Tan wash. The essential process to get that perfect natural wood finish.

Tan wash. Such a simple and effective process.

You may think that once you strip something to bare wood, you can just apply topcoat and voila, it’s gorgeous!

But that is not always the case. Natural wood has many different undertones and it’s rare to actually find a piece made in wood that will be appealing to today’s buyer. Today’s aesthetic is more neutral rather than the orange or yellow tones of natural wood.

This is why we use things like a tan wash to cancel out undesirable colors while still letting the wood grain be the main attraction.

To apply a tan wash, you must first prep your piece by cleaning and stripping. I prefer to sand over a chemical stripper.

Once it’s prepped, I mix a tan wash using 1 part paint to 5 parts water. You can use any tan paint you want.

I apply to the entire surface using a poly brush and let it dry.

Depending on the color you want, you can wipe it back or apply additional coats, it’s completely customizable.

Once you get to the color you’re looking for, let it dry completely and apply your topcoat.

You can also apply a stain over the white wash.

Hope that helps!

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