Learn how to easily create a weathered wood gray finish! This weathered grey finish works great for making new wood look old too!
Last week on the blog, I shared a Rustic DIY desk, that Brandon built and finished. The photos I took didn’t quite show off the rustic, distressed finish like I wanted, so I am sharing some close up photos today of the finish as well as how we created a weathered wood gray finish.
We tested out a few different combinations to get a more gray washed looked.
Ultimately, we decided on using a combination of stain and white washed paint (paint mixed with water) to achieve a more gray tone.
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How to Create a Weathered Wood Gray Finish:
Supplies Needed:
- Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
- Dark Walnut Stain (also available here)
- White Paint (we used White Dove by Benjamin Moore in a flat finish)
- A little bit of water
- Staining Rags
- Sandpaper (we used 80 grit)
- Paint Brush
*A printable version of this tutorial and step by step video are at the bottom of this post!*
1. Stain your wood
Before staining, make sure your wood is properly prepared for finishing. To learn more about how to prepare your wood surface for a weathered wood finish, as well as other weathered wood finish tutorials and how to protect your weathered wood surface, check out Weathered Wood Recipes!
Then, apply the pre-stain wood conditioner and then one coat of the Dark Walnut stain. Wipe away any excess stain. See my tutorial on how to stain wood for tips on staining wood!
Allow your stain to fully dry.
2. Apply a white wash mixture to the wood
To create a whitewash paint mixture, we mixed about 1 part water to 1 part white paint. We ended up making the mixture a bit thicker with paint and less watery to achieve our desired finish.
Next, apply the white wash paint mixture to the wood in long strokes with a paint brush. Allow the paint mixture to set for 3-5 seconds, then rub over the white wash paint strokes with a staining rag or lint free rag to smear the paint mixture into the wood. Allow it to fully dry.
See my whitewashing wood tutorial for more details on how to whitewash wood.
3. Distress wood finish with sandpaper
Finally, very lightly distress the wood finish with sandpaper until you achieve your desired look!
And that’s it! Pretty simple! You can also add a top coat of poly or wax if you’d like, we chose not too since we liked the look at this point. Here is a close up of the wood grain with this rustic, gray, weathered wood finish. I just love how the grain lightly shows through!
What do you think of our weathered wood, gray finish? I think it definitely gives off a rustic vibe!
If you’re interested in more easy weathered wood finish tutorials, learning how to properly prepare your surface for a weathered wood finish, or learning about top coats and how to protect your finish for the best results, check out Weathered Wood Recipes here! Weathered Wood Recipes includes easy and budget friendly tutorials on how to create weathered wood finishes like this:
And this!
Click here to learn more about Weathered Wood Recipes!
I’d love to see photos of your project using the weathered wood finish in this tutorial! Feel free to share with me on Instagram @angelamariemade, Facebook, or e-mail pictures to [email protected]!
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Easy tutorial on how to create a weathered wood gray finish. Make new wood look like old weathered wood or refinish your furniture with this gray wash look! As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
How to Create a Weathered Wood Gray Finish
Materials
Tools
Instructions
over the white wash paint strokes with a staining rag to smear the paint mixture into the wood. Allow it to fully dry.Recommended Products
Christina
Wednesday 19th of January 2022
Hi there!! What if you have a piece of furniture that is already that walnut color? Is there a way to strip the finish so that the whitewash absorbs without having to sand it down to the bare wood?
Angela Marie Made
Sunday 30th of January 2022
If it's just the stain and doesn't have a top coat, you can apply the white wash directly over the walnut stain! If it does have a top coat, the white wash may not absorb properly so you'd have to sand off the top coat which may take off the walnut stain as well. Unfortunately, I don't know of a way to avoid taking both off!
James B
Thursday 30th of December 2021
I used your process when I made a lifting storage bed for my grandson. It came out fantastic! Now using it again for a Toy box for another grandson.
Angela Marie Made
Tuesday 4th of January 2022
Wow, that is so cool!!! You are an awesome grandpa!
Carol Delaney Harris
Thursday 9th of September 2021
Thank you for the tutorial, I will be doing this to my kitchen table at the weekend. I just hope my table turns out like yours. It's exactly what I want.
Angela Marie Made
Friday 10th of September 2021
Sooo happy to hear this, it will turn out great I'm sure :) Thank you!!
KJ
Wednesday 1st of September 2021
So I'm looking to turn this (https://www.costco.com/harlowe-3-in-1-tv-stand.product.100732699.html) and get it to have that weathered grey look. I think I'd probably have to sand it down a little before applying the conditioner? And I probably wouldn't even need the walnut stain? Just wanted to get your thoughts, thanks! :)
Angela Marie Made
Thursday 2nd of September 2021
I love it!!! It looks like you may be able to just sand it down a little and apply the white wash mixture, no need to stain or use pre conditioner. I would definitely recommend to test it out on the back edge or maybe the bottom where you will not see it and see if that comes out the way you want before completing the entire project.
LeeAnne Davies
Monday 7th of June 2021
What kind of poly would you put on top of this for a tabletop? Thanks for your help! I just stained my table and will be doing my whitewash tonight.
Angela Marie Made
Tuesday 8th of June 2021
I would test out a water based poly on a hidden area or scrap wood to make sure that it doesn't cause any yellowing. Oil based poly can cause yellowing but water based usually doesn't. You can also use a clear wax to preserve the finish as applied, Annie Sloane's wax is a good option.