Giving Unfinished Furniture a Distressed Antiqued Look
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Guide to giving Unfinished Furniture a Distressed Antiqued Look
Furniture which has been well used over the years can start to take on a personality of its own. Every chip, every scratch, every fleck of paint missing or faded is another unique quirk which gives a furnishing a kind of individuality. While this is a natural occurrence that happens with time, some people are impatient and want to speed up the process. Luckily there is a painting technique that will allow you to recreate this look in a matter of hours rather than years, while also giving you the ability to directly take part in creating the unique characteristics of the piece.
This technique is a little bit complicated so you may want to start by testing out your efforts on a spare piece of wood. Make sure the material is the same type and texture as the piece you will eventually be working on, so that you know the paint layers will sink into it in the same way.
The first step is to score the surface of the unfinished wood using a hard, sharp surface such as a screw, nail, or medium grade wire brush. The idea is to lightly texture it randomly, in order to give the appearance of well worn age. If you’re using a test piece of wood, vary the amount of scraping that you do so you can get an idea of the different effects when paint is applied.
Your first layer of paint is going to be a sealing agent, mixed with a hint of color to prepare the surface for future coats. Combine one squirt of burnt umber universal tint with a clear latex wood stain, and apply it to the surface of the piece in even strokes, following the grain of the wood. You want to be sure to coat the entire piece with this layer so that the woods surface will be fully protected and prepared.
Next you should mix eight parts black paint with one part water in order to create a thin, washed out color. Once the previous layer has fully dried, apply this coating in very thin, very soft strokes. The goal is to create a faded paint effect, rather than coating the entire surface of the piece completely. This layer should also be allowed to fully dry before moving on.
Your next step is to mix two different paint solutions. One should be a combination of equal parts Lafayette green with latex glaze. In a separate container mix equal parts Covington blue, water, and glaze. Apply the green mixture first, painting it on sparingly, following the grain of the wood, but being careful not to completely cover the piece. Wait for it to dry, and then using a separate, or at least thoroughly cleansed brush, apply the blue to any areas that are still relatively bare at this point.
Once the piece is completely dry to the touch, you can use sandpaper to remove the stains and paints in some areas to give it an even more distressed, aged look. You should concentrate on places where the piece would logically be more worn, such as seams or places with moving parts. These places can then be re-stained in order to create a faded appearance. Once satisfied, you can run steel wool over the entire surface in order to give it a shining complexion, while also texturing the wood.
This article is brought to you courtesy of PebbleArts line of absorbent beverage coasters which are made from sandstone, slate, and travertine. The article itself was written by stone artist Joey Pebble.
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