Painting Distressed Furniture Red & Black

Distressed furniture is often used in rustic- or vintage-style homes. This furniture looks antique because the paint finish has been distressed. One of the most common ways to distress furniture is by sanding certain “worn” areas of the piece. The sanding reveals the wood or paint beneath the top layer of paint. You can dress up your distressed furniture by first painting it red, and then painting it black. When the edges on the furniture are distressed, the red paint will peek through the black painted finish.

Cloths
Household cleaner
Fine-grit sandpaper
Latex primer
Paintbrush
Foam paint roller
Red latex paint
Black latex paint

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the furniture. Remove debris, grease and dirt with a damp cloth and household cleaner.
- 2
  Sand the surface of the furniture with fine-grit sandpaper. Sand the finish off the furniture until it is no longer glossy. Remove the sanding dust with a damp cloth.
- 3
  Prime the furniture with latex primer. Apply the primer in a thin layer with a paintbrush and foam roller. Let the primer dry completely. Lightly sand the primer to remove bumps and paint marks. Remove the sanding dust with a damp cloth.
- 4
  Paint the furniture with red latex paint. The red paint will show through the black paint when the furniture is distressed. Apply the paint on the furniture with a paintbrush and foam paint roller. Let the paint dry completely.
- 5
  Paint the furniture with black latex paint. Apply the paint with a paintbrush and foam paint roller. Cover the entire piece of furniture and let it dry for 24 hours.
- 6
  Distress the furniture. Sand the edges of the furniture with fine-grit sandpaper. The red paint will shine through the sanded edges. The more you sand, the more red paint and distressing you will see.
- 7
  Wipe down the furniture to remove any sanding dust with a damp cloth

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