Today we are doing a makeover on this dated piece which was in serious need of a makeover.
This is such an EASY technique to WHITEWASH veneer wood to create a beautiful light WHITEWASH effect on any veneer furniture you have!
So some clever DIYer had the great idea of giving raw wood a wash of color.
This gives a gorgeous effect to unfinished wood.
All you really need is some water based paint and water. I like to use chalk paint as I feel you have more control over this style of paint.
Step 1. Cleaning
Whatever you are painting, it is important to give it a good clean. Even furniture or decor that looks clean is often dirty.
But most often than not furniture and decor has been sitting around for a few years and has built up layers of dust, grime and dirt on it. And is in SEVERE need of a good scrubbing.
This creates a surface that is ideal to sand or prime.
(You also don’t want to have any greasy substance for example on the surface and for your paint not to stick to, because of this).
Cleaning is a crucial step that helps you avoid any problems with adherence down the line.
I use a product similar to TSP sometimes and sometimes sugar soap to clean with.
Both are great at removing dirt and grime. I usually use a bucket, a sponge with a scrubby side, an old toothbrush and an old cloth. This helps me give the surface a good scrub and helps me get into any little nooks and crannies.
I also wipe over the project with clean water to remove any residual cleaning product.
I then let it dry well before I begin sanding.
Step 2. Sanding
For this project there was quite a bit of sanding to do.
- I gently sanded the top which was a layer of veneer.
- I scuff sanded the body which had a layer of old varnish.
- I stripped and gave the feet a good sanding.
However this all ended up going relatively fast.
I used my Dewalt sander for this. (120 and 220 grit sandpaper) and I hand sanded with the 320 grit using a sanding block.
I ended up sanding the veneer top with a 120 grit sandpaper and then moving up to a 220 then a 320 grit.
The 120 grit got rid of any old varnish, then 220 cleaned up any residual varnish or rough bits of wood, then the 320 smoothed everything out.
This created a beautiful surface for the whitewash to be applied to. Though you need to have a little roughness for the paint wash to sink into since this was a veneer top, i was careful to not rough up the surface too much.
Step 3. Applying the WHITEWASH
I was a little wary about too much water to the surface as veneer can be quickly damaged if left in contact with water. So I was careful and made a little bit of a thick wash. I also saw a great technique where you painted against the grain and this pushed the paint down into the grain further. This worked amazingly. This technique i saw over on youtube at
Bella Renovare By CrysDawna – She is amazing and well worth a visit.
This worked fantastically!
Step 4. Applying primer to the body
I gave the body a scuff sand and then wiped away any dust, I then went about applying 2 coats of primer, leaving the 12 hours in between coats stated on the tin. I sanded lightly in between coats only to smooth out the layer after it had dried and before i was applying the next coat.
It is very important to wait the stated time before painting or sanding over your primer.
Otherwise you can end up with a project that is tacky or the paint can chip or pull up when you are painting over it.
Things i used for this project-
Step 5. Applying White Chalk Paint
I wanted my coats of chalk paint to be smooth so I used a damp brush and had my amazing misting bottle available.
I used a normal spray bottle when I first started which was not the same at all, it just squirted out lots of water in one spot and that dripped down the project. The misting bottles are much better; they lightly mist all over the area you want to wet.
This helps the chalk paint to be applied smoothly. My brush is very lightly damp. Sometimes I also add the chalk paint into a little container and stir in a little water if my paint seems very thick.
I love using these natural bristle brushes. They work great when applying chalk paint.
I love chalk paint! I think it’s amazing, I am currently trying Rustoleum’s white chalk paint on this project.
So far I feel it is a little thicker than Annie Sloans but it is a gorgeous bright white color.
Step 6. Applying white wax to the whitewashed sections
So…… I ended up dropping my polycrylic and losing 75% of it over my floor YAY! Well anyways luckily it was an old floor and luckily it was a pretty easy clean up, water based products (the best like that).
But I didn’t think about it and I ended up using what was left over in that tin, which was just the particles that can settle at the bottom before you stir them in.
I had sanded this beautiful veneer to perfection and wanted to show off that beautiful whitewashed wood.
So I had a think and decided to sand off the poly once it was super dry and then even waited a day, I then decided to add white wax.
I was hoping to add a poly to give it super durability but it is unnecessary on such a piece as this.
It is something that someone might have a TV on or some decor, it is not a high traffic item of furniture really.
WE live and WE Learn…
When using wax i get a little on a lint free cloth and massage it in, in circular motions first then in a backwards and forewards motions. Working in small sections at a time.
Step 7. Applying clear wax to the white chalk paint sections
So to keep that perfect matt white color from the chalk paint I will be using clear wax over the white paint.
For this you have to be careful to use lint free cloths, i wouldn’t even say a white t-shirt is good enough i buy these cloths from my local supermarket.
They are amazing and I have used them ever since i first tried them.
I don’t use anything else anymore, I tried so many different materials when I first started out, and these are truely lint free and work the best i feel.
These leave nothing behind and it is what you want to avoid. All those little bits of fluff, tiny fibers…..
With the tshirts it always seemed to leave those tiny thin hairs, it wasn’t the worst but it took so much longer and drove me crazy since you want it to be perfect when you have put so much work in.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this, let me know what you think of chalk paint? Have you tried it, Let me know what you think?
Have a great day everyone!
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Love Anna x
