I've used this

but, you can take any (water based) white paint, water it down, and wipe that on the wood.

you can also get any basic chalk paint, also water it down, and use it.

any oil based paint, mix w/mineral spirits, brush or wipe on that.

Thank you! Do you have photos? I’d love to see how it turned out.

sarah, I used that white wash on a piece that I cerused (a different application).

However, you could try to use milk paint. it's all natural, can be thinned out as much as you like, and will have more of a vintage, rustic appearance. I actually used that for my reclaimed wood ceiling (I used white along w/grays/blues)

I laid out my reclaimed wood and went over it w/the milk paint. I like milk paint on raw wood better than a white wash of paint and water. to me, milk paint (or an actual white wash stain) is better suited for a reclaimed wood. And I've worked on a lot of reclaimed wood pieces.

I mostly did a 'dry brush' technique rather than painting them, but you could certainly apply a heavy application.

I used milk paint from The Real Milk Paint Company.

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/reclaimed-wood-ceiling-in-a-herringbone-pattern-phvw-vp~4596652

whatever you choose, practice on a spare board until you figure out how much paint or paint/water to use.

Thanks Beth. So beautiful! Wow I’m really hoping we don’t have to remove the wood from the walls to paint them. Is that a necessity?

Thank you for sharing Mary. Congratulations on achieving a look you love. So cool to see what others have done!

Hoping that you will show photos when done

There are a lot of variables to consider....was your wood treated in some way to get it that dark?...it seems like there are some pretty dark variations that may make the white finish splotchy...or if the finish now has any thing on it the wash may not absorb evenly...I would be prepared to paint over it if the result is not what you wanted .

The success of the white wash effect relies on the wood being able to absorb the wash..it is not a coating technique like paint

Thanks all. We may lean toward a more full coverage look, but I would like to get the balance right.

To follow up on ritasj's comments, I am wondering if your wood has polyurethane or some other clear coat sealant on it? If so that should be removed before you begin this sort of application.

Hi Arcy, I don’t think it has a polyeurethane coating, it’s pretty matte and coarse. But I do think was previously stained. The variance in the color of the wood is likely different types of wood. I’d quite like to achieve something similar to this, but err on the side of whiter versus woodier. Personally, I’d sheet rock one wall and just leave 2 in the shiplap to make it more of a feature. We just had the windows put in either side of the fireplace, so that whole back wall is also going to be plain.

Here’s a closer look at my white washed walls. The redwood had been “pickeled” at an earlier stage and the resulting color was very uneven. The whitewash was applied with a dry brush and rubbing technique. The end result was to even up the color as well as brighten it. I then had a coat of polyurethane applied in the kitchen area. Observing the process, I would say it is rather forgiving and that there is plenty of opportunity to work with the amount of coverage you want, adding more or rubbing some away. Good luck!

Keep in mind that once you lighten the wood, every flaw (knot, hole, scrape, crooked joint, etc.) will be far more noticeable. Right now they are disguised by the dark wood and blend together. You will lose that camouflage when you slap white on the surface.

If you don’t want a solid white finish and want some color variations you can paint a solid flat finish white and if the surface is smooth enough ..hand rub a light color stain over the paint for a less consistent color...if you choose to just paint a solid white ...a satin finish will be easier to clean ..and may smooth the rough surface a little more...