Find out why this 500-year-old finish is trending again, and how to recreate it at home like the artisans of old.

Photo: wayfair.com

While some prefer to disguise the patina of their wood furniture with paint or contact paper, a growing number of homeowners and renters are choosing to play it up through the age-old finish of cerused wood. Read on to learn what this finish is, whether it’s right for you, and which tips to enlist for a pro-quality application.

Q: How to paint a wall to look like wood grain? You can paint a wall to look like wood–it just takes time and patience. Tape off the wall in a wood pattern with mini grout line tape. Paint your walls a solid color. Pull off the tape to reveal the spaces between the wood. Next, using a wood graining tool, add grain to the “faux planks” on. Product Title HOTBEST 2PCS Imitation Wood Grain Paint Roller Brush. Average rating: 0 out of 5 stars, based on 0 reviews Current Price $9.09 $ 9. 09 List List Price $10.99 $ 10. How to Make a Faux Wood Grain Finish. Part of the series: Creating Faux Finishes. Keep brush strokes in the same direction and knock of spots of pigment to m. Cerused wood can be used as an alternative to whitewashing or bleaching, two wood finishes that similarly lighten and brighten wood while accentuating its grain. The simple brush-and-buff.

What is cerused wood?

Ceruse—a white lead-based pigment—first made history in the 16th century as a cosmetic for European high society before it ever wound up on furniture. So when it was repurposed by craftsmen into a decorative finish for wood, the technique was dubbed cerused wood. The resulting weathered white finish muted the original color of the wood and emphasized the texture of its wood grain.

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The 500-year-old finish persists in the furniture market today, everywhere from headboards (available at Wayfair; $199.95) to trunks (available at Lowe’s; $155), even cabinetry and light fixtures—especially in coastal-, farmhouse-, or French country-style interiors that complement its rustic-chic aesthetic. The good news? It now comes minus the health risks associated with the old lead-based finish. Today, do-it-yourselfers can recreate the look on their own hardwood pieces by filling in the grain with a liming wax, a blend of clear wax and white liming paste usually made with paint or an oil and plant blend.

Photo: lowes.com

Which woods can you ceruse?

Cerused wood is also known as cerused oak or limed oak because it’s often found on this species of wood. Oak’s highly visible grain makes it one of the surfaces for the finish. But you can ceruse any open-grained hardwood (i.e., those with large pores) such as mahogany. After you brush one to two coats of liming wax onto the wood and buff away the excess with a cloth, the deep ridges of the woodgrain will hold onto some of the white coloring.

You can use the same technique to ceruse bare, stained, or painted wood, but the deep pores in the grain of bare or stained wood get the most dramatic effect. The texture on bare or stained wood is the most receptive to absorbing the liming wax, creating a whitewash that allows grain to peek through. Pores of painted wood have already been filled with viscous paint, meaning that they can’t hold as much liming wax; here, this technique produces a less pronounced finish.

How does it compare to similar DIY wood finishes?

Cerused wood can be used as an alternative to whitewashing or bleaching, two wood finishes that similarly lighten and brighten wood while accentuating its grain. The simple brush-and-buff technique used to ceruse wood is the simplest, least messy option. Meanwhile, whitewashing requires diluting paint in water before application, and bleaching entails neutralizing the applied finish with vinegar and water.

Camera raw 8.6 download mac. However, you’ll usually pay a higher price for liming wax (anywhere from $15 to $20 per 8 ounces at craft or home stores) compared to supplies for the other finishes ($2 per 8 ounces for basic white paint or $0.40 to $1.00 per 8 ounces of bleach).

Photo: istockphoto.com

What’s the best way to get the look of cerused wood?

Use these tips to ensure a successful DIY cerused wood finish.

• Settle on a wax. Liming wax, sold in brands such as Briwax (available on Amazon; $19.49), consists of liming paste and a wax made of petroleum, beeswax, carnauba, or shellac. Waxes made with the latter three ingredients are more natural options with lower volatile organic compounds (VOCs) compared to petroleum-based waxes. Liming wax is most commonly sold in the color white—which you should choose to mimic the classic white cerused look—but it can also be found in neutrals such as black or gray, which can be used to create a more modern or dramatic look.

• Pick your wood wisely. For the most striking cerused wood finish, opt for wood surfaces that already have a highly visible or distinct grain that can be accentuated.

• Strip and/or stain light-colored wood. The classic white cerused wood finish isn’t noticeable when applied to bare, light-colored hardwoods like poplar or woods painted white or cream. If you want to ceruse light-colored bare hardwood, your best bet is to stain the wood first with a dark-colored wood stain. If you want to ceruse painted wood that’s currently a shade of white, use a wood stripper to strip the wood, then either ceruse the bare wood or stain the wood and then ceruse it.

• Lose the hardware. To ensure a uniform finish, detach removable knobs, pulls, and other hardware on the wood surface you plan to ceruse.

• Start with a spotless surface. Clean the wood surface with a sponge dampened with a solution of one teaspoon dish soap and four cups of warm water to remove dust, dirt, and grime from the grain and surrounding wood surface. Make a second pass over the wood with a dry rag, then let the wood dry fully.

• Perfect the pores. Working a soft wire brush over the wood in the direction of the wood grain will help open up the pores of the grain so that the liming wax is absorbed to the fullest extent.

• Smooth it out with sandpaper. Whether cerusing bare, stained, or painted wood, gently sand the entire surface with 150-grit sandpaper to smooth uneven spots and remove splinters left by the wire brush.

Photo: istockphoto.com

• Brush, then buff. Dip—don’t douse—a natural-bristle chip brush in the liming wax. Offload any excess wax onto a scrap piece of cardboard, then apply what’s left on your brush to the wood in no more than three-by-three-foot sections at a time. Crosshatching (intersecting) brush strokes will maximize the wax absorption by the wood grain. Let the coat become tacky (slightly sticky but starting to set, which can take at least 10 minutes depending on the wax), then gently buff the waxed section with large, sweeping motions of a dry cloth or rag; this will remove the excess wax while some white pigment remains in the grain. Once the wax has cured according to the wax instructions, which can take at least 30 minutes, repeat section by section until the entire surface has been waxed and buffed.

• Go for seconds. If desired, deepen the color contrast between the grain and the surrounding wood by brushing on the second coat of wax as you applied the first, then buff it with a cloth. Let the second coat cure.

• Pass on poly. Limed wax can act as a top coat, or you can coat it with a clear wax such as Briwax Original (available on Amazon; $19.49) to lend a more durable finish to wood surfaces in high-traffic areas. But don’t top liming wax with polyurethane or polyacrylic sealants, as the wax doesn’t bond well to these products.

Take wood furniture from drab to fab with a fresh coat of paint.

Photo: The Frugal Girl

Most anything can be transformed with a can of paint and some step-by-step instructions. Here’s an easy, four-step tutorial on how to paint wood furniture:

STEP 1: Sanding

The first order of business when painting wood furniture is sanding. Don’t be tempted to skip this step. Proper sanding will ensure an even, smooth finish that is not prone to chipping. I use an orbital sander, but other finishing sanders would work just fine too.

(I wouldn’t really recommend hand-sanding unless you are very strong and very patient. It takes a LOT of sanding to remove old paint and stain, and I would get very weary of sanding if I had to do it manually. I get tired of sanding even with the orbital sander!)

I usually start out using 80- or 100-grit sandpaper, especially if there’s a durable lacquer finish on the piece.

Once most of the stain/paint has been removed, I switch to 150-grit or higher to remove any remaining finish and smooth out the surface.

Once I’ve sanded everywhere I can with the orbital sander, I tackle hard-to-reach spots by hand with either a sanding block or a piece of plain sandpaper that I can bend and fold to reach awkward areas. As long as you sand enough to remove the sheen, the primer and paint should stick.

STEP 2: Dust Removal

When you’ve finished sanding, it’s important to remove all the dust, as residual dust will not only mess up the new finish, but also keep the paint and primer from sticking. I often use a damp cloth, or sometimes a dry cloth followed by a thorough vacuuming.

Now comes the fun part! (I hate the prepping.)

STEP 3: Priming

Once your piece is sanded and dust-free, you’re going to need to prime it. I prefer to use a spray primer, as it usually gives a neater, thinner coat than a brush-on. Obviously, gray is best to use under dark paint colors, and white is best for light colors.

When you prime, you want to do several very thin coats. In fact, when you do the first coat, it should barely look like you’ve even primed. Let the primer dry for ten minutes or so (depending on the weather and manufacturer recommendations), then do another coat. Let that coat dry before doing one or two more. The goal is to have the piece completely covered in a thin, even coat of primer.

Depending on the wood type, I sometimes sand before the last coat of primer goes on, as the primer can raise the grain of the wood. If the surface doesn’t feel smooth to the touch, I run the orbital sander lightly across, using fine-grit sandpaper. I wipe it down again, apply one more coat of primer, and I’m finally ready to paint.

STEP 4: Painting

My favorite paint for wood furniture is Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Semi-Gloss (view on Amazon). This paint is thinner than ordinary paint, which makes it easier to achieve a smooth finish. Painter’s Touch comes in several different sheens, but I like to use the semi-gloss. (One can goes incredibly far. Just to give you an idea, the 2-1/4 cans I’ve used so far have covered two dressers, three nightstands, a chair, a desk and a file cabinet.)

Mix the paint well and using a clean paint brush (I use a regular, bristled brush, not a foam brush), brush on a very thin first coat.

Just as with the primer, it’s very important to do a number of thin coats. I don’t think I can overstress this: applying five thin coats is much, much better than one thick coat. The thin coats look better, and they will be more durable.

I have also found that when you’re painting a large, flat section (like the top of a dresser), it’s best to use long strokes that cover the entire length of the piece. This will help to ensure a smooth finish with an even gloss.

This paint dries very quickly, so by the time you’ve put a coat of paint on the entire piece of furniture (unless you’re painting in very humid conditions), the area you first painted should be dry again. If it’s not, wait ten minutes or so, then apply another very thin coat. Repeat this process until the furniture is painted to your satisfaction.

Affinity designer free trial. If you sand down to the wood, are careful to apply thin coats of paint, and your piece of furniture is made of nice wood, then you should be able to turn out a smooth, durable finish while still being able to see some wood grain through the paint.

And if you’re anything like me, once you see what an enormous difference paint can make, you’ll start looking around for more stuff to paint.

Happy painting!

Wood Grain Paint Brushes

When she’s not homeschooling her four children, Kristen is making a name for herself on the web as The Frugal Girl, a blog dedicated to DIYs, repurposing projects, and living simply. Kristen is enthusiastic about living on less—a passion that has allowed her to use her creativity to its fullest. We can’t wait to see what she does next!