Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Real Estate For Sale | Silver Lake Houses For Sale

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic

If you’re looking for an Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic you’ve come to the right spot. Ever wonder how people make their wood projects look old and rustic, or if they just bought it that way. I’m a local Los Angeles Realtor, I’m in the business of making homes look desirable, so I wanted to know if the only way to get this look was to pay the big bucks for antique wood or if I could do it myself.

I thought, why can’t there be one stain to achieve the look we all want? And then I stumbled across the answer: Minwax Classic Gray Stain! This is the easiest and quickest way I have found to achieve an old, rustic looking piece of wood for your home or decorative piece. The end result costed me under $12 to do – how do you like them apples?

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Real Estate For Sale | Silver Lake Houses For Sale

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic

The first thing you need is to go out and buy some Minwax Classic Gray 271 wood stain. I bought a small can of it for around $4.50 from the Home Depot and I still have over half left, so you really don’t need much. Grab the wood you want to paint, a brush, plastic or newspaper to lay down under it, and an old rag to dab off any excess stain.

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Real Estate | Silver Lake Homes For Sale

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic

I bought this wood crate on sale for around $4.00. I saw the potential here immediately, and I got a great deal to boot. Only problem was I didn’t love the color.

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Real Estate For Sale | Silver Lake Houses For Sale

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic

I grabbed a regular paint brush I found lying around and began to paint. As you apply the stain, make sure you’re dry-brushing it on. You don’t need much. I dabbed my brush on an old rag before applying it to the wood to make sure I didn’t have too much on it. Then I coated the wood and brushed over it several times without putting more stain on my brush to spread it out as much as I could. This will allow the natural wood color to show through.

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Real Estate | Silver Lake Homes For Sale

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic

Once the stain dries it will lighten a little. With only one coat, this is the effect I got and it’s just what I wanted.

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Real Estate | Silver Lake Homes For Sale

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic

You want the lines, knots and character of the wood to show through, so that’s why it’s important to apply a thin layer. Depending on the effect you want, you can apply more coats as well.

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Real Estate For Sale | Silver Lake Houses For Sale

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic

To get in the cracks, I used a paper towel and dipped it into the stain to get in all the crevices. You could use a smaller brush, but this was quicker for me.

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Realtor Glenn Shelhamer | Silver Lake Real Estate Company

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic

And there you have it! A rustic looking crate for under $12 |

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Real Estate For Sale | Silver Lake Houses For Sale

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Realtor Glenn Shelhamer | Silver Lake Real Estate Company

Easy Way to Make Wood Look Old and Rustic | Silver Lake Realtor Glenn Shelhamer | Silver Lake Real Estate Company

Your Silver Lake Neighborhood Real Estate Expert

I’m a local real estate agent with The Shelhamer Real Estate Group, and It would be my pleasure to help you find the perfect property to call home in Downtown Los Angeles, or if you’re thinking about selling a house, condo, or multi-family building in, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Glassell Park, Mount Washington, or Downtown Los Angeles, it would be a privilege to help you get top dollar for the sale of your property.

Let’s chat sometime. 310-913-9477 or contact me

Back in 2015, Glenn Shelhamer started the Silver Lake Blog (SLB), and it quickly became the go-to place for everything happening in Los Angeles – from the latest news and cultural happenings to the ins and outs of the real estate scene.

Fast forward to 2023, and we’ve given SLB a major upgrade, making it even better for keeping up with what’s happening in the central region and Northeast Side of Los Angeles.

At SLB, we bring you all sorts of cool and interesting stuff. Whether it’s the big events everyone’s talking about, little things happening around the community, the hottest topics in town, or showcasing some really unique homes, we’ve got it covered.

And let’s not forget, we’re part of The Shelhamer Real Estate Group – these guys are known as one of the top real estate teams in the U.S. So, stick with us at SLB for all the latest and greatest from the heart and soul of LA!”