How to Refinish Shabby & Chic Furniture

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Choose wood furnishings with character, such as those with ornate carvings or interesting shapes and woodwork.
Step 2

Sand your furniture with a medium-grain sand paper. Wipe it with a damp rag to remove the dust. Sand it again with a fine-grain sand paper. Wipe it with a damp cloth again.
Step 3

Choose the colors you want to paint your furniture. In shabby chic decor, a lot of light colors in the white and cream families are used as well as pastels. When crackle painting, whatever is underneath the top coat will show through the characteristic cracks and peels of it. It's best to choose a complementary or contrasting color, such as a soft mint green underneath a crackled coat of white. Alternatively, you could just apply the crackle paint treatment directly over the wood so that the wood finish will show through.
Step 4

Paint your furniture the base coat if you want a color to show through. Allow the base coat to dry thoroughly. If you want the wood to show through, skip the base coat.
Step 5

Apply the crackle paint medium in a thick coating according to the manufacturer's instructions on the can. Before the medium dries, apply one coat of your top coat. As the paint dries, it will begin to shrink, flake slightly and cracks will appear revealing your base.
Step 6

Sand the corners, when the furniture is completely dry, and some of the edges to create a more worn look. Wipe it with a damp cloth and enjoy.

Step 1

Take an old leather chair. Cracks in the leather only adds to the charm---it doesn't have to be perfect.
Step 2

Paint the chair if it has a wooden frame. You can use the crackle paint treatment or simply give it a coat of white paint. If you prefer, you can leave the wood natural.
Step 3

Sand the leather with heavy-grain sand paper in all areas the leather would be worn from years of enjoyment, such as behind the head, the arms and the seat. Start sanding in the center of the area in small circular motions, radiating outward. Sand more heavily in the center and more lightly as you work your way out to create a fade.
Step 4

Wipe the chair with a damp cloth to remove dust. Rub leather oil into the chair with a dry rag to bring the fade out even more.

Step 1

Measure your upholstered sofa or easy chair and purchase white cotton or linen slip covers that fit it. Make sure the slip covers are washable and not stain-resistant, or your attempts will be futile. If you are handy with a sewing machine, you may wish to make your own slip covers.
Step 2

Make a tea by placing 10 or 12 tea bags into a large pot of boiling water. Allow the tea to steep for 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags.
Step 3

Pour the tea into a large basin. If your slip covers are large, you may need to make a second batch of tea or two to make enough liquid to submerge them in.
Step 4

Soak your slip covers in the tea until it reaches the desired color. It will look slightly darker when wet.
Step 5

Remove the slip covers and place them in a washing machine and run them through a rinse cycle. Alternately, you can rinse them in your sink or tub.
Step 6

Wring as much water out of the slip covers as possible. Spread out large bath towels on a table and lay them on the towels. Roll them up in the towels to remove excess moisture.
Step 7

Hang your slip covers to dry. If they are drier safe, you can put them in a drier; however, if they do not specifically say they are "drier safe" or "pre-shrunk fabric," keep them out of the drier or they may shrink.
Step 8

When the slipcovers are dry, cover your furniture with them. Add pastel-colored throw pillows to complete the look.

References