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The Best White Wood Stain to Lighten Your Interior Spaces
Whitewashed surfaces are popular in modern design and white wood stain is the perfect way to achieve this. We have seen whitewashed surfaces becoming fashionable everywhere in the home from the ceiling to the walls, floors, and furniture. While some people turn to white paint, white stain has advantages if you want to enhance the…
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White stains are unique in style and brighten the look of wood. You can use white stain over dark stain if there is no top coat barrier on top of the dark stain. However, if there is a top coat of any kind, the white stain will be able to penetrate, and it will not stick.
So pull out your tools for your next DIY project or plan for a new feature in your home. With white stain, the possibilities are almost endless.
The shiplap is stained white wood that allows just a little of the natural wood texture to show. In contrast, the wainscotting has a glossy paint layer that hints at no natural wood grain. If you like this look, use an opaque stain like Varathane’s White Wash.
We have gathered some of the best white wood stain options for you to consider. Some are more subtle and may seem like a light tan color instead of white and others are a more vibrant white.
Also, because this stain is water based, you can use it indoors without breathing in harmful chemicals.
White Wood Stain vs White Paint
- Wood grain – White stain on wood enhances the natural grain rather than hides it. Paint covers the wood grain.
- Penetration – Stain penetrates deep into the wood to provide more protection. Paint provides a protective outer layer on the wood, but does not go deep under the surface.
- Appearance – Because stain leaves some of the natural wood grain showing, it gives wood a more rustic look. Paint covers the wood grain, so it makes the appearance more uniform and therefore, more formal.
- Adhesion – Stain adheres to the wood fibers white. Paint does not. Therefore, you can remove paint by stripping it, but in order to remove stain, you must sand to a deeper level.
Type of White Wood Stain
The whitest natural wood variety is holly. Yet, if you are looking to use white wood for your floors, the best choice is white oak wood.
Varathane Antique White Stain is just the color it describes. It is a white with the look of slight age in that it has a subtle yellow tint.
Oil based stains
When you see white wood floors, it sometimes sounds like the term is a misnomer. Many white wood floors are not “white” but rather a pale wood color. Others are more white, but it depends on the look you want.
Water based stains
Also, oil-based stains do not raise the natural grain as much as water based stains. However, oil-based stains have a longer dry time and produce noxious fumes.
The Best White Wood Stains
It will take less stain to get the white washed look for this wood than it will for a light yellow wood with knots like pine.
It will take less stain to get the white washed look for this wood than it will for a light yellow wood with knots like pine.
Unlike the other white wood stains in this list, this option is water based. Therefore, you can create a thinner or thicker whitewash based on your desire by adding water to this stain.
This beach cottage renovation from Judy Cook Interiors utilizes a light wood staining technique for this ceiling in the kitchen. The use of stain is apparent due to the subtle grain on the wood’s surface with the dark knots and red tones of the wood.
Pickled Kitchen Cabinets
For this dresser, the designer used a white stain on the lower portion and left the top shelf with the natural finish. This gives the dresser a casual style that works well in coastal or cottage design. For ease of use, use a water based stain like Whitewash from General Finishes.
White Everywhere
Also, these stains have different levels of opacity in that some might allow dark brown knots to show through and others have more coverage that is similar to white paint.
If you aren’t convinced that white wood stain is an option you should explore, take a look at some of the ways others have used whitewash wood stain to brighten their home spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ
Can you get a white wood stain?
Can you put white stain over dark stain?
If you can’t decide just where to use your white stain, why not consider the entire room? That is the approach of Blakes London when they took on this Scandinavian-style remodel of this London kitchen. They used an opaque paint on the ceilings and brick walls, but they used white stain on the walls, cabinets, and herringbone floors.
What is the most popular wood stain color?
If you have determined that stain is the best for your project, there are two types of stain you should consider: oil-based stain and water-based stain.
What is the difference between whitewash and white stain?
In addition, you should consider the type of wood you are finishing. For example, a wood like white oak has an even grain with few dark knots.
What is the whitest color wood?
Whitewash is made by mixing up equal parts water and paint. This differs from stain because paint cannot penetrate into the wood like stain does. In addition, paint provides a protective layer to the top of the wood, but does not condition it and protect it by binding to the wood fibers.
Conclusion
People tend to apply white stains to elements in farmhouse and cottage style, but what about modern style? The designer Eddie Lee used sleek wood walls in this modern beach house in Fire Island, NY.
In its full strength, this stain provides a distinct and opaque look of white to surfaces where it is applied.
Oil-based stains penetrate into the wood and provide a more protective coating. Therefore, this kind of stain stands up better to outdoor elements like sun and moisture.
This is a subtle white stain that emphasizes the wood’s grain and makes the color of the wood lighter than it is in its natural state.
