*This post is sponsored by Rust-Oleum.
We all have one, that roughed up piece of furniture that lives in your home and everyone loves it and uses it. But because of all that love and use the finish has taken a turn for the worse and it looks a little beaten up?
A DIY tutorial how I refinished an old bench using stain and added tons of character and charm in the process. Take a rough and worn looking piece of furniture and give it new life by refinishing with stain.
I started with this red bench we have had for about 12 years, it’s very useful in my son’s bedroom near his lego area and we love it but as you can see it is full of scratches, gouges and worn areas. In lieu of completely refinishing the piece why not consider refinishing with stain? It adds an extra dimension and hides all those unsightly blemishes with one coat. For this project I used Varathane Fast Dry wood stain just as I had on his desk and wall art above his bed. Check out the results below!
The scratches and gouges now have a depth of character and seem intentional with the dark stain. It’s a little bit rustic but it doesn’t looked damaged anymore which was the goal. Instead the stain looks like a natural addition to the finish.
To start the refinishing process sand down the furniture piece to remove any rough patches and finish coat that may prevent the stain from working into the paint. Shake the can before opening and be sure to wear rubber gloves to keep your fingers clean.
You can see the whole refinishing process in my video here:
Supplies:
- sandpaper
- rubber gloves
- Varathane wood stain
- foam brush
- paper towel
- clear satin polyurethane
Step 1: Use a palm sander to speed up the sanding process then wipe down the piece to remove any excess dust.
Step 2: Using a foam brush dip into the stain and apply to the piece. The Varathane wood stain is a high-performance stain which features nano pigments. They intensify color clarity and highlight wood grain, delivering the perfect shade in just one coat. Also there’s no need for wood conditioner under this stain.
Step 3: Wipe off excess stain with a soft cloth and let dry. This stain dries in one hour so you can proceed without having to wait forever!
Step 4: Once dry apply two coats of Varathane clear satin polyurethane.
Then your furniture piece is refinished and looking new in a different way. I love how the stain really enhances the age of the bench making it look old but not roughed up.
For this project I used Varathane Dark Walnut stain and clear satin polyurethane. Varathane wood stain comes in 24 different stain colors, plenty of options to find a color perfect for your project. Also you can use this stain on furniture, trim, floors and more.
Do you have any wood furniture or a flooring project that would be perfect for Varathane stain? I encourage you to try it, you won’t be disappointed. Be sure to post and tag your projects using #varathaneit on social media, we will be on the lookout for all the beautiful stained wood pieces!
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