How to Create a Patina Wood Finish

Recreating the finish on an antique can be difficult.

Many homeowners and collectors love the look of a patina wood finish on furniture. A beautiful patina wood finish typically comes with time, but it is possible to create a patina finish in approximately seven days. Examining several older pieces of furniture will help to give you a good idea of the wearing patterns of furniture. Recreating these patterns can be done with a variety of woodworking tools and household objects.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• Protective eye gear
• Hammer
• Finish nails
• Wood chisel
• 100-grit sandpaper
• Chains and other heavy metal items
• Damp cloth
• Wood stain
• Staining pad or cloth
• Polyurethane
• Paintbrush
• Foam roller

Instructions

1. Wear gloves and protective eye gear.

2. Create distress marks in the wood. Use a hammer and a small finish nail to create random holes. Chisel off the corners of the piece with a chisel and sand down the corners so they are rounded. Create other distress marks with chains or other heavy metal items.

3. Lightly sand the surface of the wood with 100-grit sandpaper. You are not removing the imperfections that you have just created. Instead, you are simply sanding the piece until you cannot get splinters by touching the wood.

4. Clean the surface with a damp cloth. Allow the surface to dry completely.

5. Apply wood stain to the surface of the wood with a staining pad or cloth. Remove some of the stain with a second cloth. This process should highlight the distressed areas.

6. Apply polyurethane to the piece with a paintbrush or foam roller. Allow the polyurethane to dry for approximately six hours and then apply a second coat of polyurethane. Let the second coat of polyurethane cure for a week before regular use.

References

• Gomestic: How to Distress Wood Furniture
• Refinish Furniture: Patina on Your Wood Furniture