DIY Faux Wood Door

I'm so excited to share this blog post with you guys on a paint technique that will give you the look of old wood! I have had great feedback about it on my Instagram and I'm happy to share it with you all today in full detail. In this post I will share how I did it on my pantry door, but I have also done this method on my mantel and builtin tops, a bed-frame, window panes, and tables. So if you are wanting the look of old weathered wood, but maybe have a piece that you can't strip down to the natural wood, or maybe a piece of laminate furniture, you can use this technique to achieve that old wood look.

What you will need:

• Valspar Antiquing Wax, Lowes

• White chalk paint, I use this one

• Grey, greige or beige chalk paint, I used Annie Sloan French Linen

• Paint brushes, I like to use these, which you can also buy at Home Depot

• Medium-Coarse grit sand paper

• Rustoleum Matte Clear coat for chalk paint

Below are also some tutorial videos using this technique from my Instagram:

*Please note that the products in the videos vary depending on what I have on hand at the time.

-Pantry

-Bedframe

-Mantel

Step 1:

First thing you will want to do is lightly sand your surface to prep it for painting. After you have sanded it, apply one coat of your white chalk paint and allow it to dry for at least an hour.

*In this picture below I had brought the original oak pantry door into the garage to paint it white a few years ago to go with my kitchen cabinets. I just wanted to show you this pic so see how it looked originally, yikes hey!!?

*And here is the door after it was painted white and I did a chalk board paint in the center trim. I had it this way for over a year before I decided to give it the wood look. So from here I just sanded it, applied one coat of white chalk paint, then one coat of the french linen.

Step 2:

Next you will apply your second colour of chalk paint. Your application doesn't have to be perfect, just make sure its mostly covering your surface. I used Annie Sloan french linen chalk paint, just because its usually what I have on hand, but you can use another grey shade as well, just as long as its chalk paint. *You can not use semi gloss paint for this project because the Antiquing Wax needs a chalky surface to stick to.

Step 3:

After your second coat of chalk paint has dried you will apply your antiquing wax. When I apply this stuff I try to make sure I don't brush it back and forth too many times in the same spot. Now you may see on the can of the antiquing wax, that it doesn't say to necessarily paint it on, but that's just how I do it and it's always worked out fine for me. Starting on one side take enough on your brush and try to make one continuous motion to the end. It has the consistency almost like pudding, it's not a true wax in the sense that its sticky like Crisco, this stuff to me is more like a thick paint than a wax.

Painting on the Valspar Antiquing Wax

1 coat of Antiquing Wax

Step 4:

Apply a full coat of this all over your door or surface. Don't be afraid of how dark it is at this point. It will be very dark until you start to sand it. Allow the antiquing wax to dry over night. You won't be able to sand it until it is fully dried.

Step 5:

I used a 180 grit sand paper to start sanding my door surface. I sanded with the grain of the wood and across the middle sections until I found it lightened enough to my liking. You may have to sand quite a bit to get through to all the colours of your chalk paint, so be sure to use a drop cloth as things can get a bit dusty. That's the goal here is to expose some of those lighter paint colours that you applied underneath your antiquing wax. In the pantry video at the end of my sanding, I also dry brushed a few streaks of light grey chalk paint over top of the surface in various spots to add another layer.

The affect I got after sanding and dry brushing with a light grey

I love all the character its adds. To me it looks like an authentic old aged door.

Step 6:

After you've sanded to your liking, make sure your surface is fully wiped off from any dust. Now you can seal it. In the mantel video you will see I used the Rustoleum Matte Clear coat over top of my antiquing wax. This will protect your paint job and enhance all the details.

Now you are finished!!

I also gave my french doors an old wood look

Here it is on my mantel without any distressing.

Hopefully you guys enjoyed this tutorial on how I give surfaces a faux old layered wood affect. Let me know if you have any questions or comments below!

Love,

Dale xo