How To Color Wash Painted Furniture

You can color wash painted furniture. That’s right. I know you’ve heard of white wash. Well, I did a green color wash and a white wash over turquoise paint. The color wash finish looks great although I do have a tip for you about the type of paint to not use. 

 I filmed a really short video of the color wash technique and you can get a good look at the process.

Today is the Furniture Fixer Upper tour and we have some great makeovers for you. The tour links are at the bottom of the post.

What a pretty color. I had to work on the turquoise color before it was just right. That happens sometimes but the great thing about paint is if you don’t like the color, try again, and maybe again.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve painted this cedar chest but it’s a bunch. Maybe 6? This piece has been in spots all over the house….except maybe the bathroom. Time for it to go and it needs a new color.

How To Color Wash Painted Furniture

The first coat of paint didn’t cover that black very well. I was using FolkArt Home Decor Chalk, color Patina. The chalk finish usually covers really well.

I applied a second coat and a third coat. I wasn’t feeling the color, too light.

I mixed a darker turquoise color with the Patina color and it was perfect.

These are the two FolkArt colors I mixed together to get just the right color.

Now it’s time for the magic. I diluted green paint with water to make it very thin. Then I poured a bit of the thinned green paint on a paper plate.

I dabbed a bit of the thinned green paint on a lint free rag and rubbed the paint wash on all of the raised details. 

I let the green color wash dry then used a lint free rag to apply a white wash (thinned latex paint) over the green wash. This is where I ran into a problem and I should have known better.

I used a green acrylic paint. The kind that comes in little bottles at the craft store. I’ve found the paint tends to wash off when it gets damp. That happened to me once upon a time with a stenciled design on painted furniture.

That is what happened to a lot of the green wash on the cedar chest. I didn’t have any green latex paint and I used the acrylic paint instead. Live and learn.

The piece still turned out pretty, just not as much green as I would have liked. You can see in the photo above that I also brushed some green paint along the sides of the chest.

The details on this cedar chest are too pretty not to be highlighted.

Watch the short video showing the color wash and white wash technique…

How To Color Wash Paint

What do you guys think of the chest? I should have bought some latex paint and added more green right?

To see 13 more of my best cedar chests makeovers click here.

Time to visit my furniture painting friends. Just click the links below the “before makeovers” photo collage…..

Girl in the Garage
Confessions of a Serial DIYer
Just The Woods
Salvaged Inspirations

As always thanks for being here, Kathy