Did You Know You Can Wax Raw Wood?

Apparently you can, and it looks gorgeous! Today I’m sharing our new antique furniture waxed crown molding over the fireplace. Molding has never sat right with me. I prefer moulding… but I’ll get back to waxing raw wood VS. staining. It’s less messing, smelly and easier to manage, plus it offers a beautiful finish on indoor wood.

Waxing created a warm, lush & rich finish! And I learned this because I’m laz … so super smart and innovative.

Yeah. That was it! We’ll go with innovative 😉

I usually use stain when I want to enhance natural/raw wood  and normally us wax for things like signs, table tops, furnishings, etc…

I’ve never used wax on virgin wood like trim or moldings. I’m so happy I did though, because the result was exactly what I wanted. I could not be happier!

Let me take you back to our fireplace in the beginning. This is the day we closed on the house. Please excuse the poor photo quality. 

And this is where we are started, today’s project pre-crown molding.

As you can see in the photo above, the transition from the fireplace wall to the ceiling left something to be desired.

But now, our poor fireplace finally has the crown she deserves.

Crown Molding.

You know how I’m always saying, “If you don’t know what you want to do, wait?”.

Well, over the last few years… I know… I know. So pitiful.

I waited.

I can frequently be majorly indecisive and a real commitment-phobe.

I had tossed around a new color, planking, shiplap, beadboard, re-doing the entire fireplace (my hubbies idea) and building an over-mantel (still a possibility!). In light of that, I did nothing, until I got tired of my photos looking so unfinished with no trim work on the poor girl. 

So enter the crown molding. Simple, basic, just enough to finish her off. 

After it was installed, I had the thought that it would really balance out the look of the fireplace and the room if I did the new molding in a dark finish, instead of white like everything else. Also it was my thought that it would be a great transition from the dark, chalkboard wall to the ceiling. Much better than white to white.

Since it was already up I started tossing around the idea of waxing it, instead of working with a drippy stain way up there! I got a scrap of the trim (Douglas Fir) and tested my Maison Blanche Light Brown and Dark Brown Wax and asked your opinions.

Everyone unanimously loved the “Dark Brown Wax” and I did too. The extra-great part is that it took me like five whole minutes to brush the wax on. I let it sit, did not buff it at all, then added another coat. 

 – These during photos are just quick cell-phone picks to give you an idea and help you follow along. I hope the quality isn’t an issue but it’s much easier than having my big camera up on a ladder! 

I added Scotch Blue tape between the top of the trim and the ceiling so I wouldn’t get any wax on that. I used the exterior tape because my ceiling is very textured! 

Then, I used some cardstock weight junk mail to slide along the bottom as I waxed!

I love doing this, versus more taping!

Works like a charm. 

As soon as I was done, I removed the tape carefully, at a 45% angle and let the wax set overnight. Again, I opted not to buff it at all and I applied my Maison Blanche Antique Wax in Dark Brown with a brush, both coats. 

This was the next morning.

She was glowing with happiness, just like me!

Like I said before, the grain shows through beautifully and the color could not be any more perfect, the tone is a perfect match for our floors and it pulls everything together so well! 

Not an earth-shattering project but if you’d considered wax on raw wood, this it what it looks like!

I love the result and that I tried this first, instead of attempting to get stain on the molding way up there, since I changed my mind and decided not to go white. Paint, I can do anywhere, stain… not so much.

As always, special thanks to my rockin’ awesome hubby for installing the molding, on a super hot day and getting all sweaty and saw dust covered! I could probably manage it, with a few more cuts and some swear words… but with him around, I don’t have to. 

Happy DIY’ing friends!!

~Shannon 

CLICK HERE to see our Full Fireplace Makeover from the (very ugly) beginning.

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