How to Give Your Furniture a Shabby Chic Look

Several layers of varnish replicate the weathered effect of old chipping paint.

Rachel Ashwell launched the Shabby Chic brand in 1989 at her store in Santa Monica, California. Shabby chic design champions the beauty of vintage furniture, especially pieces that look weathered from exposure. Applying varnish in the correct order replicates shabby chic's signature look of chipping paint, but you may have to attempt the process several times in order to achieve the right look.

Things You'll Need

• Paint brush
• Oil-based varnish
• Water-based varnish
• Cotton balls
• Antique glaze
• Oil-based matte varnish

Instructions

1. Choose painted furniture for the creation of shabby chic design. Select older furniture if you can, but any painted furniture will work.

2. Clean the furniture and remove grease by wiping with denatured alcohol or 90 proof alcohol. Let the alcohol evaporate before proceeding.

3. Apply a base coat of oil-based varnish to the areas of the furniture where you want the faded paint cracks to appear. Wait for the varnish to become transparent. Add a top coat of water-based varnish to the same areas. Wait for cracks to appear as the water-based varnish dries more quickly than the oil varnish.

4. Rub a thin layer of oil-based antique glaze over the cracked surface of the furniture to highlight the cracks. Use cotton balls to apply the glaze. Wipe off any extra glaze on the surface so the glaze layer is even. If cracks do not appear after applying the antique glaze, attempt steps 3 and 4 again.

5. Paint over the finished look with an oil-based matte varnish to seal the shabby chic appearance.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not apply the cracking layer of paint in a low-temperature environment. Experiment with humidity and temperature if cracks do not form on your first try.

References

• Shabby Chic: Heritage
• The Gold-Vault: Shabby Chic Furniture
• The Gold-Vault: Weathered Crackle Glaze
• The Gold-Vault: Antique Glaze