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DIY: Antique White Painting Technique

Whitewashing, also called effet chaule, is a technique used to give furniture an old-fashioned country-style look. As white paint faded and wore off over time, the original, usually darker paint showed through. Paint cabinets and furniture in layers to achieve an authentic-looking antique effect.

Things You'll Need

Denatured alcohol or lacquer remover
Sandpaper, various grits
Wood filler
Stiff-bristle brush
Tack cloth
Dark matte latex paint
Paintbrushes
White paint or white stain
Rag
Clear coat

Instructions

- 1
  Remove any wax or lacquer on the wood using denatured alcohol. If denatured alcohol can̵7;t sufficiently remove the old finish, try a commercial lacquer remover.
- 2
  Remove any old wood stain using sandpaper. Start with coarse-grit sandpaper and work up to finer grits for a bare, smooth finish.
- 3
  Apply wood filler to soft wood with a stiff-bristle brush to prevent the pores from absorbing excess paint. Paint a light coat of filler over the entire wood surface, going across the wood grain, then with the wood grain. Hardwoods are less absorbent and do not need wood filler. Allow the filler to dry.
- 4
  Sand the wood surface with 220-grit sandpaper and brush off the sanding dust with a tack cloth.
- 5
  Apply a coat of dark paint. Allow the paint to dry completely.
- 6
  Apply a thin coat of white paint or white stain over the darker paint. Allow the paint to dry for two hours.
- 7
  Wipe off the white paint around handles, raised areas, corners and edges with a wet rag to reveal the darker paint underneath.
- 8
  Sand the furniture where it would naturally show wear, such as corners and edges, to reveal the bare wood underneath.
- 9
  Apply two coats of clear coat to the furniture to protect and seal the paint.

Antiquing