DIY Shabby Chic Furniture

Painting

• You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on a trip to the antique mall. With a little paint and some glaze, you can replicate the same effect on your existing furniture. When most people think of shabby chic, they think of white furniture. Simply Shabby Chic, a popular department store furniture line, consists of everything from desks and dressers to hall tables all in the same creamy shade. While a creamy antique white does dominate in painted antiques, your imagination is your limit if you're doing the painting. Pastel pinks and yellows are popular, and one or two pieces in a room in a vibrant color can give the desired effect.
  You'll need a couple colors other than your topcoat. How much depends on your desired effect. If you're simply looking to have other colors peeking out from distressed corners, you can get away with just painting those areas you want to see peek through. If you want an antiqued, peeling look, multiple coats are necessary.

Antiquing with Glaze

• To effectively get that peeling, separating paint look of old furniture, you need a flat bottom coat of a darker shade, an eggshell or satin finish top coat and an antiquing glaze found in home improvement stores. The bottom coat must be a flat finish---the glaze won't adhere to the gloss and shine of other finishes.
  Paint your dark flat color and let dry completely according to the paint's instructions.
  Follow the instructions on the glaze exactly to get the right effect. Too little glaze or an inconsistent coat will mess up the crackling effect. Most glazes require a thick, uniform coat that's completely dry before painting on your final finish.
  Once the glaze is dry, add your top coat. Use a good brush that's not overloaded with paint. Paint over the glaze with deliberate, long strokes and don't paint over already painted areas. The look is old so you want as little paint as possible.
  The glaze will start to crackle almost immediately, letting the color underneath pop through.

Finishing Touches

• To finish off your antiquing on new furniture, sand edges where normal wear occurs. You might even want to take a hammer and beat them lightly to simulate age.
  If your top coat turned out brighter than you anticipated, tone it down with a darkening glaze or tea rubbed across the surface.