I have recently started remodeling and trying to decorate. Frugal fashion has been my motto. I want things to look really good and put the smallest dent possible in my pocketbook.
This time around I decided to refinish a dresser that my brother-in-law gave me. This dresser is over 20 years old and had some wear. The good thing is that it is solid wood. It is hard to find furniture that is made like that today. So I did a Google search and watched some YouTube videos and learned how to white wash. It was incredibly easy and turned out great!
Here is the before picture:
As you can see, there are some water spots on the top. You have to make sure you sand them completely down. Use a wood grade stand paper. I am not going to whitewash this part so it needs an even sanding.
Once the sanding is done, use a damp cloth to clean off any dust. I used this Minwax Polyshades to refinish the tops. I have used this before on my bathroom cabinets and it works great! It has the stain and polyurethane in one easy step.
Brush it on evenly and let dry completely. Put on a second coat if necessary. Doesn’t this look amazing?
Now for the fun part…..whitewashing! You need 2 parts paint to 1 part water. For this I used 2 cups of paint and 1 cup of water. I dumped it straight in the jar and shook it until it was well mixed.
Before you start, do a very light sand on the surface you will paint. You don’t need to sand it deep, use a fine grain paper and just brush it across the entire surface. You are simply helping the surface accept the paint.
Put a very small amount of paint on the brush. You can always add more, but it is hard to get it off if you use too much!
Brush the paint on to the surface and swipe it until it is a light coat across the surface.
That little amount of paint did this entire bottom part of the mirror. Just keep brushing until you get the look you want. Continue until the entire piece of furniture is complete.
This turned out great! It looks even better in person. 
