How to Make a White Metal Door Look Like Wood

Decide what type of wood you want to emulate and obtain a sample piece. Soft woods like pine have a very open, convoluted grain, while hard woods like oak have a closer, more subtle grain.

Smooth the door with steel wool or a very fine sandpaper. Make sure any rust spots or inconsistencies in the existing finish are sanded flat. Mask off areas that aren't to be painted with tape and plastic.

Seal an exterior or bare metal door with metal sealer, which will keep existing rust from leaching through the new finish. If the door is an interior door or is already painted, use a regular primer. If you are simulating a light wood, white primer is fine. But if you prefer a darker wood, use a tinted brown primer in the deepest color your wood sample contains. Allow to dry.

Apply a base coat that matches the overall "background" color of your wood sample. Apply the paint with a brush, stroking in the direction you would like the wood grain to run. Use a large, coarse brush — the brush marks left in the paint will provide the grain direction and the texture of the finished piece. Allow to dry.

Begin applying the grain using a translucent glaze that matches the grain color on your wood sample. For a dramatic soft wood effect, use a graining tool in a stamping and stop-and-start dragging motion to produce the effect. For a more subtle hardwood grain, brush on an even coat of the glaze color and brush about half of it back off with a mottle brush. Use the edge of the mottle brush to create the wavy pattern of your wood sample. Don't get too detailed yet, and don't crowd the door with waves — like your sample, the majority of the space is taken up by straight-ish, subtle lines.

Brush lightly over your grain pattern using a soft, dry brush. Periodically wipe the brush to remove glaze buildup and keep the bristles dry. This helps soften the look so the grain looks "inborn" rather than applied.

Use a flat, medium-sized artist's brush to apply smaller grain lines in the same manner, softening each with the dry brush as you go. Use quick, flicking motions from the wrist instead of trying to draw the grain. For a closer, small-grain look, use a fine artist's brush to paint tiny broken vertical lines along the length of the grain, softening as you go. Continue in this manner until you've achieved the look of your sample. For a bird's eye grain effect, use your fingers to flick droplets of white vinegar onto the wet glaze. Allow to dry.

Repeat the process with a darker color glaze for additional detail, removing more of the glaze than you did with the previous coat. Use artist's brushes to add additional detail, like knothole edges and the center of the "bird's eye." Allow to dry completely.

Apply a protective clear topcoat. A weatherproof polyurethane is best for exterior doors, but a hand-rubbed varnish provides a more realistic polished wood look for interior doors.