Red-Rubbed Furniture Refinishing Techniques

Furniture painted a plain, solid color can look somewhat bland sitting in your room, so treat your piece to a red-rubbed paint technique instead. Red is a vibrant, warm shade that adds excitement and gives a chic pop of color to any piece. While a solid red piece can be overpowering, a red rubbed red piece has a much more subtle, charming appearance and gives your furnishing a slightly weathered look. The process is as easy as rubbing with a little elbow grease, but the results look rich and complex.

Drop cloth
Screwdriver
Painter's tape
Plastic bags (optional)
Fine-grit sand paper
Vacuum
Damp rags
Paint brush or roller
Primer
Satin finish paint, base color
Satin finish paint, shade of red
Glaze
Lint-free rag

Instructions

- 1
  Put your furniture in an open area on top of a drop cloth. Open windows to promote adequate ventilation.
- 2
  Take off any hardware, such as handles and hinges. If your piece has drawers, pull them out. Remove any cushions. Protect any areas you want to avoid getting paint on with painter's tape and plastic garbage bags.
- 3
  Sand your furniture evenly with a fine-grit paper. Vacuum and wipe dust from the piece with a damp rag.
- 4
  Prime the furniture and paint it a solid, base color. This will be the under color that the red shows up on, so choose a color that is complementary. Alternatively, stain the furniture a natural wood color.
- 5
  Allow the piece to dry for at least 24 hours.
- 6
  Mix one part glaze with one part red satin latex paint. Select a paint that is two or three shades darker than the color rub you wish to achieve. Apply a thin layer of glaze to the entire piece using a brush or a roller.
- 7
  Dampen a lint-free rag. Begin rubbing the red-tinted glaze off the furniture. Rub in side-to-side motions, leaving some trails of color behind, especially around edges.
- 8
  Stop wiping when you reach the desired look. Make it as subtle or dramatic as you want. Remove the painter's tape, if any. Allow the glaze to dry for at least 24 hours before replacing hardware or cushions.

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