How to Make Furniture Look Weathered
Furniture serves many purposes in your home, from functioning as pieces of artwork to places to sit, eat, relax and get work done. Distressed furniture is unique in that no two pieces are exactly the same, and each piece tells a story. Weathering furniture is a quick and creative way of giving a furniture piece the look that it's been outside in the elements for years. Instead of shopping around for weathered furniture, make your own custom pieces. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Sand wooden furniture gently and with the grain for gradual distress. Sandpaper is effective at removing paint and simulating wear-and-tear on wood. Use different grades of sandpaper to achieve different depths of weathering. The smaller the grade of the sandpaper, the rougher it is. For example, 40-grit sandpaper roughs up wood, while 220-grit is gentle on wood and smooths out rough spots.
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Drag nails along the wood to simulate scratches. Depending on the strength you use, the scratches will be deep or barely noticeable on the surface.
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Distress chair legs, arm rests and table corners by rubbing a wood file back and forth on them. Do this carefully, as some wood files' teeth cause more damage than others.
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Tap a hammer against the furniture to put little nicks and chips in it. The force used to tap the hammer determines how large the chips will be.
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Guide a wire brush back and forth over the surface of the furniture with various strengths and in different directions. This causes numerous scratches of varying sizes and depths.
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Apply wood sealer to the finished product to maintain your distress job. Tung oil and Danish oil are effective sealers for interior furniture, while linseed oil works best for outdoor furniture.
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Tips & Warnings
If you've never distressed furniture before, you can find excellent furniture pieces to practice on at thrift stores and yard sales. Remove any padding or linens from the furniture before distressing, if applicable.
It is best to distress in places that would typically receive weathering marks, such as on the feet and corners of tables and on the armrests, headrests and bases of chairs.
Paint your furniture first for a new look, then weather it and finish it up with sealant.
Be very careful when distressing your furniture. Too much distressing causes undesirable results, making it seem like you found the furniture at a junk yard instead of an expensive antique store.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
