How to Give Wooden Furniture a Distressed Look
Sam Lutz • February 5, 2019
This a great DIY project to help you achieve a very popular design for your home’s furniture. If you like the farmhouse chic style, or just want your wooden furniture to look more personal, this is an easy way to do it. The best part about doing it yourself is that you’ll save money, instead of buying finished pieces at a furniture store. Keep reading to learn how to do it!
Apply Your Base Color
The first step is to choose which color you’d like to paint your piece of furniture. You can pick any color that suits your taste or style. If you want a more natural look, you can always opt for a wood stain. We recommend using a satin latex paint or stain for the best effect.
Once you’ve chosen your color, apply your base coat. The number of coats you apply depends on how much wood grain you want to show in the final product. Use fewer coats or lighter brush strokes for a more natural look. Let your furniture dry completely before moving onto the next step.
Distressing Your Furniture
When your piece is totally dry, you can begin the process of actually giving it that distressed look. You’ll need sandpaper for this step.Try to stick to areas that would receive the most use naturally, or that would be most likely to get bumped.. For example, corners, legs, top surfaces and handles are great places to start.
It’s important not to over-sand. This will cause your furniture to look inauthentic. You want to make sure you leave some color behind to really create that wear-and-tear look.
Finish It Off
After you’ve finished sanding, it’s time to apply your finishing coat. Before your start, make sure to wipe off the entire piece with a cloth to get rid of the dust you created while sanding. This isn’t necessary, but it will help preserve your furniture and lock in the distressed look you created. If you don’t want to apply another coat, your piece will gather a greater distressed look over time.
For a finishing coat, we recommend going with the same color paint or stain you used in the base coat. This is will help create a more genuine look. Once your top coat dries, you’re all set, and ready to enjoy your new, DIY piece of distressed furniture!
Find All Your Project Furniture at Ace Paints
Whether you’re looking for a bookcase, coffee table or computer desk, Ace Paints and Unfinished furniture has the perfect piece for your project, plus every paint or stain you’ll need. Browse our online inventory or visit one of our South Hills locations today!
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