Nowadays, people are very fond of white color, but no specific reason has been found for it. However, it is safe to say that since white acts as a symbol of innocence and purity, many people want to retain the symbol by whitewashing various furniture or tables.
Everything in my own house is white, but I have an old coffee table littered with rubbish and dust and has lost a lot of colors.
In this case, whitewashing is very important because, from the beautiful coffee table, I can enhance the decoration of the house with a new look.
But I don’t want to do it with a carpenter, and rather you can say I don’t want to spend any extra money and I am very much interested in experiencing how to whitewash a coffee table for the first time.
I know many like me can’t complete the house decorating activities on their own because they don’t know the proper technique, so I did this article to benefit all.
What Are The Components Needed to Whitewash A Coffee Table?
To whitewash a coffee table, you need to procure some supplies. Not only that, you need to be aware of the essential ingredients and the amount of use as well you will definitely be happy to see the before and after the condition of your coffee table makeover. So let’s put all the ingredients together.
Tools You Need To Whitewash Your Coffee Table:
- Primer.
- Clear Wax.
- Dark Wax (Glaze).
- Sandpaper.
- White Paint.
- Paintbrushes – 1 dark wax paintbrush and 1 primer brush.
- Rags or unused T-shirts.
- Sponge.
N.B: It is entirely up to you which brand to use the above essential supplies but try to choose the best products on the market to make your work outstanding.
Step-By-Step Guideline to Whitewash a Coffee Table
Whitewashing your favourite coffee table is basically a process that cannot be accomplished without going step by step. And whitewashing the coffee table can completely change the look of the whole house with the look of lime washing, so you have to be interested in seeing the work with enough techniques.
Let’s do some work without exaggerating; all the details are given in the following steps, but also no problem avoiding one and a half steps because it depends entirely on the person’s will.
Step-1: Prepare the coffee table
Whitewashing the coffee table means giving it a whole new look, so first of all, you have to put it away from the table in an open space. If there are hardware or extra drawers on the table, remove them.
Next, remove all dust with an old discarded rag because a bit of dirt on the table can ruin your work by causing your paint line. One more thing, before starting whitewashing, spread a large cloth on the floor from paint to protect.
If your coffee table is old or, in some places, uneven, you can use sandpaper to level it.
Step-2: Double Coat Primer
The primer step is not mandatory, but when you want to change the color of the old wooden dark (black) furniture, this step is necessary to cover the previous color completely. Instead of expensive brushes to prime the coffee table, use 2 “angled paintbrushes which are quite budget-friendly in the market.
Then be sure to constantly stir before the primer and apply one coat on the entire table. Let it dry in the sun for an hour before adding the second coat, and this will make the second coat stick well.
Now make sure you can add the second coat after the first primer has completely dried, and you can see the difference between the two yourself. Similarly, the coat of the second primer will dry overnight.
Step-3: Test your paint consistency
Before painting the coffee table white, you have to prepare the color and then test it. For that, first, you have to dilute the water-based white paint and mix about 2 parts water and one part watercolor well.
The test is straightforward, just like all other paint projects, do not apply directly, and it can ruin your entire work. To test the consistency of the color, use a thin scrap of wood residue and dip it once in the paint container and repeat that again. Likewise, add a little more water if you want an opaque finish.
Step-4: Paint the entire coffee table (one layer)
Once the color mix is complete, your coffee table is ready to color after the test. Since the previous step allowed the table to dry overnight, start applying a coat of white paint now.
Would you like a creamy tan base to whitewash a coffee table? However, you can use Behr Swiss coffee with the whitewash method.
Only one coat being used will take at least four hours to dry from the table. Next time, start painting a second time and notice that your coffee table has already taken on a creamy white look.
Step-5: Apply Dark Wax
Now it’s your turn to apply Dark Wax, starting at the bottom of the coffee table. Moreover, it is better to start from your own shelf on the table; otherwise, the glaze is more likely to be removed.
Add a thick wax using an economy brush or wax brush and cover the small parts entirely so that they can be easily removed. When you have finished adding wax to the entire table, remove the old T-shirt and wipe it off with a cloth, but rub very gently as it will be possible to bring back the old stains.
Do not try to remove it from the table altogether and wipe it towards the wood grain. Indeed, you’ve already avoided some small spots, no!
Something unrealistic may be wrong in an effortless way, but you can fix it two or three times and move on in the same way. However, when the bottom part is complete, add dark wax to the top section in the same way.
Step-6: Leave it to dry
Allow drying for about an hour after removing from the mind, although it only takes 20 minutes, depending on the level of the table at times. Sometimes it takes overnight to dry, but do not rush to make sure you complete this step and use a towel when working with wax.
Please do not touch your hands directly as it will make your hands feel uncomfortable. You can also do another round of waxing and buffering depending on how thick or thin the wax item is, although this is an entirely different technique to use.
Step-7: Apply clear wax
After letting the dark wax dry overnight, it is time to add clean wax, and this step is quite simple. Also, use a clear brush or sponge to apply a clean wax and wait about 30 minutes after it is fully applied, then wipe with a towel.
At the end of this step, you will notice that your coffee table has become glittering or shiny. When the clear wax has dried, the table is ready for the next stage of whitewash.
Step-8: Repaint (final layer)
Now is the real-time to whitewash the coffee table, where you will be able to paint in the perfect color and use a dry brush.
Then dip the tip of the brush into the full-colour container and wipe off the surrounding spray paint immediately, or else the stain will fall off.
Next, remove the extra paint from the brush, continue to paint as desired from the entire coffee table, and keep the process running until the desired color is obtained. For example, if you want to give the table a layered look, you can add more white colors.
In particular, the color of the coffee table has changed dramatically since the addition of the extra white, as the previous dark wax has peeked out into the crowd and is slowly taking on a golden tanning color that is extremely delicate and soft.
In the same way, don’t forget to whitewash the drawers that you removed from the coffee table. After the whole process is over, let it dry overnight.
Step-9: Clear wax again
Apply the wax again as in the previous step and wait for about 30 minutes till it is thoroughly mixed, then wipe it off with an old cloth.
But if you are happy with the current state of the table, you can go to the next step. However, this clear time wax should be applied evenly on the drawers left on the coffee table and allowed to dry.
Step-10: Sand and final touch
The sand step is entirely optional. If you want to give the coffee table a perfect finish, it is best not to skip this step. To do this, you need to take a piece of 150 grit sandpaper and gently sand the entire coffee table with the drawer.
However, you will get outstanding results if you sand the corners and edges of the random part of the table, it will look normal, and there will be no scratches.
Now in the final stage, just add clean wax and wait 30 minutes and stop shining. However, if you do not want to take any risk, it is better not to put anything on the coffee table before the next 72 hours.
Final Words
Did you whitewash your coffee table with me? Excuse me, the motive for asking this is very natural because the more fascinating I was, the more I thought you might be working.
However, if you do not know how to whitewash a coffee table, with this in mind, I have shared everything in the above description that I have used to whitewash, and some techniques do not bother you anywhere and have fun working.
Personally, I would say, my coffee table looks incredible, especially the patterned carpet under the table. I hope there is no hindrance in the methods I have adopted. I hope you are not likely to get any different results.