whitewashed table

Last year, I posted about how to get a cerused oak or “limed” finish, as it’s more popularly referred to.  It’s a beautiful way to add a weathered, aged look to a piece of furniture while still preserving the integrity of the wood.  It’s one of my favorite ways to transform furniture, so when a close friend recently asked for help with a table she recently picked up, this was the technique I turned to. 

The table is in great condition and has a lot of character, with knots, grooves, dings and dents from everyday wear and tear, but in her breakfast area, it got lost in a sea of similar wood tones.   First, I did a light whitewash to tone down the wood and also highlight the imperfections and grain and then I drybrushed white paint over top.  I used White Dove by Benjamin Moore.  Here is the table before:

And here is our table after, in all its gray, weathered glory:

Lightly drybrushing white paint highlighted the wood grain beautifully: