Raw Wood Finish Process: Transform Your Furniture With This DIY Tutorial
Today I want to show you how I created this DIY Rustic Raw Wood Finish! Some pieces can be more stubborn than others, but this tutorial will show you just how simple this process can be!
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This DIY rustic raw wood finish is honestly so simple. It may take some elbow grease, but I love the look of raw wood so much that I’m willing to put in the effort!! This process can transform thrift, antique and any other wood furniture piece you love and really create a staple item for your space!
Before I begin, there’s one thing you should keep in mind. Every piece of furniture is different and reacts differently to these steps.
Sometimes for a raw wood look, step one is all that’s needed! It just depends on the piece. I refinished a pine wash stand and literally all I did was give it a light sanding and it turned out beautiful. Here is the washstand before –
We did a little sanding on this piece outside…
And she turned out so beautiful! All we had to do was one step and this nightstand went from an orange finish most would pass up at the thrift or antique store to a beautiful raw wood finish!
This cabinet I’m about to share below, however, was a completely different story!
DIY Raw Wood Finish Process Step 1 – Stripping
Here is a photo of the cabinet I purchased on Facebook marketplace for only $25. You can see that the top is damaged and the color is very orange.
This is the perfect example of a piece most would pass up, but I encourage you to look at the character and condition of the piece, especially if it is a good price. I loved the look of this and knew I would be able to use it so I snagged it up right away!
The first thing I would suggest you try is stripper. I love using Citristrip because it doesn’t have a harsh chemical smell, and it’s safe to use indoors. It also removes dried latex and oil-based paint, varnish, lacquer, polyurethane and shellac.
I love how stripper helps to protect the integrity of the wood as well as the details in the design of your piece, giving your furniture a natural look or returning it to it’s original color.
Now there are times when stripper may not be necessary depending on the types of wood you are stripping. You can find this out by testing a small area of your piece with sandpaper. If a light sanding immediately reveals the natural appearance, I would say skip the stripper.
If your piece has a heavy lacquer finish or topcoat, however, I would definitely start with stripper as sanding will just take so long for raw wood furniture.
You may finish stripping your piece and love the result. It’s all about your preference!
In this case, with my cabinet, the stripper took off the glossy topcoat but it didn’t touch the heavy orange stain. I used a second coat of Citristrip once more, and still it was too orangey red. Here’s a screen shot I took of the process while sharing it in my stories on Instagram –
When I didn’t achieve the look I was going for, I then took it outside and started on the next step.
DIY Rustic Raw Wood Process Step 2 – Sanding
The next thing I decided to do was sand my cabinet. Now you want to be so careful with sanding, because if you go too far or press to hard in certain areas, you can damage your piece and lose beautiful details found in vintage and antique furniture. So be careful choosing the level of grit sandpaper you use.
Since my cabinet was pretty flat and somewhat square on all sides, I wasn’t worried too much about that. Sanding the orange finish helped tremendously. You can see the difference in the top and sides of the cabinet after sanding, below. The old finish is definitely starting to show through.
I like to start with a course grade of sandpaper, and then move to a finer grade to leave my finish feeling smooth to the touch.
After sanding down this cabinet, I decided I still wanted it to be just a tad lighter.
DIY Rustic Raw Wood Finish Process Step 3 – Bleaching
The next thing I did might sound crazy, but it worked SO well. I had never tried this before so I was a little skeptical, but the results were gorgeous.
I took a very large paint brush and dipped it into some household bleach that I poured into a bucket. Then I literally “painted” the bleach all over the cabinet while outside in the sun. The heat of the sun really helps to activate and dry the bleach out faster.
I repeated this bleaching process three or four times until I got the look I was going for, and when the final coat was dry, I wiped the whole cabinet down with some damp rags.
Isn’t this piece gorgeous?! What a transformation with simple bleach. I was so excited this simple step to achieve the raw wood look worked as well as it did! Bleach can really help to reverse yellowing and get rid of stubborn orange wood stain.
DIY Rustic Raw Wood Finish Process Step 4 – Sealing
The final step in the process of creating a raw wood finish is sealing your piece. You have to be careful with the sealers you choose. At first I tried using a clear wax, but unfortunately the wood was so raw and porous that it just drank in the wax and immediately darkened. I didn’t want to ruin all my hard work in lightening the wood, so I chose a white wax instead by Waverly.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to link the wax I used, but I did link a similar option from Jolie. I love Jolie products and have used them many times in my home, so I trust this brand just as much to achieve similar results to the Waverly brand. In fact, I am using a Jolie brush for this whole process!
I didn’t want my wood to look white washed at all, I simply wanted it to look like raw wood so I applied a very thin coat using my wax brush that was sent to me by Jolie. I love this brush! You can find similar options here, but this is the only brush I have personally used. I also used a clean cotton cloth to wipe away any excess.
I love the way it turned out! As you can see, I switched out the hardware as well and that along with the raw wood is gorgeous! Add some simple decor, and you’ve got a really beautiful, raw wood piece of furniture.
So if you are hoping to achieve this raw wood look on any furniture piece you find, be sure to follow these four simple steps! Just remember once again, each piece is different so you may not need to do each one:
- Stripping
- Sanding
- Bleaching
- Sealing
Have you ever tried this raw wood process before? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you I am also so excited to be offering a free mini homemaking course! Sign up below for more home decorating tips and tricks, plus so much more!
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Hello! Love this tutorial. I am trying it out on an old bench storage chest. How long does it take for the bleach to dry to put another coat on? How long did you wait before putting the wax on. Thanks for the great ideas!
Hi Sue!! I didn’t wait too long at all, I did 4 coats of bleach all in an afternoon. I think I just waited until the majority of the chest was dry. 🙂 I didn’t put the wax on until months later, but that was purely out of laziness haha!! You could probably wait a week or so to be sure your piece was dry, then apply the wax. 🙂
I love how simple you made this to understand. You also showed pictures for each step. I loved this post. You made it beginner friendly! I love that!
Thank you,
Elizabeth
I am so happy this process was simple for you! I hope that your project comes out beautifully!
That looks beautiful. I am definently not going to turn up my nose at “orange” colored pieces anymore!!
Yay!! So happy to hear that, Trisha! Thanks so much for following along! 🙂
Love your post! I am planning on going for the same look on my bathroom cabinets. What top coat would you suggest to hold up to such a high traffic area but still achieves that natural wood look instead of darkening it/having a shine? Thanks so much!
Ohh that’s tough. I would play around with a small area and see what you like, but I think I’d go with a matte polycryllic? I hope that helps 🙂
Great idea Thank you! Your blog post has inspired me to bleach a second hand entry table I bought :). Did you have any issues with making sure the bleach had a consistent concentration throughout each part of the piece? I would imagine that if one part had slightly more that some spots may look more “bleachy” than others. Do you have any tips on making sure that the bleach is evenly distributed? Thank you!!
Hi Joy! So I painted my bleach on with a large brush and applied it when the surface was dry, that way I knew where I had already applied bleach. I hope that helps you! 🙂
Andrea this is just stunning! You have really captured the wood’s beauty by revealing it’s true colour. May I ask what hardware you used? It looks like champagne gold cup handles and maybe antique brass knobs to my eyes? They compliment the lighter shade perfectly. You have inspired me to start a project like this of my own on an orange toned pine chest that doesn’t suit our country cottage. I’m not sure I will be able to get hardware like this though as I live in Devon, England! Sending love xxx
Aww Katie that is such a sweet thing to say! Thank you so much. 🙂 I got my hardware at Hobby Lobby…I’m not sure if you have that store there? I know they ship but I don’t know if they ship worldwide. Anyway thanks again for taking the time to comment…it’s my dream to visit England one day! 🙂
Hi! Love your video, super helpful. I am in the process of stripping my very orange dresser. It has proved to be quite stubborn and I’m thinking its going to need some sanding. What grain did you start with for the sanding? Also what did you use to remove the citristrip residue before sanding? Thanks for all your tips! I’m hoping my piece will turn out as beautifully as yours!
Hi Haylie! So first, clean your dresser with mineral spirits to remove any residue. Then Start with a lower grade paper (maybe 60 or 80?) and move your way up as you finish the piece, ending with a 120 or higher. It’s all personal preference, I would just start in an inconspicuous area first to be sure you don’t damage the dresser! 🙂
Hello.
Does the smell of bleach stay ?
Worried if I do it that my dresser will always smell of bleach
Thank you
Hi Katie! No actually, not at all! In fact you can wipe the whole dresser down with water to rinse away the smell and that should really help, too. 🙂
Hi! I love this idea. I have an old wood media console that I painted with chalk paint but I want to strip it of all paint and stain to get this raw bleached wood look. Do you know if the citrus stripper will get the pain layer off?
Hi Michelle, thank you and yes! The stripper should take the paint off, too. I have used it to remove paint an it does a good job. 🙂
Love this! Not sure if I have access to an outdoor area – we live in a condo and because of COVID I can’t transport it to a family members house. Any ideas on how to bleach the piece without placing it outside?
Hello, I would make sure you are in a well ventilated area first of all, open all your windows etc. Then perhaps a bathtub, bathroom or kitchen area with tile floors so bleach won’t ruin anything? If that isn’t a possible, you should be able to purchase a tarp at a local hardware store and do it there. I hope this helps, this is what I would do at least!
I love how this piece turned out! So pretty! Can you tell me where your plug in sconces are from and perhaps the name of them? Beautiful!
Hello! Here is a link, I hope this is helpful! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074P4SVBL/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=andreafrancav-20&linkId=520c2de909c1676e5ed02ee43bc1266b&language=en_US
Hello! Do you mind sharing how you finished the pine piece? I just sanded down an old antique pine armoire and can’t decide how to finish it. I don’t want the wood to turn yellow. I have used a water-based matte varnish before on a pine dresser and it worked well, but just wondering what wax would look like on pine. I would love to know your experience.
Hello, I actually bought the chest as is, but for everything else I followed this technique, sorry I couldn’t help more!
Nice work! Looks really terrific. I like your brass pullers. You could also in the future try vinegar and salt with brass to get a very natural ageing if you wanted to. But you’d have to remove any shiny sealant on pullers first. It looks great on your cabinet the way it is. Just throwing in that extra bit about salt and vinegar incase you thought about it in the future with something else it might suit!
Oh wow, thank you! I will be sure to give that a try!
Hi Andrea, how long does the wax need to cure? Thanks in advance
Hello! All wax types are different so I would just follow what the directions are on the one you decide to use!
Beautiful, you think it can be done on maple kitchen cabinets ?
I don’t see why not? Cabinets are a lot of work, but if you are willing to put the time in I think it could be beautiful!
I am gobsmacked in love with your home/style!! 🥰 I am using it as my main inspiration on our current build. (#5 for us) I was curious: what finish did you use on your dining room table to keep it natural and yet protected from life that surely happens on it? 😊
Congratulations on that precious, new little man! 💙
I have a shelf that was must made for me. It is the raw natural wood. So, I’m thinking I should start with the waxing process? Can you advise? Thank you
Yes, if you don’t have to strip it that is amazing, your shelf sounds beautiful!
Saw this on FB. Thank you for this raw wood post. Wondering why I hadn’t thought of this instead of painting for updating some of our pieces.
I hope you are able to use this technique, thank you!
I have it bleached now and it’s a great color but when I used white wax it brought out the orange in some areas. Did you ever have that happen?
No I haven’t, I am so sorry! Be sure to use a very thin layer of wax, maybe that will help?
Hi Andrea! I had to write to tell you what a beautiful piece you created. I have been loving the raw wood look but I’ve been afraid to put anything on my furniture. My son’s bed has been raw for awhile because I wanted to make sure the top coat/wax didn’t change the color. I bought the Waverly white wax and it looks amazing! It did not change the color of the wood at all! It is so hard to find something that won’t ruin all of your work. I hope that more people see your post because I’ve seen many comments about not wanted to change the raw wood look. The Waverly white wax is unbelievable! xo
Hi Andrea! I had to write to tell you what a beautiful piece you created. I have been loving the raw wood look but I’ve been afraid to put anything on my furniture. My son’s bed has been raw for awhile because I wanted to make sure the top coat/wax didn’t change the color. I bought the Waverly white wax and it looks amazing! It did not change the color of the wood at all! It is so hard to find something that won’t ruin all of your work. I hope that more people see your post because I’ve seen many comments about not wanting to change the raw wood look. The Waverly white wax is unbelievable! xo
Thank you so so much Jane, I agree! I am so happy that this helped you!
Hi Andrea! I had to write to tell you what a beautiful piece you created. I have been loving the raw wood look but I’ve been afraid to put anything on my furniture. My son’s bed has been raw for awhile because I wanted to make sure the top coat/wax didn’t change the color. I bought the Waverly white wax and it looks amazing! It did not change the color of the wood at all! It is so hard to find something that won’t ruin all of your work. I hope that more people see your post because I’ve seen many comments about not wanting to change the raw wood look. The Waverly white wax is unbelievable! xo
Since you said you used a Jolie brush- is there a reason you didn’t use white wax from Jolie as well? Have you tried it?
I just ordered clear- and am I finding it is NOT what I wanted. Now I’m wondering if I try their white wax, or go with waverly. Thank you!
All I had was clear at the time, but I did love how it turned out. It basically just sealed the piece, but didn’t alter how it looked at all. I have used white as well, and I like white, but it does alter it a bit. All depends on the look you are going for! I hope this helps!
Hi! I’m late to the party, coming in from Pinterest.
That said, I wanted to give you another topcoat option that is incredible.
Try paint BASE. You know, the can of paint they take off the shelf and add the pigment into? If you get Exterior, Flat, Acrylic/Latex paint BASE for the darkest colors, i.e. a 4 or 5 with Benjamin Moore paints, it will seal without changing the color at all. I mean, you can’t even tell where you applied it. It goes on frighteningly white, but dries completely invisible.
I can’t count how many pieces I’ve done this on now. CitrisStripping antique doors down to raw wood (only requiring a smoothing with 220 after they dry) and coating with paint base has given me amazing woodwork.
The thing is, you can count on the finish not changing color after all that hard work. Far more durable than wax — which you can remove, BTW, with household ammonia (thnk Windex) and protects the wood since it’s exterior.
Anyway, give it a try sometime and see what you think.
OMGOOOSH YES Christine that is true. I never use wax sealant anymore on my wood furniture redo’s! Even for my colors of milk/chalk paint I do all the steps I want, even my dark wax faux distressing then seal with the base paint. It’s so much stronger to protect the finish from KIDS 🤣 like cups & shoes on coffee table even tho you’ve sais 1k xs don’t! Lol plus it doesn’t have to be reapplied like wax after a few times of being wiped down either.
This is very helpful. I have been working on an antique armoire with my Mother. I believe is was origionally shillac. We have used denatured alcohol and have sanded many times. We finally have a beautiful raw wood look and I’m afraid to seal it bc I don’t want the orange color to return. We have worked so hard. I am also afraid to bleach it.
What if I don’t bleach it and add the white wax? Will the orange color still return? Is my only lasting option to keep the raw wood appearance to add bleach?
Thank you!
Hello Julie! I believe the orange color is due to oil based poly or shellac, I have never had a piece orange with wax to seal it! I wish I could guarantee this method, but I think if you love the look right now, sealing it with wax should work perfectly!