Happy Friday Paint Lovers!  Today I’m so excited to have a guest post by Marian @ Miss Mustard Seed.  I don’t know about you… but I’ve learned tons about painting from her.

Today she’s sharing with us on how she white washes furniture.  Take is away Marian…

I don’t normally do white pieces, but this one was perfect for a white wash treatment.

If you want to try this technique, the first thing you need is the right piece of furniture. Pine and oak (medium to light colored woods) tend to looks best with this technique, although darker woods can look really dramatic with this treatment, too. It’s also best if the piece of furniture has a lot of texture to it. A deep grain, worm holes, dings, and dents all work in your favor. This will not look as good on a super smooth piece. I used milk paint for this project, but you can use latex, acrylic or ASCP. Just water it down, so it’s thin.

Brush the paint on in the direction of the wood grain. Then, go back over the painted area and smush the brush into the wood to work the paint into the grain.

Go back over the area and smooth the paint out in the direction of the grain. Work in small sections, so the paint stays “workable.”

Keep a paper towel handy and wipe away excess paint if it looks too thick.

(I know my mom is looking at my green nails.) Repeat the process with a second coat. One of the keys to this finish is applying the paint in layers.

Smushing the brush into the wood on the second coat creates variation in the finish.

Finish by dragging the brush over in the direction of the wood grain. Once the paint is completely dry, apply a clear wax or matte poly. This finish would also look great in a soft gray color (a la Restoration Hardware.)

I left the inside in the natural finish for contrast when the desk is open.

Gorgeous, right!!!  Thank you so much Marian!

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