How to apply a Whitewash finish

Long ago, when I first started planning my Guest Bedroom/Craft Room, I created a mood board with round whitewashed table to use as my workspace. Here it is in case you need a re-fresher,or are new to these parts (welcome!) and have never seen it before or have no idea what I’m talking about.

Since then, I kind of switched gears started dreaming of a gorgeous glass top trestle table, then quickly realized that a) It’s not in my budget, and b) It’s not very practical for crafting. So I went back to the original plan and decided to re-finish an old beat-up, drop leaf table we had laying around. I had all the paint & supplies on hand so it didn’t cost my anything to do, just time. Here’s a shot of the table before:

As you can see, the top looked like it was in pretty rough shape, but fortunately it was just the finish that was peeling. Nothing a good old electric sander couldn’t fix! This was probably the most tedious part of the job, especially when sanding the turned legs by hand. I used a coarse grit sandpaper to remove the finish first, then lightly sanded again using a fine grit sandpaper to get my surface nice and smooth. (Tip: these Contour Surface Sanding Sponges came in handy when sanding the legs!) I concentrated the most on the table top itself because I wanted it to be smooth, but the legs weren't perfect. But it’s okay…thats the beauty of creating a weathered effect! Just try and get most of the previous finish off.

After my surface was sanded and wiped down with a damp cloth, I started my paint technique. (Make sure the surface is clean and dry before starting to paint!) I mixed 1 part white paint to 1 part water, but you can adjust this to be more or less opaque. Working in small areas and going WITH the grain, paint on some of your paint mixture, then immediately wipe it off with a dry rag. Try to work quickly as it soaks in and dries very fast on bare wood.

painting white wash

Here you can see that I finished the middle section with 1 coat. Let dry in between coats and re-apply as often as you feel necessary to achieve the effect you want, somewhere between 2-3 coats. I applied 2 coats on my table.

white wash table in progress

After the paint has fully dried, you can distress your piece of furniture as much or as little as you want. I took a Fine Grit Sanding Sponge and lightly sanded around the edges, on the legs as well as on the table top in certain areas to accentuate the grain.

After you are satisfied with the distressing, wipe your piece down with a damp cloth to remove and dust and debris and let dry. Apply your choice of sealer / protectant. I chose to use Minwax Satin Polycrylic

I used a Polycrylic instead of a Polyurethane because the finish is clear. A polyurethane will add a yellow tint to your piece, which is fine when staining wood, but not suitable for a whitewash effect. And the satin finish is much more natural looking than a high gloss. You may also use a wax finish instead, but since I want to use this piece as a work station, the polycrylic will be more durable.

To apply, brush on 2-3 coats of the sealer using a high quality brush, or whatever the manufacturer recommends. Let each coat dry and sand with a Super Fine 400 Grit Sandpaper in between each coat to ensure a smooth surface. I did 3 coats on the table surface for added durability, but only 2 coats on the legs. Please! Make sure to follow all manufacturers recommendations as far as safety and disposal when using this product!! Safety first people:)

I’m really pleased with the way it turned out!! The beauty of this technique is it's fairly quick and easy and doesn't have to be perfect. The imperfections is what gives it that rustic charm! And with the money I saved, I can splurge on these to finish off my room:)