Watch this video tutorial to learn how to transform boring, light wood to give it a rustic, barn wood, grey-stained look!

Step 1) Start with clean, raw wood

This technique works best on raw wood that doesn’t have any stain or paint on it. If your piece was previously finished with another product it’s best to strip that finish off before you begin. Make sure your piece is smooth and free of dust or other contaminants.

Step 2) Apply a coat of Glaze

To start with, we want to make the wood grain really stand out. We’ll do this by applying one coat of Graphite Glaze.

Make sure you shake and stir your jar of glaze before you begin, then use a synthetic bristle paint brush to apply one even coat all over your surface. You can use a damp, lint-free rag to wipe away the excess until you’re happy with the look.

Work with the grain of the wood! Keep your brush strokes and rag movements in line with the wood grain for best results. If you’re working on a large project, keep in mind that the glaze dries quite quickly so you’ll want to work in small sections.

Let your piece dry at this point for 1-2 hours.

Step 3) Add texture with dry brushing

By dry brushing a bit of paint onto your finish, you’ll add texture to your finish to authentically recreate the look of aged, dark wood. We chose to use two paint colors for this step; Cheesecake and Cobblestone, however you can play around with different colors if you’d like.

To learn more about the dry brushing technique, click here.

Let your piece dry at this point for 1-2 hours.

Step 4) Deepen the color with Grey Wax

To add an even deeper look with a buttery smooth texture, apply one coat of Grey Wax with a wax brush or a lint-free rag. Use a clean, dry rag to buff the wax until it feels dry and no longer tacky.

Step 5) Seal with Hemp Oil

Use a lint-free rag to apply one coat of Hemp Oil over your entire piece, then let it soak into the finish for about 12 hours. If it feels wet to the touch after 12 hours you can use a clean rag to buff away the excess oil.

This technique is beautiful on projects like stools or dressers tops for example!

Find these products at your local retailer

If you would like to try this technique for yourself, stop by our store locator and call your local retailer for availability. If you do not have a local retailer, you can also find these products in our online shop.

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We would love to hear what projects you’re working on, so make sure to leave a comment or post a picture of your project to our Facebook page or Instagram and tag @countrychicpaint!