Staining Wood with Paint

Painted & Stained Farmhouse table

Styles: Traditional, Farmhouse, Shabby Chic, Industrial.

As an artist the last thing we want is to be limited. Since staining all or part of furniture is trending I wanted to share a technique that is easy and inexpensive.  Since Shabby Paints is made with Pure Acrylic and with the highest quality ingredients, once diluted it makes a great wood stain. Don’t be limited when it comes to stain colors, so pick up your favorite Shabby Paints Chalk-Acrylic color and create your own stain!

This project is near and dear to my heart, this was my grandparents, not so pretty 70’s dining room set.  She had threatened to leave it to me since I was little and the thought made me cringe as a child but I couldn’t be prouder now.

The hardest part about this, other than all the crying was sanding the waxy build up and old finish off.  But I’m so glad I did, the wood is beautiful!

WARNING!! (When sanding please wear a mask, it doesn’t matter what type of finish is being sanded.  These invisible particles can cause tiny wounds and scarring in your lungs and over time it can cause irreversible damage.)  

Once you have sanded down to the bare wood and cleaned all the mess up, wet a rag and wipe it all down, this opens the grain.

Dilute your color choice about 50/50 water/Chalk-Acrylic, I used Garfield Grey.  Test on scrap wood and adjust for your perfect shade. For a more weathered barn wood look try adding multiple coats or use less water in your stain mixture.

Apply following the grain with a damp applicator sponge. I only used one coat, and it gave just enough of the gray look I was wanting without hiding the beauty of the wood grain and the knots.

Finally, I used a damp applicator sponge to apply White reVAX, then a few passes of black reVAX. This added depth while protecting!  I can’t wait to do it again.

Table: Legs were painted with Lillian Gray, distressed, White reVAX and then Black reVAX. The Chairs were painted with Garfield Grey, distressed then sealed with Black reVAX.

Hutch: Lillian Gray and Sealed with Shabby Satin Varnish. Inside, hardware and base top painted with Licorice (unsealed to use as a Chalkboard).