3.14.2026
My husband and I live in the house he grew up in, which means family history shows up in unexpected places. One of those pieces was a solid wood storage bench he used as a toybox as a child. After years of sitting unused in my son’s closet, I decided to give it a new life, and hopefully a new home, by refinishing it for consignment. The bench was sturdy but finished in a very dark espresso stain that felt stuck in the 1970s. I wanted to try something new, so I decided on a paint wash – a technique that required fully removing the old stain, something I’d never tackled before.
Products used:
- Industrial respirator mask
- Pad sander
- Orbital sander
- Sanding pads (120 grit)
- Green and white paint
- Water
- Spray on polyurethane
- Rags and towels to clean off dust and wipe off paint
Schedule of Events
Day 1: Optimistic and Energetic
I set up in the garage with the doors open and got down to business. I used a square pad sander, an orbital sander, and hand-sanded some areas as well since the bench wouldn’t fit the height of either sander. I used 120 grit sandpaper on most of the bench, yet still it took more work than I had anticipated. I changed the batteries and sanding pads multiple times. Several hours later, I called it a day.
Day 2: Wary and Sore
I started the next day less energetic and looked up a recipe for non-toxic stripper online to try to cut down on sanding. I mixed baking soda with water to make a paste, applying it liberally and leaving it to sit for about 20 minutes before wiping it off. The good news: It did help! The bad news: It further stained some areas where I had effectively removed the stain and gotten down to clean wood making more work for myself – shite! I continued sanding for several more hours.
Day 3: Moving On
I was finally able to see clean wood and was so euphoric I jumped right to mixing up the paint wash. I felt the piece had a reddish tinge, so I started with a greenwash. I eyeballed the paint vs water mix and wiped it on to an entire section of wood, wiping it off 30 seconds to a minute later. As expected, some parts of wood took the paint wash more than others.
Day 4: Not Done Yet
Looking at the bench again I felt it was now a little too green. I opted to sand off some of the green and try a whitewash. I eyeballed the paint to water mix again, this time using more water. I used the same technique to apply the whitewash and let the wood fully dry before applying the poly on the next day.
Days 5: Finally Finished!
Before applying the poly, I wiped the bench with a wet cloth and dried it with another to remove dust and debris. Since I used a spray poly, I had to apply it to each section of the bench multiple times. I removed the bench top and sprayed both sides and the edges. I did a final sand and wipe down before applying the final coat.
Result: Success
The consignment shop did take the bench, and it sold within 3 weeks! Given it was so sturdy it made me happy knowing this family treasure might live on for another generation.
Lessons learned:
- Stripping the stain would have been faster than sanding alone.
- A baking soda water paste can work as a non-topic stripper when applied generously at the start of the project.
- Starting with 60 or 80-grit sandpaper before working up to 120 would save time and effort.
- Taking the piece apart would have made sanding easier and more efficient.