Beautiful timber furniture can be a fast way to add warmth and charm to your home, and lately I am loving the rustic, cottagecore vibes of perfectly imperfect timber pieces. Conveniently, using timber stain to add rustic charm is a simple way to achieve the look!
A few months back, we found a stunning old timber side table on Facebook Marketplace that we plan to restore and transform into a vanity once we begin our bathroom renovation. But, as it’s quite a special piece, I wanted to brush up on my skills and experiment with a few different styles first.
On a visit to one of our local op shops (thrift stores), I stumbled across the cutest little side table. It was almost like a miniature version of the one we had already purchased! The perfect ‘practice piece’ before the main event.
While we have used a few different timber stains in the past, these have mostly been on new timber decking – meaning that we knew what we were working with. This project came with a whole lot of curveballs, but it was exactly the learning experience I was looking for.
And, although it may have taken longer than first anticipated, I adore the final look! Read on for my best tips on removing paint and using timber stain to add rustic charm to old furniture.
How do you make furniture look rustic?
Before we dive in, it’s worth mentioning that there are many creative and varied ways to make furniture look rustic – depending on the exact look you want to achieve.
From lime washing white and staining with black tea, to ‘roughing up’ the timber with a wire brush or steel wool, the options really are endless. In fact, I’ve even heard of weathering timber pieces in ocean water – to create almost a driftwood appearance. Pretty cool, right?
Timber stain is a great option for those looking to change the colour of furniture to enhance the rustic appeal. And, there is a range of shades that complement this particular style.
Choosing the right piece of furniture
If your goal is to create a rustic, weathered look, it’s worth shopping around to find the right piece of furniture. Certain pieces are more suited to the style, which can play an important part in achieving the desired outcome.
We find that older furniture tends to be the best option. Not only are the styles of older pieces more suited to a rustic look, but the timber is often a much higher quality, as well. And, there is no shortage of second-hand furniture desperately in need of new homes. This means you can usually find beautiful pieces for next to nothing!
Vintage stores and op shops can be a great place to start. But, it’s worth keeping an eye out on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and eBay, too. If you already have an idea of what you want, you can even set up alerts. This will help you to snap up any rare gems as soon as they become available.
Removing old paint from timber
If you’ve fallen for a painted piece, fear not, friends! There are several ways to remove old paint from timber – and we’ve tried them all. Here are some of your options:
- Sanding, either with a powered sander or by hand
- Heat gun, used to melt the paint to remove with a scraper
- Paint stripper, used to dissolve the paint to remove with a scraper
For our side table project, I assumed that I would simply need to give it a good sand to get it back to it’s original, raw state. How wrong I was! I’m not exactly sure if it was due to the type(s) of timber or paint used, how old the side table is or a combination of the three, but removing the paint from this piece was a real labour of love.
Important: always work in a well-ventilated area with suitable protective gear and be sure to do a lead paint test first.
Sanding
I started with a Makita Multi-Function Tool and sander attachment, and was able to remove the paint from the tabletop quite quickly. The piece had obviously been made by hand (with love), and due to the paint job – I didn’t realise that the rest of the side table was made from a different type of timber.
Unfortunately, the rest of the paint was much harder to remove, so this is where things got interesting. After some further attempts with the multi-tool sander, I upgraded to an orbital sander.
This helped to remove a few of the larger patches, but I wasn’t able to get into the intricate corners that make this table so well suited to a rustic-style makeover.
Heat gun
Next up, the heat gun! Having seen a few DIY bloggers using them to remove paint, I was keen to give it a go. So, I picked up an Ozito Heat Gun from Bunnings to test it out.
Heating small sections at a time, I used a scraper to gently remove sections. I was impressed with how easily it lifted! The heat gun was great for areas I wasn’t able to get to with the multi-tool sander, but there was still some stubborn patches I was unable to remove.
Paint stripper
After that, I decided to try Poly Paint Stripper. Like the heat gun, this was my first time using a paint stripper. However, it was perfect for those hard-to-reach places.
Application was super simple, and I painted the product onto the table with a small craft brush to let it work it’s magic before removing with a scraper. By this point, I had (finally!) removed most of the paint. But, it still needed a little more elbow grease to get it to my liking.
Finishing touches
With that, I picked up some extra rough sandpaper and gave the entire thing a good once-over to ensure I hadn’t missed any paint patches. I also used a Ryobi Rotary Tool with a wire brush attachment to remove those remaining flecks of paint. Then, I swapped to a fine-grit paper, to achieve a smooth, refined finish before moving on to staining.
I have to say, removing paint from this piece of furniture took much longer than expected. I cannot tell you how relieved I was when it was finished! Now for the fun part – staining.
Selecting your timber stain products
As with any DIY project, it’s important to choose the right products – and good quality timber stain can make a world of difference. For this project, we were fortunate enough to partner with Feast Watson, one of Australia’s leading timber care providers.
Having used (and loved) many of their products in the past, we decided to pair Tung Oil and Prooftint to add a little colour to our side table.
Known for it’s nourishing properties, Feast Watson Tung Oil can deeply penetrate timber to create a silky smooth matte finish. You can apply it with either a brush, roller or cloth, and it’s usually dry within an hour.
Feast Watson Prooftint stain is one of our favorite products, and we’ve used it on various other DIY projects. Available in 13 different shades, the product comes ready-to-use as well as in a concentrate. This can be added to other products, depending on your project.
How to apply timber stain
Before using timber stain to add the rustic charm you’ve been looking for, it’s always worth prepping the piece with either a product like Tung Oil or a wood conditioner. This helps to seal porous timber, and ensures a more even coating.
Different staining products can have different mixing requirements, so always read the instructions in full before getting started. Once you’re ready, apply the stain using an old rag by wiping it on in long sweeps, going with the grain of the timber.
If you prefer, you can also apply the stain with a paintbrush. Depending on the piece of furniture, a brush may be better suited. Personally, I feel like rags achieve a more even coverage, much faster.
Don’t forget to ensure the surrounding area is fully protected from any splashes or spills. You may want to lay down some old towels or a tarp to help. And, timber stain can be particularly difficult to get off your hands, so always wear gloves when handling the product.
Why it’s important to test patch when staining timber
Many timber stain suppliers will provide a colour chart indicating how the stain will look on different types of timbers. However, it’s still a good idea to do a test patch before getting started.
For our rustic-look side table, we wanted to achieve a lighter and more subtle shade. So, we selected Feast Watson’s Prooftint Oak colour, which is one of the lighter options available.
Once we had removed the paint from the side table, the timber was quite light in colour, so we expected this to be the perfect match. Using a piece of shelving timber from inside the cupboard, we did a small test patch, and were happy to move forward.
However, what we didn’t account for was the fact that the side table had been made using a range of different timbers – like we mentioned earlier. Oops! Once we had started to apply the stain, we realised the colour was showing up with strong red undertones. But, by this point, there was no turning back.
Can I stain over stain without sanding?
Unfortunately, the Oak stain simply wasn’t right for this piece. However, the good news is that you absolutely can stain over stain. If you want to instead stain your furniture to a lighter shade, you’ll need give the piece a serious sanding to remove the existing colour.
However, if you’re looking to go darker, a light once-over will be enough to get going. Unsure of what to do next but keen to experiment further, we decided to test out another shade of Prooftint, Black Japan.
We’ve used this particular shade on several other projects, and it always manages to make a statement. While we liked the moodiness it brought out in our side table, it still wasn’t quite right. It just wasn’t the giving the rustic vibes that I had pictured!
We contemplated a few ideas, and yes, we even thought about giving up! But, I’m so glad we didn’t, because that’s where the magic began.
The final step?
MORE sanding. Yep – that’s it!
Although we were unsure of the next steps, we knew we would need to sand it back once again (sigh), but what we found was beautiful.
By some stroke of luck, sanding the side table with a fine-grit paper reduced the darkness of the Black Japan stain – but retained a deliciously warm (not red!) colour that we had hoped to achieve in the first place.
And, as the dark stain had set in quite deeply to some of the ‘roughed up’ sections, it highlighted the grain in the timber while accentuating the rustic look. It was a total fluke, but I couldn’t be happier with the final result! It turned out even more beautiful than I had imagined.
While this project certainly didn’t go how I expected, this is what I love about DIY. Had I not stayed with it, I never would have stumbled upon what I like to call the “stain and sand” method. So fun!
Now that it’s complete, I feel fully prepared to tackle the large side table we plan to turn into our new bathroom vanity. Make sure to subscribe or follow along on Instagram for real-time updates!
Thanks for reading, and I hope this inspires you to use timber stain to add rustic charm and create some beautiful furniture of your own. Until next time!
