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Do you love the look of the distressed wood furniture? You know those absolutely gorgeous pieces from Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware? But just can’t afford the price tag $$$? Me either!

When I was updating my master bedroom, I KNEW I wanted “that look” for the furniture pieces. The beautiful distressed wood tone finish made my heart skip a beat. However, not all of my bedroom furniture was real wood- some is laminate furniture. You know – it can’t be sanded down and re-stained… so I went hunting for another alternative. I also wanted to update my boys bathroom vanity- and it was part wood and part particle board… so sanding or stripping wouldn’t work there either.

Of course the price tags attached to all the pieces I loved, that were real wood, were WAY out of my SAHM budget. So I saved a few of my favorite pieces, as inspiration, and went to work trying to recreate the look with paint! I will be sharing the transformation of my boys bathroom vanity- that is the most recent piece I refinished using this technique, so I feel like it was the one that I “perfected”.

One of the things I love about using paint to recreate the look…is that no matter if the piece is wood, the type of wood it is, or if it is laminate. You CAN recreate the exact same finish on all the pieces to make them cohesive. With a real wood piece…the final outcome will vary depending on the wood, etc.

I always start my projects with a mood board. So this is my goal/ plan for the space.

So lets get started!

After some trial and error, I think I have come up with the perfect combination. I use three colors of paint: a charcoal or medium gray, a tan and a light gray (or even white will work). I like to use chalk paint (little to no prep work, dries quick, and you can make your own chalk paint to create custom colors if you can’t find exactly what you want), but you can certainly use latex paint if you prefer.

Step One: Prep Work

To get started you will need to clean your piece you will working on. Take off all hardware and then use a standard kitchen degreaser, nothing special, and an old rag. Your goal is to clean off any surface dirt, dust, and oils that accumulate over time with daily use.

Now, if you are reusing the same hardware, go on to the prep work… if not, you will need to use a non shrinking wood filler to patch all the existing holes from the old hardware- if the holes are not the same size or you are moving the location of the hardware. Let all the wood filler dry completely.

Next up- prep your work area… be sure to put down a painters drop cloth under the piece to protect your work surface. I also like to use pieces of cardboard- you know from all those amazon boxes you get – is it just me? Put a piece of cardboard or broken down box under each leg of the dresser, table, etc. Now, since I am doing a bathroom vanity, and am working with it in place, I taped off the wall areas next to the vanity and along the floor so I could also paint the kick plate.

Step 2: Painting

Now… if you ARE using chalk paint, you can go straight to painting. However, if you chose to use latex paint, you will need to lightly sand your surface, clean off the sanding dust, apply a good coat of primer, then you can begin. See why I like to use chalk paint?

You will start with a base coat of the charcoal (or medium gray) color. You want full complete coverage. You want to paint this on with a stiff bristle brush. Yes, you read that right… a brush. You WANT the brush strokes for this technique. It will add to the overall depth and finish. I like to use a 2″ or 3″ as it covers more area at once. Depending on your brand of chalk paint, one coat may be enough… but if not, just put a second one on. Let it dry. (Chalk paint dries MUCH quicker than latex paint).

Next you will take the light gray (or white) and a cheap chip brush. Lightly dab the bristles of the brush in the paint and then wipe some off on a paper towel. You will now “dry brush” the light gray onto the piece. Work in small sections, but use long continuous stokes. You don’t want short choppy areas. Go with the “grain” of the piece. You aren’t looking for full coverage… you want streaky and light. You will stop and think- what the heck… but trust me… it will all work out in the end. Let this dry.

Then you will take another chip brush and get the light tan/sand color. Gather a small amount of paint and lightly dab on a paper towel… you want a slightly heavier dry brush with this color… but still NOT complete coverage. Again, you will work on one side at a time and use long continuous strokes. This color will have slightly more coverage…but still not full coverage… you still want the gray color peaking showing through. Let this dry.

Step 3: Antiquing

Now once all your paint is dry, it is time to apply the “magic” product- the antiquing wax. This is what will turn all these layers of scary paint into a wood toned beauty. I have found that the wax doesn’t have a huge “work time”. So again, work in long continuous strokes, do one drawer, one side at a time. For this step, you will want to use a softer bristle brush, I like a 3″ size (but also have a smaller 1″ handy for smaller areas that the larger brush can’t reach. A little wax goes a long way. So just dab your bristles in a small amount of the glass, then tap off on a scrap piece of cardboard or paper plate.

For a drawer, I do the edges first going with the natural grain. Then, do the drawer center. The larger brush will help you cover more space and help keep stop/start marks to a minimum. You will brush it on and then blend. You will have a small amount of “working” time so that you can manipulate the wax. You do NOT want the wax to be thick or gloppy. You want to work the small amount in as much as possible…but still leave a slightly textured look with some brush strokes visible. Blend and manipulate the wax until you get the look you like. Then move to the next section.

Step 4: Protecting your finish

Once you are finished with all the painting. Completely let it dry. Then you need to protect all your hard work. I like to apply two light, even coats of this sealer. I love the matte finish best, Satin finish is my second choice. Let each coat dry thoroughly.

Now you can reapply your hardware, or put on the new hardware- if your are updating it.

That’s it. Your done.

Stand back and admire your beautifully updated piece…and all for the cost of just paint.

I’d love to hear if you try this out… or if you do and share it on instagram or facebook be sure to tag me.

I hope to see you next time for more fun!