Sun bleached was probably my least favorite grey wood stain that we sampled, as I just felt it looked too much like a baby blue and less like a true gray. This color also showed less of the wood species underneath than all of the other stain options, which could be a positive or negative depending on the vibe you’re going for. Classic Gray But applying a dark wood species of stain, such as walnut, to furniture made of different pine wood species might make it impossible to get the desired grey effect on the pine wood. To get that, it’s best to apply the grey wood stain first and then use the darker wood-tone color afterward. For our purposes, I’d like to introduce the idea of grey washing. This is essentially the same as the whitewashing prevalent in making distressed furniture, except it uses grey rather than white paint. Once your stain has completely dried, don’t forget to seal it! Here are our tips for sealing stained wood. I tested out all of these grey stains on pine wood. Do keep in mind though that stain can look different on different species and types of wood, as well as in different lighting scenarios. I recommend always testing your stain out in a small area on your project first to see how it looks on your particular piece of wood before applying it to the whole project!

There are gray wood stain colors available on the market which can be used if you just want a simple gray stain. I’ve rounded up and tested out 5 grey wood stains that are both affordable and easy to find at your local home improvement store or online. However, I found that this color was actually pretty light and didn’t take well. It took best on the plywood, but otherwise was fairly faint. One thing to keep in mind with any grey staining or distressed finish is that the more layers of multiple coats of finished gray stains that are applied to the project, the more realistic an “aging” process that it will provide. Minwax Rustic Beige is one of my favorite wood stain colors on oak. We’ve used it on our linen closet shelves and my DIY desk with drawers. It’s a beautiful neutral color. Somehow it feels both cool and warm and inviting. Minwax Silvered Gray Also, I know whenever I’m looking at stain options, I always want to see what the stain actually looks like on wood. I hope these grey wood stain samples help you figure out which colors would work best for your own project, so you don’t have to buy and test out 5 different stain samples yourself!

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Minwax Phantom Gray has a pretty strong blue undertone, making it a unique gray stain choice. Minwax Rustic Beige

On the tabletop, I just sanded the old finish right off. It didn't take too long since it was already halfway gone anyway! Start with the lowest grit of sandpaper (typically 80 grit) and an orbital sander.Creating all these color samples was actually pretty easy to do, and takes the guesswork out of staining. There's nothing worse than hating the stain you chose and either painting over it or sanding it down and starting over! If I'm working with a new stain color or wood species, I always plan to create samples like these first. Not the prettiest picture, but here’s a side by side comparison of all the gray stain options we considered. When using grey wash along gray stains or with other colors, it is best to apply the gray colors to the wood first, allowing them to dry before applying the grey wash.

All the gray wood stains were tested on birch plywood, maple, poplar, pine, and oak. Each piece was sanded with 150 grit sandpaper, and was not treated with any kind of wood conditioner before applying the stain. How you prep your wood can impact the final color of your stain. For this example, we sanded everything with 220-grit sandpaper and applied a pre-stain wood conditioner. There’s no doubt that wood stains look different on different species of wood. In fact, they can even end up looking different on different pieces of wood that are the same species. It’s always important to test on your particular project before staining, but hopefully, this test gives you a great starting point. Below is the breakdown of each wood stain by wood species.I decided to try a new paint and urethane stripper that professes to be odor-free and non-toxic. It's made of soybeans (is there nothing soybeans can't do?) and is safe to use indoors! You could also use Citristrip, which has a citrus scent that I find nauseating. Yes, you can stain wood grey. Grey woodstain is a popular choice for creating a natural wood look and can make wood look slightly aged or weathered - ideal for a more rustic look. Can grey woodstain be used on all types of wood? To help you choose the right gray stain on your next project we’ve reviewed our top 6 grey wood stain options. Grey wood stain colors However, this cool toned gray can read a bit purple or blue on certain woods. You can see on the plywood above hoe it looks slightly purple, especially where it settled in the grain!