Get organized! See our favorites in the shop

Remodelaholic

DIY tutorials, Woodworking plans and more.

FREE BONUS: Kitchen Organization Boot Camp
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About US
    • Contributors
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Disclosure and Advertising
    • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Project Ideas
    • Our Houses
      • Birch House (current projects)
      • Canyon House
      • Park House
      • Downing House
      • Logan House
    • DIY Project Plans
    • All projects
    • Barn Door Baby Gate
    • Dutch Door
    • Framing A Wall Mounted TV
    • Indoor Playhouse
    • Beach Themed Living Room Design
    • Chicken Coop Building!
    • Computer Desk
    • Computer Desk Plans
    • Custom Newel Posts and Stair Remodel
    • Family Room Sneak Peek
    • Headboard Tutorial
    • Living Room Progress
    • Mood Boards
    • Scrabbled Family Names
    • Pets
  • Design By Room
    • Bathrooms
    • Landscape
    • Kids Bedrooms
    • Kitchen
    • Living Rooms
    • Laundry Rooms
    • Master Bedrooms
    • Mood Boards
    • Office
  • Holiday
    • Christmas
    • Halloween
    • Patriotic
    • Easter
    • Fall
    • Saint Patrick’s Day
    • Thanksgiving
    • Spring
    • Valentines Day
    • Winter
  • Crafts
    • Printable
    • Art
    • Paper Crafts
    • Kids
    • Fabric Crafts
    • Decorate
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beef
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast
    • Chicken
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Healthy
    • Holiday
    • Lunch
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches
    • Sauces
    • Seafood
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
    • Vegetables
  • Videos

How to Achieve a Restoration Hardware Weathered Oak Finish

Written by Cass

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

When you’re looking for a great aged wood look, it’s hard to beat actual salvaged wood. But when you have a piece you just want to *look* old, how do you do that? Well, Karen is here today to show you! You’ll love her 3-step method (4 steps if you need to strip an existing finish) for creating a great weathered oak stain, just like those furniture catalogs we all love to ogle (I’m looking at you, Restoration Hardware!). Here’s Karen with the details (remember her from here and here and here? we kinda like her 🙂 ). 
Easy 3-step DIY Weathered Oak Finish for Wood (just like Restoration Hardware)

Getting a Restoration Hardware Style Weathered Oak Finish
by Karen from The Weekend Country Girl

Weathered wood stain tutorail for a rustic look by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Hello from Texas. My name is Karen from The Weekend Country Girl. Do you like the look of Restoration Hardware furnishings as much as I do? I like how they take inspiration from old furniture, buildings, and global styles. What I especially like is the way their weathered finish allows the wood grain to show through but has the faint look that at some point the wood was whitewashed.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a thrifty cheap. I hate to spend more money than I have to on things I know we can do ourselves. No way we would pay thousands for something we could do for hundreds or even better, less.

After a little experimenting I think I have found the right combination of stains to get that RH weathered oak finish look. The best part is that it is cheap, easy, and fast almost foolproof. The only trick to the finish is waiting between coats for the stain to dry, On a cold, rainy Friday evening I got busy making a sample board for you guys.

I started with this dresser drawer front. The dresser was a total mess that I picked up on the side of the road. The drawers and chest couldn’t be saved but I liked the drawer fronts even though they were not solid wood.

Step by step tutorial on weathered oak wood stain before by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

The first step was to strip the finish off the drawer front. I love Citri Strip. It can be used inside with no harmful fumes and it works well.

Step by step tutorial on weathered oak wood stain before02 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Paint the stripping gel on with a cheap but not foam brush, wear gloves and the wipe off after a few minutes with a plastic scraper and then wipe down with cotton rags. I always get one rag damp and wipe it down to make sure the residue is gone. The finished result is wood that still has a faint color but no sealer or varnish. Give it a quick sand with 220 grit sandpaper to make it feel smooth but not necessarily perfect.

Step by step tutorial on weathered wood stain before03 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

At this point I let the wood sit overnight. I want to make sure it is totally dry before going any further.

Early the next morning I got busy staining.

The first layer is Minwax Weathered Oak.

Weathered wood stain tutorail by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

I use a foam brush to put the stain down then wipe off with cotton rags.

Weathered wood stain tutorail02 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

The stain goes on dark but it wipes off and the color is faint.

Weathered wood stain tutorail03 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Once that coat of stain dries ( a couple of hours), the scariest step takes place. Paint on the white pickling stain and immediately wipe it off. If you are doing a really big job, two people make the job not as crazy. It is a paint on, wipe off process. Go with the grain in the wiping or in the case of the drawer front go in the direction that the wood would go, if it were real wood. I am really messy with this step because I like the really rustic look but if you want a consistent look take your time and make long strokes.

Weathered wood stain tutorail04 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Weathered wood stain tutorail05 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Here it is wiped off. the pickling stain sort of looks like bleached wood from the 80’s.

Weathered wood stain tutorail06 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

I wait a couple of hours again to make sure it is all dry, then I add the final coat. Jacobean stain over the top.

Weathered wood stain tutorail07 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Weathered wood stain tutorail08 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Wipe it off and make sure it is dry before adding another layer. To get the color as dark as you need, you have to keep layering the stain on making sure it is drying between coats or it will be sticky.

Here it is after two coats.

Weathered wood stain tutorail09 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Perfect for me.

Weathered wood stain tutorail10 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

I had another drawer front so that you could see the comparison of the two colors.

Step by step tutorial on weathered wood stain for a rustic look by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Here is the finished drawer front. It will be a rack in our bathroom.

I also used the same process on our bathroom vanity and on a funky dresser. I have been thrilled with the look each time.. I have been able to use the same product on all three pieces.

Create a rustic look with wood stain by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Create a rustic look with wood stain 01 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic Create a rustic look with wood stain 02 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Create a rustic look with wood stain 03 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic Create a rustic look with wood stain 04 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic Create a rustic look with wood stain 05 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Create a rustic look with wood stain 06 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

Create a rustic look with wood stain 07 by The Weekend Country Girl on @Remodelaholic

The final coat is a coat of polyurethane. I used marine varnish on the bathroom vanity.

It is a really simple process that looks old and worn.

I hope you are able to reproduce this process yourself.

I would love to hear from you,

Blessings,

Karen

——————————————-

Thanks so much for sharing another project with us, Karen! We love what you do!

How To Get A Restoration Hardware Weathered Oak Finish For All Of Your Projects Featured On Remodelaholic.com

Remodelaholics, pay Karen a visit over at The Weekend Country Girl for more great projects, like this awesome suitcase wall in her office!

suitcase wall

—————————————-

More ways to finish and refinish wood

Use a layered stain technique to make new wood look like reclaimed wood.

details of faux reclaimed wood countertops, The Ragged Wren on Remodelaholic

Color-wash wood to any color you want while still showing the wood grain

color washing paint technique, wood grain still shows, barn door

and it works with bright non-traditional stain colors, too!

Carvel love sign using a Dremel-5

Try this easy DIY faux driftwood finish.

create a driftwood finish

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Remodelaholic is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Please see our full disclosure here.

Published: February 24, 2015Filed Under: Furniture Building Projects and Plans, Guest Bloggers, How To, Tutorials Tagged: reclaimed wood, Refinishing, stain, wood stain

About Cass

Cassity started Remodelaholic with her husband, Justin, to share their love for knocking out walls together. Since then, Remodelaholic has become a great community and resource for all those wanting to know how to make their builder-grade home BEAUTIFUL on a budget!


free email bonus

Kitchen Organization Boot Camp

Is your kitchen a zen paradise? It can be. I'll show you how.

Previous Post
Love & Laugh Black and White Art Printable
Next Post
6 Easy Ways to Hide Your Cat Litter Box

Comments

  1. Karen says

    February 24, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    Thank you for featuring my work again!

    Reply
    • Cass says

      February 24, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      You are so welcome, Karen! We love what you do! Thanks for being featured again!

      Reply
  2. MaryBeth says

    February 24, 2015 at 10:16 pm

    Do you think the same finish could be accomplished starting with white cabinets? Paint them brown first?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 25, 2015 at 2:23 pm

      MaryBeth,
      I think as long as you don’t mind not seeing the woodgrain through the layers then painting them brown ( Behr Revival Mahogany is my go-to dark brown) then layering would give you a weathered look. Try it out on a sample board to see if you like the results.

      Reply
      • Maribel Dowd says

        November 2, 2016 at 8:39 am

        hi Karen, regarding question about using this tech over painted cabinet. Painting base Revival Mahogany- what finish is best and is this water based or oil (paint) if so does it need to be de-glossed? Love you blog found you on Pinterest. Im in Texas too- Katy born and raised in Dallas

        Reply
  3. Jack Sander says

    February 26, 2015 at 2:41 am

    Well detailed tutorial. Looks easy enough so that anyone can pull it through. This finish is one of my favorites.

    Reply
  4. Laura says

    March 3, 2015 at 6:59 pm

    Karen, Thank you for the the faux RH refinishing tutorial! We have a family heirloom dining room table that has the original dark stain. I love the table but hate the outdated finish. Nobody in the family wanted the piece and I couldn’t bring myself to sell/donate it. Now I know what to do!

    Reply
  5. Marcy says

    March 20, 2016 at 9:55 pm

    This is so helpful as I am about to do this to my table! Just curious, did you use all water based stains for this project? Or were the Weathered Oak and Jacobean oil based? I saw that the whitewash stain was water based. I just want to make sure I get that part right. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Brisa says

    April 20, 2016 at 11:02 am

    Hi Karen,
    I have been looking everywhere on how to do this process. I have a restoration hardware mirror that I am trying to copy on a chair. It’s just the small pieces like arms and legs. It’s a very light wood though (I sanded it down completely). Would you recommend doing a darker stain as a first coat, maybe watered down. If so which color would you recommend? Also, how would I water it down. Anything you can tell me would be appreciated. The chair and fabric have been taking up space in my garage because I am just at a loss. Oh, by the way, I have used the pickling stain with walnut on top and that wasn’t quite what I was going for on the light wood. Thanks so much for your time

    Reply
  7. Karen says

    April 21, 2016 at 3:17 pm

    The darker stain under will give you an overall darker finish. I use really dark stain on top of the pickling. Good luck with your finish.

    Reply
  8. Candace S says

    June 21, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    Karen, Thank you for this well detailed tutorial. I purchased a RH Saint James vanity (antiqued coffee finish) and would like to replicate the look on a new unfinished slab/pocket door. I believe its Oak. Would I adjust any steps for unfinished wood? Thank you in advance for your help 😉

    Reply
  9. Jayne Grant says

    June 30, 2016 at 1:34 pm

    Do you think this same method would work on plywood board? I’m making a thrifty (OK cheap) tiki bar. I found an old sheet of plywood in the shed that will work as the bar top, but I’d like it to look like weathered old drift wood if possible.

    Reply
  10. Kevin says

    June 2, 2017 at 9:04 pm

    I am trying to get a more tidy look, where the grey looks fogged over except the grain which pops.. but this time round it isn’t working as well as last time I did it.. seems like the grey is wiping out of grain too much.. help?? Tips plz? I just want it to stay in the grain as much as possible after wiping it off. If you have an email addy I can send you pics of what I am talking about.

    Reply
  11. Denise savage says

    February 7, 2018 at 6:27 am

    We are building a new home and have raw oak beams right now. Would this process work on unfinished wood?

    Do I need to start with a darker stain?

    Reply
  12. Stephanie gamel says

    March 24, 2018 at 10:57 am

    I have a question. I have pine kitchen cabinets that have a pine stain on them. So they are a wam honey color. I’ve been wanting to paint them or make a change. I love this as our home is old world style. Do you think I could start with the color I have and then do the last two steps of white glaze and Jacobean? Or do I need to strip the existing stain and go from there?

    Reply
  13. Ash says

    April 3, 2018 at 9:08 am

    When you say continue to layer. Are you layering all three stains over and over just the top stain or the white and top only? Thanks

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 7, 2018 at 7:34 pm

      Ash,
      I usually just add the dark stain on top until I get the depth of color I want but occasionally it seems too dark so I have to add the pickling stain again then lightly gover it with dark stain. Dark stain always on top or it looks bleached.

      Reply
  14. Katheryn says

    June 3, 2019 at 1:00 am

    I have a maple dresser and after only sanding off some of the varnish over the entire thing am wondering if this would work on top of what I’ve done. If there is still varnish here and there, will it work? Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Cass says

      June 8, 2019 at 9:09 pm

      Hi Katheryn: If there is still varnish on the piece, the finish won’t take as well or possibly at all. So I would be sure to use a stripping agent (like Citristrip) and if the finish is really persistent, try the method shared here to remove the rest of the original finish before refinishing: https://www.remodelaholic.com/step-by-step-refinish-wood-furniture/

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

We love hearing from fellow Remodelaholics, so let us know what you like about this and leave any questions below in the comments. If you have followed a tutorial or been inspired by something you have seen here, we would love to see pictures! Submit pictures here or by messaging us over on Facebook.
Recipe Rating




Hey there, I am Cassity! Nice to virtually meet you!

This blog is about DIY at its finest. We are obsessed with it and so are you, so while we're working and have nothing to show you of our own projects we show off yours. So submit your projects! More About Us…

Categories

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Meet The Team

Privacy Policy

Remodelaholic is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Please see our full disclosure here.

© 2005-2016 Remodelaholic LLC, All Rights Reserved

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2021 · Remodelaholic

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter