How to Create a Layered Plaster Look on Furniture

Using a plaster faux finishing technique on furniture can make an ordinary table or chair look like an ancient Pompeiian relic. Use warm colors like sienna and umber for a sun-aged look. Typically, Venetian plaster is the material of choice for this type of look, but it's too crumbly to hold up to the type of use furniture endures. Instead, use a similar technique but replace the Venetian plaster with two-part auto body filler for a more enduring finish.

Things You'll Need

• Sandpaper (coarse, medium, fine-grit)
• Tack cloth
• Auto body filler putty
• Cardboard
• Plastic scraper
• Paint (one or two colors)
• Chisel or flat-head screwdriver (optional)
• Nails, chain (optional)
• Translucent faux finishing glaze
• Rag

Instructions

1. Scuff the furniture piece with a medium-grit sandpaper to help the body filler adhere properly. It's not necessary to remove the existing finish.

2. Wipe the piece down with a tack cloth to remove dust. Pay special attention to details like scroll work and carvings, where dust can collect.

3. Dispense a small blob of filler putty onto a flat piece of cardboard, and add a few drops of paint. Mix with a plastic scraper to combine. Add hardener as recommended by the instructions on the filler, but use slightly more for a rougher look. Mix to combine.

4. Apply the filler to the furniture piece with the plastic scraper, working randomly and varying your stroke and pressure. Work quickly, because the filler will set up quickly. Work a very small section at a time. Aim for good coverage but not necessarily smoothness.

5. Repeat the process for a second coat, using a different color paint for extra dimension. Apply this coat very roughly, and don't cover the entire first coat. Leave blobs and streaks, and don't feather edges. Apply additional coats of filler as needed to achieve the level of roughness you desire.

6. Sand the piece randomly when the filler is entirely dry. Alternate between coarse and fine sandpaper, and vary your stroke and pressure. The sanding is just to make the coat more uniform, so don't sand where you think it already looks perfect. Use a chisel or flat-head screwdriver to remove large chunks were appropriate, or scar the finish with nails or a chain to achieve the desired level of distress.

7. Add a few drops of paint to translucent glaze, and "wash" the piece with a wet rag. This will homogenize the finish without covering the colors you have already applied. Be sure to make the glaze mixture very transparent.

Tips & Warnings

• When distressing a table or chair, remember to smooth the area where people will sit or put drinks. A very uneven surface can interfere with the functionality of some pieces of furniture.

• When mixing paint with the filler, leave it streaky for extra effect.

• Body filler dries very quickly, especially if you use extra hardener. Mix in very small batches to avoid wasting materials.

• When distressing the top coat, be sure not to remove the first coat and expose the original finish.