Black Wash Wood Furniture | SideTable Restyle (2024)

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Hello, creative friends! I have an easy-to-follow step-by-step Black Wash Wood Paint Finish to share with you today! A quick way to transform your old, worn-out wood furniture into an updated piece. This will give you a ‘stained’ look without having to use stains!

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Here’s what I started with. This little side table is a piece from my own home. I was eager to get started so I unscrewed the top and then remembered to take a before pic with my phone. Not the best pic but you get the idea. I’ve had this table for over 15 years and still love the shape and style, but I wanted a more rustic look without thecherry finish.

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“Black washing” wood is an easy paint technique used to darken the appearance of wood while still allowing the natural grain to show through. This process involves painting a black or dark color water-based paint onto the wood and then wiping off the excess paint while it’s still wet. This allows the paint color to settle into the wood grain. The result is a darker finish that enhances the wood’s texture and patterns. The amount of darkness can be adjusted based on personal preference by controlling the amount of water-to-paint ratio applied and the amount of wiping off the excess.

A black wash paint technique can be used to create an antiqued, distressed, contrasted and/or modern and industrial finish. It’s easy to customize your DIY projects to personalize the style you’re after. I always recommend a test patch. Try it on a small, inconspicuous area or a sample piece and this can really help you decide if the wash is the look you want before applying it to the entire project.

For a beautiful black wash finish, water-based paints, such as latex, acrylic chalk, or mineral paint are the best choice. Water-based products are easy to work with, have no odor, dry quickly, and can easily be diluted with water.

Wood Sidetable
Gloves and Mask
Shop Towels or Rags
Sander (25% OFF as of Writing this Post!)
Stripper
Water + Container
Black Water Based Paint
Paint Brush
Topcoat / Wax or Poly

STEP 1 – SAND & STRIP

I started by removing the top and then stripping and sanding the entire piece. In the pic below, you can see I wasn’t too worried about getting off ALL the original finish because I wanted my washed piece to look a little more rustic. However, if you want a more uniform look, removing all of the original finish is recommended. After it was stripped and sanded, I cleaned and wiped away the dust.

STEP 2 – MIXING A BLACK WASH

To mix myblack washI used General Finishes Lamp Black mixed with water. Some other amazing paint colors for a beautiful black wash are this Caviar Black and this Coffee Bean if you prefer a black with warm brown undertones.

I eyeballed the proportions, but I’m guessing I used around a 3:1 ratio – 3 parts paint to 1 part water. This ratio is adjustable. The more water you add, the lighter the stained effect will be. The less water you add, the darker the stained effect will be.

STEP 3 – APPLYING A BLACK WASH

Applying the wash is the same as whitewashing furniture. Using an appropriate-sized paintbrush for your project, brush it on as if you were painting a piece and then wipe it off. Work in small areas so the paint wash does not dry before you wipe it off. I have more details on wiping off below.

STEP 4 – WIPE OFF

Once you’ve brushed on the wash, wipe it off with a shop towel or old rag. This is a messy process so it’s a good idea to wear gloves, otherwise, your hands will turn pitch black! Work in small areas so the wash doesn’t have a chance to dry.

If your first coat isn’t dark enough, add another. Below, you can see the first coat is applied and wiped away on the tabletop. This table took 3 coats before I was happy with the finish.

STEP 5 – SAND AND DISTRESS (OPTIONAL)

I wanted a more rustic look for this side table so I sanded the edges and the top to add some lighter and darker areas. This step is optional depending on the look you want. If it’s a more modern finish, no sanding or distressing is required.

STEP 6 – TOPCOAT & PROTECT

The final step is to protect your work with a top coat of your choice. I used a Clear Wax to give it a lovely satin finish, but a poly, tung oil, hemp oil, or whatever topcoat you like will work nicely.

Here’s the finished look. What do you think?

The wash turned this table into a nice espresso and the sanding created tonal variance which adds a lot of interest.

It’s similar to the Brown Acacia Restoration Hardware finish buthas a modern farmhouse feel because of its irregularities.

I’m really happy all the cherry finish is gone!

Here’s another look at the before and after. I hope this has inspired you to give it a try. By applying a simple black paint wash, you can give your wood furniture a rich dark tone – while still showing off some beautiful grain!

What are you up to this week? I’m going to be busy cleaning and restyling this thrift table for this coming Thursday’s Furniture Fixer Uppers. I hope to see you then!

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS SIDETABLE BLACK WASH MAKEOVER OR FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE… I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING FROM YOU. IT MAKES MY DAY! 🙂

Happy painting my friends!

Denise x

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