How to Get That Powdery Distressed Look on Wood Furniture

Don't overpay for shabby chic, distressed wooden pieces. Take any wood piece of furniture and distress it to look exactly as old or vintage as you'd like. You don't have to be an expert at woodworking or painting to create a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture that looks like it came out of a furniture boutique. Add some visual interest to your home with distressed wooden pieces.

Paint
Paintbrush
Sandpaper, 120-grit
Steel wool
Clean cloth
Clear varnish

Instructions

- 1
  Paint the furniture using latex paint in any shade you desire. Distressing needs to be done immediately after the paint has dried for best results.
- 2
  Sand away some of the paint. Use 120-grit sandpaper to sand the parts of the furniture you want to distress. This looks more natural if you only sand areas of the furniture that would be distressed over time anyway, such as edges and corners of the furniture. Don't sand too hard or paint could chip off or come off in pieces and ruin the look.
- 3
  Sand the front of the piece and more obvious places using steel wool. Steel wool is finer and more gentle than sandpaper and won't tear the paint off when you're using it all over the piece.
- 4
  Wipe the entire piece of furniture with a clean cloth. The cloth should remove any dust left over from sanding and provide a clean surface for the sealer.
- 5
  Apply a clear varnish sealer to the entire piece of furniture for a finished look. Allow the piece to dry overnight before using it.

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