How to paint furniture then distress it to give your furniture that antique finish. How to Paint Wood Furniture With an Aged Look Step 1. I'm a DIYer and I love all things creative! There are pros and cons to using each of these antiqued techniques. Paint furniture the desired color using latex paint with a flat, matte, or satin finish. The one that is probably easiest for you is one that you already have some experience with. When staining over other colors, just note that they will be slightly darker. The goal is to get down to the raw surface of the wood so that the coloring agent can penetrate. Here are 3 of the most common ways: This process involves doing the basic painting process of priming your piece, then painting with your choice of color. If you wish, you can also use a butter knife or other tool to scrape some areas to add more character. The next layer of paint will cover this. Using a chip brush, paint the entire exterior with a light base-coat color in a flat finish. Lightly sand the entire surface using a 150-grit sanding block. The great thing about this method is the wax is a protective coating, so there is no need for a final clear coat. Steps: 1. This chair has been painted many times over the course of its life. Also, if you are working with a piece of unpainted wood furniture, you may opt to use a different color for your second coat, so that more layers show through when you distress the wood. One quart of paint should be more than enough to mix up a large batch of color wash. Any shade of paint can be used to mix a color wash, but pastels and subdued colors will work especially well for projects that are designed to make furniture look vintage or tastefully understated. 14. The final step is to use a 220-grit sanding block to very lightly sand the entire piece. Allow it to dry completely before proceeding. Below, learn two ways to cheat time and make your wood furniture and decor look like it’s been around for years instead of fresh from the store. Wipe the stain of within seconds to keep the color as close to the true color. The finish won't look natural if you attempt to create an overly distressed look. How To Make New Furniture Look Old Step 1. 3 Ways to Get an Antiqued Look When Painting Furniture, 7 Ways To Add Character To Your Painted Furniture. Paint Technique: Antiquing Furniture Prep Furniture. Once the preliminary sanding is complete, apply wood stain or dark paint as a coloring agent to low spots and areas where wood has been exposed. In our example, we nicked the corners on several drawers for a natural look. Paint your wood piece with a basecoat of flat or satin paint; satin paint is easier to work with, but flat paint results in an older look. Look for a wood furniture piece with lines you love and that will look good in your space. This paint requires no sanding or priming and it's awesome! You can do this work yourself, or have the piece "dipped and stripped" by a professional, who will submerge it in a vat of solvent to remove the paint. When I say the proper paint I’m really referring to the paint finish. Next, use the sanding block completely remove the existing painted finish or stain in areas that would be prone to … Finally, soak a rag in coloring agent and buff it into the edges. Wood tint can be used to darken anything and unlike most stains, you can paint over it. Start slow and take a step back every so often to evaluate the distressed look. Once the base coat is dry, lightly apply a darker top coat, again in a matte finish. Next, use the sanding block completely remove the existing painted finish or stain in areas that would be prone to heavier wear, like the edges and high points. This method would require that you finish your piece with a final clear coat. Using a 150-grit sanding block, buff down the edges so that the dark areas start to peek through. This week we are going to use all the techniques we have learned in the past all at once! Check out our guide to find out how to make a used piece of furniture look rustic using Real Milk Paint. paint two coats of milk paint without the bonding agent. Thick coats of paint will make it harder to sand and achieve the look you seek. If you wait too long, you may have to go back and sand away the glaze and go over it again. Wipe away the dark wax so that it is mostly left in the cracks and crevices of the piece. Immediately wipe away any excess. In 2014, she joined Dotdash as an expert writer, focused on fine jewelry topics. The second coat should also be applied in a thin layer. Once that first coat is completely dry, you can add your second coat with the other color. Just make sure your furniture is dry before you start painting. This chair is indeed an antique made from oak, a very stable material, which looks beautiful when stained. Painting Gloves: Non-Latex gloves for keeping your skin free from paint. The trick is knowing how to make the base color show through the overlay in strategic areas, to give the piece an antiqued look. Our paint color will change slightly. If desired, you can use a power sander to make the process a bit faster. Paint the entire wooden surface with a base coat of paint [source: Bach ]. This technique involves painting the piece as usual and allowing it to dry completely. Paint Pail Liners: I always keep a good supply of these disposable liners handy. Remember, the lighter the hand, the better this antiquing will turn out. Remove the piece's doors and hardware. Refinishing and painting furniture tips and techniques. Step 2. Be careful not to overload the brush. Finally, use a foam brush to apply at least two coats of polyurethane to the top of the furniture piece. Sand just enough to remove any sheen, which will help the paint stick. But it works really well mixed with a little paint as a glaze for furniture. Step 3. The painting technique described here can be applied to wood, laminate, or any furniture you want to look aged. Step 2. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. You can choose two shades of the same color as we did or choose complementary or contrasting colors for a bolder look. If the object already has a finish (previously painted or varnished),... 2. Paint the furniture. Our gallery of furniture painting ideas serves up 28 clever ways to give new life to old furniture. All you need is some paint, sandpaper, and a free afternoon to transform your furniture. Then afterward rub on a dark tinted wax over the whole piece, especially the details and beveled edges. Vinegar/Tea Method. The thinner the layer, the easier the next steps will be. Go over the white areas you just painted and fill in the spots where there's still bare wood showing. Everyone has a bathroom, the difference lies in whether you are comfortable with allowing people. Painting furniture to look primitive or distressed is a matter of painting one color onto the piece as a base, and a second color on as an overlay. Metal spray paint that is evenly sprayed on the shiny surface of … Lightly sand the entire surface using a 150-grit sanding block. The best way to apply the coloring agent is with a clean rag. You'll also need to select two colors of furniture paint to complete your distressed finish. This next step is where the magic happens. Here is the custom paint formula that I used for the “glaze” on this furniture and also used to paint the furniture in my dining room. Wipe away any excess. Sand the Existing Finish. If your furniture piece has multiple layers of caked-on paint that you don't want to show through, you can opt to strip the entire piece down to the bare wood. Get DIY project ideas and easy-to-follow crafts to help you spruce up your space. Whether your piece is new and unfinished or old and has a worn finish, sanding is the first step to create... Prime and Paint. Maybe you’ve got the opposite problem and have inherited antique chairs whose dark, dated stain is ruining their elegant lines. I had a friend ask me to paint this piece for her in a more modern or “full coverage” look recently, so I thought I’d share a few tips on how to give old furniture a modern look using one of my favorite, go-to paints, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®. White vinegar. Chalk paint or milk paint provides a similar sheen, but it may need to be sealed with a wax finish. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Brush on Caromal Colours Toner, a product you can find locally or online. Carefully clean the item of any dust or grime. This technique involves painting the piece as usual and allowing it to dry completely. Next, take a 220-grit sanding block and lightly sand to remove a little more of the top layer of paint near the edges. There are a few different techniques you can use to give your painted furniture piece an antique look. We opted to use a matte-finish paint, which works well when you don't want to use a primer. Before you start creating vintage paint effects with a distressed look, give your furniture a quick clean. It is quite easy to antique a piece of newer wood furniture and make it look distressed by using paint and stain. Applying a second coat of paint will ensure that all the excess coloring has been thoroughly covered and isn't bleeding through, making your end result look more natural. I’m more of a vintage/distressed kinda girl. Step 3. You can't buy character, but you can fake it with an antique paint finish. Once the stain has dried completely, rub tung oil into the wood, and let it dry overnight. Try to distress areas where a piece of furniture naturally experiences such damage. Let the first coat dry for 24 hours before proceeding to the next step. The next step is to stain what you just sanded. Wipe away the dark wax so that it is mostly left in the cracks and crevices of the piece. Admittedly, I don’t do many modern pieces. The dark wax will give your piece an overall darker look, as the wax will adhere to your paint coat as well as the edges. To make the finish look even more aged and rustic, you can lightly buff more coloring agent into the matte paint throughout the entire piece. Make sure that the furniture is completely dry before you go onto the next step. Our project used walnut oil, but you can use any type of wood stain or dark paint for similar results. Once the paint has fully dried (not just dry to the touch but 3 days kind of dry) then hand sand the edges to lightly sand the edges down to the wood. Paint the entire piece in the base coat color you've selected. Sand just enough to remove any sheen, which will help the paint stick. Our example aims at a distressed wood finish with a subtle charm. The second most popular technique to antique furniture is using dark wax over a painted piece. Mix a little brown or yellow latex or acrylic paint and water in a disposable container to create a watery glaze-like substance. Step 1. Lauren Thomann is a freelance writer and business owner who covers DIY projects and home renovation on The Spruce. I love the look of old world furniture but you don’t have to be an expert at painting furniture to achieve that look. Using a soft furniture wax, give the entire piece a good clear coat when you are happy with the look. The milk paint I used is called Old Barn Milk Paint. Step 2. There are a few ways to antique glaze furniture, but there is an easy way to do it using Behr’s Faux Glaze. updating old furniture I used Annie Sloan Chalk paint in Duck Egg to achieve this look. BUT you do have to have a plan! Using a small cotton cloth, rub on your preferred stain color and then quickly wipe it away with a clean cloth. Dust it down to remove any bits of debris or dust, and give it a wipe with a cloth if it needs it. This step is going to reveal the original finish, which in this example is white paint. Now I think the Faux Glaze is really meant for all those crazy faux finishes that people used to put on their walls like marble and ragging, etc. 3. Would I rather have the real thing? Plain white or a primary color can be roughed up with fine-grit sandpaper to give it a weathered look. How to Refurbish Particleboard Furniture With Paint, How To Paint a Dresser To Make It Look Like New Again, How to Paint an End Table With Chalk Paint, Sandpaper Grit: What to Know Before You Buy, 5 Methods for Repairing Orange-Peel Texture on Walls. So, instead of wiping on dark wax, you would apply a glaze mixture that is half dark or black paint and half glaze mixture with a few drops of water added to thin it. Lightly sand the object you want to distress. Chalk paint can be used to paint almost anything — walls, kitchen cabinets, metal, wood, and even fabric — but the most common use is to give new life to old furniture or to make newer pieces look old. Similar to the antiqued technique listed before is the option of doing a dark glaze mixture after your normal paint job. Avoid the temptation to sand excessively. As with any DIY project, I recommend you look online so you can know exactly what you want your piece to look like when it’s done. Be sure to follow manufacturer’s instructions regarding dry times and recoating. First, remove all hardware and mask off any areas that you don't want to paint, using painter's tape. If glazing sounds like a good option for you, check out this article for more details: How to Glaze Cabinets Correctly. On my white table it made it look too dark for my taste and so after I stained, I sanded it lightly to remove stain and draw out more white. A quick update of the hardware and it … You don’t have to do this step, the milk paint will chip and look just fine without it. Have you ever bought something new but wished it looked antique? Antique spray paint can give the appearance of a timely patina in just one coat. Follow me to see more tips on painting furniture and repurposing old things to a new life. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. I used the Caromal Colours Paint for this project. … You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make a new coffee table look farm fresh with the right paint scheme. Sand Surface. If you use an electric sander you will rub off more than you want, and if the paint isn’t fully dry you will start to peel off large amounts of paint. To give the drawer pulls a fresh look, start with a coat of primer, followed by a coat of spray paint, and ending with one or two coats of clear sealer. Don't worry if the coloring overlaps onto surrounding paint. The finish is cracking, peeling and unstable. The second most popular technique to antique furniture is using dark wax over a painted piece. For a final touch, rub a coat of paste wax into the wood with extra-fine steel wool. Then afterward rub on a dark tinted wax over the whole piece, especially the details and beveled edges. Here's what you do: Sand off the paint and finish on the wood surfaces of the piece of furniture you're working on [source: Bach ]. The trick to making wood look realistically weathered is to not overdo it. If you are using dark paint, thin it down a bit with some water. Remember that with glaze, it dries VERY quickly so you need to work fast to wipe away the excess glaze. Finish it off with a final clear coat for extra protection. If you are applying latex paint over a varnished finish, or one previously painted with oil-based paint, a thin layer of paint primer applied before painting will help the latex paint adhere. Allow the wax to dry and cure according to instructions before you use the piece. Finish the Furniture A tung-oil finish provides protection for the wood while allowing it to retain an antique look -- unlike the glossy finish of a varnish. 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