We did our sunroom. I believe the paint store gave us the directions -- About 1/2 to 1/2 paint to ?paint thinner. - We set up saw horses. It is much easier to do vertical so do it before wood goes up. Paint the mixture on and wipe off. It did keep the pine light.

Thanks. Did you seal the finish in any way?

i pickled pine beadboard for a ceiling. i used watered down ivory paint (instead of white because i wanted a warmer look, to bring out the aged yellow look of the pine) and let it pool in the crevices. i liked the weathered look it gave the pine and it worked really well with the style of house (country french). i assume by "dreaded" you are referring to the dated look of pickled maple et al from the '80's? while it may have been overused then, it is a classic look, particularly suited to cottage styles, chic country, shabby chic, beach or coastal, etc.

perhaps this is technically glazing instead of pickling (and liming for that matter), but it achieved a similar look as pickling at any rate and was easy to do. sorry i don't have a picture.

"Dreaded" was definitely a humorous reference to the "'80s thing" that was too often done too poorly!!! Clearly, you and I are sympatico with respect to how such a useful treatment can be used. "Pickling" is a very delicate treatment, equally suited to "county" decors as handsome white trimwork. But "pickling" lends a more "sympathetic" nod to rooms with rustic furnishings.

I'll be using "raw wood" (poplar or pine; haven't decided), so may choose whatever "base" I want (oil or water). I'm OK with either, but the present trend is to water based, so I'm leaning that way.

nd, I'm still thinking about painting the trimwork white!

Ditto on the warm white. I did some on a piece of pine to soften the finish but used a canned version, which was very white. I would make my own with a warm white or cream next time.

My only insight is that I would use pine over poplar. It's less expensive and more stable as it changes color over time. DH has poplar scraps that have turned brown and purplish. This wood was never sealed, however..

love to see pics when you are done! i loved my ceiling-- so warm and cheerful. good luck!