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You are here: Home / DIY / How to paint a plain white door to look like wood

How to paint a plain white door to look like wood

By 72 Comments

Hey there! Today, I am sharing how to paint a plain white door to look like wood.  While our house was under the bathroom construction I had to stay home every day.  After I was finished with all the Christmas decorating I found something else I have been wanting to do for years.  I knew my husband would not mind me experimenting in this room because the door was pretty shot regardless.  The boys used to have a basketball hoop set up over it and they banged the heck out of the door.  So it was either paint it white or try my experiment.  I am sure this has been done before but I didn’t even look up how to do it.  I just winged it.  It worked! The workers I had here happened to go in the room that day and they asked if I had done that.  I said, yes, they were impressed lol!

Paint a white door to look like natural wood

This was not a hard project at all.  In fact, I was really happy at how easy it truly was. Start with your basic supplies.  This was the first time I ever worked with gel stain, and I loved it.  No drip, no mess. I did use traditional Minwax stain to go over it and that is where the job can get a little messy. You want to be sure to cover your work area.  The plastic drop cloths were great. NOTE: The only reason I went over it with another stain was for one, it was an experiment, and for two, I wanted to have a two-toned color, which in fact, I did achieve with using both the gel and regular stain:)

Supplies need to makeover a white door to look like rustic wood

Here is the before:

Plain white builder grade closet doors makeover to look like wood

Be sure to use your gloves.  Stain can be messy.  The nice thing about gel stain is there is no drip.  However, there is a traditional stain that I used to go over it.

Gel stain on white door

The door required two good coats of the gel stain.  I then let it dry overnight.

Fake wood grain look with gel stain and stain by minwax

The next morning I went over it with my color choice of stain with just a rag. I wiped in some areas to get the somewhat weathered look.  The nice thing about applying the gel as an undercoat is that when I did wipe, it appeared as though it was real wood underneath. I did not use varnish or sealer. The doors have held up well. However, they are not used every day, so use your own judgment.

How to paint a white door to look like wood

I changed the hardware too.  There you see my goodwill table I made over a few months ago. Compliments the door nicely, I would say. That’s all there is to that project! I think this would look super on a pantry door as well.

Pantry door painted red currant bhg swatch

Back in the day, I painted our pantry door red and loved it for years.  That was up until this past year when we actually had a custom tobacco wood barn door.  I love that rustic look.  Plus, it takes the wear and tears that my boys tend to give everything around here.

tobacco barnwood pantry door

I guess it was all about doors today! Now go tackle one.

You may also enjoy>>>>Our recent painted bifold doors with color HERE

Pin it, do it!

How to paint a plain white door to look like wood

How to paint a plain white door to look like rustic wood

Supplies to purchase for the project: (Affiliate links)

Gel stain

minwax

rubber gloves

plastic drop cloth

stain brush

cheese cloth

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Filed Under: DIY, Painting furniture, roosters, rustic

Comments

  1. [email protected] Stroll Thru Life says

    January 3 at 9:16 am

    Your doors look amazing. I did the hall bathroom vanity in gel stain this year, it does look fabulous, however I thought it was a ton of work.

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      January 3 at 10:25 am

      Really? I find painting furniture much more tedious lol. I didn’t thing it was bad at all. I will have to check out your vanity.

      Reply
      • Angie North says

        December 29 at 10:52 am

        Debbie can u tell me which goes on first how long before u do ur stain please

        Reply
      • Camille perrotti says

        May 11 at 11:09 pm

        Hi. Can I do this Technique on a laminate vanity top? I love he wood look.

        Reply
        • debbiedoo's says

          May 12 at 8:10 am

          I am not sure about that. I would say yes, but it keep in mind it will take a while to dry.

          Reply
        • Janet says

          January 7 at 9:10 am

          You can, I did that to mine. Be sure you use a good sealer. Better yet, an epoxy coating. I didn’t do that to mine, but I’m going to add that soon.

          Reply
  2. Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces says

    January 3 at 4:21 pm

    That turned out beautifully, Debbie! Love your tobacco wood door, too!

    Reply
  3. Dawn says

    January 3 at 5:45 pm

    The door turned out fantastic Debbie and it looks like wood. Great job!

    Reply
  4. Jeanie says

    January 4 at 8:34 am

    The door looks so nice Debbie. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      January 4 at 8:42 am

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Angie North says

        December 29 at 10:34 am

        Debbie when doing the white doors for inside which goes on first I just bought 12 doors and the wood look is what I’m wonton to do I wrote down what to buy but can u tell me which goes on first and how long before I do the next step please here is my email
        [email protected] (6066824376 ) or u can text me love ur doors a lot. Thanks so much

        Reply
        • debbiedoo's says

          December 30 at 10:02 am

          Two coats of GEL stain first and let completely dry over night. Then you can go over it the next day with a traditional stain of a varied color, then wipe as you go lightly to get that wood effect. I only did the outside of the doors, not the inside. Good luck.

          Reply
        • Kathy says

          July 2 at 10:34 pm

          Hi Debbie
          I have the same question I’m wanting to do my garage doors do the stain gel first leave over night then the stain Tks for sharing yours look amazing

          Reply
          • debbiedoo's says

            July 5 at 11:00 am

            I am not sure if it would work on metal. I would google it gel stained garage doors. I don’t want to steer you in the wrong direction on such a big project. I am thinking it is out there somewhere.

  5. Rita says

    January 4 at 9:23 am

    Perfect timing! Exactly what I was planning for 2 doors in the laundry room but was unsure of where to begin. The gel stain is the perfect solution! Thanks!

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      January 4 at 9:35 am

      Awesome Rita! Good luck. I didn’t think it was difficult. Just a little time consuming and you have to be patient. The look is perfect though I think anyhow.

      Reply
  6. Patty says

    January 4 at 11:18 am

    Debbie I used gel stain on my stairs when I re-did them. Is there a reason you went over the gel stain with regular stain? Your doors are just beautiful – all of them.

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      January 4 at 11:49 am

      Not really, I was just experimenting and wanted a two toneish color.

      Reply
      • Traci Rice says

        July 26 at 2:39 pm

        Do you think you could get the 2 tone using gel stain each time?

        Reply
        • debbiedoo's says

          July 29 at 10:47 am

          Yes I do. I would experiment on a plain board first to see the results.

          Reply
  7. Rosemary says

    January 5 at 11:30 am

    How do you think this would work on my green front doors? Exterior is green, inside a nice wood.

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      January 5 at 12:06 pm

      Rosemary, I am not sure. I would perhaps sand it down first? to remove the green. And then I am sure it would work.

      Reply
  8. carol bittner says

    January 5 at 7:18 pm

    Good job on the door; love the somewhat weathered natural look. All of your painting projects have that natural touch. You are a pro Debbie. I think you should come to my house and do my kitchen cabinet. I’m afraid to tackle such a large project but it really needs to be done!

    Reply
  9. Doris Raab says

    January 8 at 9:44 pm

    Beautiful, Debbie! Doors are not easy but you make it look so simple. Love that dark rustic look.

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      January 9 at 7:31 am

      I agree, doors are not easy. I do not care for painting them all that much, but this was easier imo:)

      Reply
  10. Vanessa says

    March 2 at 8:02 am

    It turned out great. I love the color of the stain. I’m loving the pantry door too.

    Reply
  11. Sondra says

    April 28 at 12:40 pm

    Hi Debbie,
    Great Job! Love your blog, such a talented lady 😉
    I understand that you used 2 colors of stain on the project the first being ‘General Finishes’ Java in the gel stain done with 2 coats.
    What was the second stain color used to get the 2 toned look on your particular doors? I know you mentioned it was regular liquid stain that you wiped in as an accent color.
    Have a great day!
    Sondra

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      April 28 at 1:06 pm

      It was some I had left over in the cabinet outside. I want to say the color was Java. You can use any color you want depending on the tone and look you are going for.

      Reply
  12. Debra Ferrie says

    May 14 at 8:41 am

    what paint color is that green wall?

    Reply
    • Leah says

      November 22 at 5:44 pm

      I just came across this. Thank you for sharing!!!

      Would this work on trim/baseboards that have been painted white?

      Thank you, again!

      Reply
      • debbiedoo's says

        November 23 at 10:33 am

        I don’t see why not! It should work just the same.

        Reply
  13. Kathy Chase says

    May 18 at 3:45 pm

    Debbie..I love following you and your projects, we have similar taste. I LOVE rustic and my husband recently made wood shutters for all our outside Windows. Also adding some wood corbels for architectural interest. My question is…does the gel stain work over painted wood and over metal doors?? Thank you?

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      May 18 at 3:47 pm

      I don’t know if it would work over a metal door. Over painted wood I assume so. However, you want to obviously choose a color that would be darker than your painted wood that exists.

      Reply
      • kel says

        December 2 at 3:03 pm

        I did my metal extrior door with the Gel stains .. However I painted it with a flat paint called copper pot first.. It turned out great.. still very nice even without a top coat and that was 3 years ago..but it did take along time to dry.. before it wasn’t tacky anymore. I love it so much I really want to do the bathroom cabinets which are a moss green I just don’t know if I have to repaint or if I can leave the green and just use the gel..

        Reply
        • Stephanie Pittman says

          April 14 at 10:50 pm

          Can u post a pic of ur metal door. I really wanna do mine.

          Reply
          • debbiedoo's says

            April 15 at 9:18 am

            I don’t have a pic of a metal door. What you see is what I did:)

  14. CJ says

    May 26 at 9:48 pm

    Hey Debbie,

    I know this is an older post, but I saw the way you’d stained this painted door and fell in love.
    I’d like a lighter stained door than yours, but the technique you used is wonderful.

    My question is which stain did you use first? Did you go lighter then darker? Or darker gel and then lighter normal stain?

    Thanks in advance for your help!

    CJ

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      May 27 at 9:49 am

      Hi Cj, I used the darker first, then the lighter on top. You can do it whatever way you like. Just pick a lighter gel color. Good luck.

      Reply
      • CJ says

        May 29 at 4:24 pm

        Thanks, Debbie.

        I can’t wait to try this! I’ll let you know how it goes!

        CJ

        Reply
  15. Mariel says

    September 14 at 12:41 pm

    Love this! Did you have to use a wood conditioner/primer before you stained it?

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      September 14 at 3:48 pm

      No primer before.

      Reply
  16. Mariel says

    September 14 at 2:27 pm

    I love this and want to do this? How much gel stain did you need? Is one small can enough, or did you need to purchase a large can?

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      September 14 at 3:47 pm

      I bought the medium size can and it was more than enough.

      Reply
  17. Linda says

    November 3 at 8:28 am

    WoW !! Your CRAFT ROOM looks fantastic. The INDUSTRIAL curtain rods are
    a perfect touch… the unexpected. I have always liked that style of hanging light.
    I was going around your site and found your industrial look shelving A.N.D. your
    painted door !! Luv it !! –thank you for sharing.

    ?hugs. -Linda

    Reply
  18. Betty says

    April 28 at 9:31 am

    I have peeling white painted doors. The previous owner painted latex over oil based causing all 15 doors to peel. I cannot sand them much because they are the grained finish, not smooth type doors. I was told to lightly knock off the peeling and use a good primer to prevent further peeling then paint. Can I do your technique and stain over primer? Seems much easier than painting all 15 and love the look!

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      April 30 at 5:08 pm

      I don’t see why not,however I would just do one test area first to see if you like it.

      Reply
  19. Karen says

    July 9 at 10:41 am

    Hi looking to do just this project myself, I am very much a step by step person LOL and video is great but I don’t see any step by steps here no worries I am going to be adventurous but just wondering what the cheese cloth is for? Wish me luck!!

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      July 10 at 8:10 am

      I used the cheese cloth for in between wiping the gel to get more of that wood look with variations of color.

      Reply
  20. Kari says

    September 21 at 11:55 pm

    Loving your doors! I made a shelf out of recycled wood. Some pieces have a little red paint, but most of it is not painted or varnished. Some pieces are chipped, so I have to put puddy on it. Do you think I should paint it all one color first? Or do you think putting gel stain on will cover it?

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      September 22 at 12:44 am

      If it were mine I would probably do the gel stain, wipe, and sand. You want it to look rustic I assume. I think the red paint showing through and little roughness would look great.

      Reply
  21. Bliss says

    October 7 at 4:54 pm

    Well, well, well…. look who’s tutorial popped up when I googled wood grain door. We have to do something to our rental house front door, so paint it or fake it?

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      October 8 at 8:56 am

      WOW, that is awesome!

      Reply
  22. Chelsi says

    December 31 at 9:57 pm

    What color stains did you use?

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      January 2 at 8:55 am

      I used Java for the gel stain and a lighter color to go over it. I believe the other color was like a oak.

      Reply
  23. Lisa says

    June 25 at 4:20 pm

    Was this a wood door? the door I want to do this to is metal (I think) I know it’s not a wood door do you think it’ll work the same. I realize this post might be old hopeing you’ll still get to respond thanks.

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      July 1 at 11:13 am

      I do not think the technique will work on metal. The stain will not dry right.

      Reply
  24. David says

    December 22 at 8:54 am

    We just had bead board installed and stained in our tray ceiling inserts in our hallway. They came out splotchy and devoid of the wood grain look I expected. I wanted it to mirror the wood floors below. Do you think it would be possible to use gel stain over this first stain to get the rich Grain look you achieved?

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      December 22 at 10:01 am

      Yes, I do think it would work out fine. I would do a very small test first though.

      Reply
  25. Kayla says

    January 19 at 12:14 pm

    Hi! Wanting to do this to my pantry today! Did you do any sanding or prep work before using the stain? Yours looks wonderful!

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      January 20 at 10:36 am

      No I did not. I did the sanding after.

      Reply
  26. Lisa Williamson says

    April 11 at 8:42 am

    I tried this technique. I can’t get the gel stain to rub off and show any white when I applied regular stain and wiped it off?

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      April 11 at 11:15 pm

      Did you do it while the gel was still somewhat wet? You have to rub hard and give a little elbow to it. You can do it!

      Reply
  27. Becky says

    December 5 at 10:33 am

    I absolutely love this! My home is decorated in the Farmhouse style and all of my furniture I painted my self (all white). Now I am looking to redo the tops but didnt want to sand them all down and stain. This is the perfect alternative! Will this work over Chalk paint sealed with polyurethane? Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m so excited to try it!

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      December 7 at 8:42 am

      I am not sure about that Becky. I think it will because the gel stain is pretty thick and adheres. I would recommend however, giving everything a light sanding before you start.

      Reply
  28. Beth says

    February 3 at 10:58 pm

    I am wanting to take my white kitchen cabinets back to an 80s oak look. Wondering if this would work? And would I need to seal with something since it’s a high traffic and use area?

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      February 4 at 9:22 am

      It should work. I would probably recommend a poly, to finish them. Depending on if you want high gloss or matte. They make both.

      Reply
  29. Jessica curtis says

    April 27 at 5:03 pm

    Could you please tell my which colors you used for the gel stain and the mini wax and which was the darker color. I am looking for almost the exact finish that you had

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      April 27 at 5:31 pm

      Java was the gel stain and then I used an oak stain. I can’t recall the exact color but it was lighter. Java was the base.

      Reply
  30. William says

    May 13 at 7:56 pm

    What colors (gel stain and Minwax stain) did you use on your white doors to get the look?

    Reply
  31. Teresa Alto says

    August 12 at 12:52 pm

    Love this. Great information!! Thank you!

    Reply
  32. Nikki says

    April 14 at 11:44 pm

    I want to do something like this to my front porch railing. It is white wood but with exterior latex paint. Do you think process would work for outdoor?. It is a covered porch but I am sure rain would still get it to regularly. Thank you in advance for any insight before I begin.

    Reply
    • debbiedoo's says

      May 19 at 11:26 am

      I would not recommend it outdoors.

      Reply

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