
check out my video on the process:
Step 5: Use the Lighter Stain to Cover the Remaining Area
I used a different rag to spread my lighter stain on the remaining area of my furniture. I spread the stain throughout the whole piece so the two stains blend in together. You don't have to cover all the areas where the dark stain is, but I do recommend going over the edges to blend the two colors in a bit. I do recommend staining the remaining inside portion of your piece, but you decide if there are some areas that you don't mind leaving bare. Your visitors probably aren't going to pull out your drawers.
check out my video on the process:
Step 6: Apply a Clear Coat
Step 7: Enjoy the OLD Weathered Look!
As you can see in the photos, You're all done. The dark stain gives the wood the appearance of wear and tear, and you didn't have to cover up your craftsmanship! If you like this tutorial, check out my Youtube channel and subscribe so i can upload more cool DIY projects and tips!
-DIY MAN
check out my video on the process:
check out my channel!
6 Comments
3 years ago
LOL those $5 cans are $30 a pop here in Australia, it makes you think
3 years ago
I have used this method many times in the past, for the newbies your imagination is unlimited!!
3 years ago
That looks really great! A tip to make it even more realistic is to think about where on the piece (1) there would be more general wear and (2) where a person's hands would most often touch the piece. Spots with more wear (such as edges and corners) tend to get lighter while spots that get handled a lot tend to get darker (from exposure to dirt and oils). Again, beautiful work!
Reply 3 years ago
That’s a great point! I’ll be sure to incorporate that next time.
3 years ago
That turned out so nicely! Love the depth the two colors give the wood :)
Reply 3 years ago
Thank you! It’s nice to hear other people like a rustic look too.