How to Paint Furniture With a Distressed Finish

Paint furniture with a distressed finish much like you would any other surface such as wood floors. You can create one-of-a-kind looks that help to revive old furnishings or give new furniture an aged and worn look. Choose an unfinished or sanded piece of furniture for this project. Most of the supplies for this project can be found at your local home improvement store.

Things You'll Need

• Fine-grade sandpaper
• Cotton cloth
• Two colors of latex enamel paints
• Foam brush or regular paintbrushes
• 100-grit sandpaper
• Hammer, chains, screwdriver
• Polyurethane clear glaze

Instructions

Process

1. Sand the piece of furniture lightly with fine-grade sandpaper to prepare the surface. Remove dust with clean cotton cloth.

2. Apply one coat of enamel latex paint and allow to dry completely.

3. Apply one more coat of the same color of enamel latex paint and allow to dry thoroughly.

4. Apply a third coat of enamel latex paint in a different color; this will be your top coat and show the most color. Allow to dry completely.

5. Sand the piece of furniture in a random fashion with 100-grit sandpaper to reveal some of the base color paint. Focus on the edges and corners of the furniture where natural wear and tear would occur. Remove dust with a clean cotton cloth.

6. Distress the piece further by hitting the furniture in random spots with the hammer, screwdriver or chain.

7. Apply one coat of clear polyurethane sealer to the piece to protect the finish. Allow to dry completely. Apply one more coat if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Work in a well-ventilated area when painting.

References

• The Complete Guide to Painting and Decorating, Creative Publishing, 1999.