How to Change White Trim to Look Like Wood Grain

To achieve the look of warmth found in real wood, you'll need a few tools: latex paint in two colors, an acrylic glaze, a wood-graining rocker and a paint comb for good measure. These aren't expensive items to have in your paint tool bucket. You want to have the tools at hand to create the swoosh of fibers that run through planks as well as the swirl of knots that gives the project an authentic aesthetic. There are wood-graining kits available at most big-box home improvement stores.

Grain painting can muddle the most efficient DIYer. To make trim that looks like wood, you need to add a variety of texture-like sweeps of paint. First, apply a coat of finish to the area you want to make look like wood. Once it has dried, mix an equal amount of acrylic glaze with white latex paint. Roll it onto the trim or other project area in small, smooth batches. While it is still wet, run a paint comb through the layer of glaze and paint mix. Take a grain rocker and set the heel on the far edge. Overlap your swipes down the trim or project area to get a wood-like pattern. Luckily, if it doesn't turn out, you can reglaze the area and start over rather quickly. To have the grain run in the other direction, simply flip the handle. Use the paint comb to add deeper lines to a plank or to add texture where needed.

The faux-wood treatment can be done on most any surface, from plywood to wood trims on doors and ceilings. You can use stains for a lighter look or paint with a white and clear acrylic glaze over the top. You can flip that and use a light paint or stain with a dark paint mixed with a clear acrylic over the top, although it may be less forgiving for first timers. Dark-stained doors and white trim are a stunning match when the trim has a touch of wood grain added to it. Dark-stained crown molding can frame a room or showcase a vibrant wallpaper print.