How to Make a Piece of Furniture Look Antique

Sand the entire piece of furniture to remove any old paint or stain and prepare it for the new finish. Start with rough 60-grit sandpaper, move to 100-grit sandpaper and finish with 220-grit. You can use sanding blocks or an electric sander to make the work easier.

Distress the furniture by hitting it with a rubber mallet, scraping the sides with a metal file and beating it with a chain. This gives the furniture an old, worn look. Focus the distress on areas that would have naturally received a beating, such as corners, legs and around handles. Do not go overboard, since it is easier to add more distress later than fix too much distress.

Wash the furniture with trisodium phosphate diluted in water at a ratio of 1 cup per 1 gallon of water. Use a sponge and bucket. This will rinse off all the sanding dust and any residue on the furniture. Rinse with clean water and dry thoroughly before proceeding.

Coat the furniture with your base color. Any color will work, so consider your decor and the period you are reflecting. You can even use pink, blue, green or gray as a base coat. If you want a subtle, versatile look, try painting it ivory. This will make it look like slightly aged white furniture. Use water-based, latex paint and paint it on with a bristle brush or sponge roller. Allow it to cure before proceeding.

Paint the furniture with a paint that mimics whitewash. Many companies sell these paints. They go on thinly so the color underneath shows through at places, and they are even available in colors. Apply the whitewash paint with a sponge or rag for a slightly uneven finish. Wait for the paint to cure before proceeding.

Roughen up the paint using sandpaper or a file in areas where it would have naturally been distressed. This allows the paint color to show through underneath and finishes the look.