How to Make Black Painted Furniture Look Old

Antique collectors spend top dollar to acquire old pieces of furniture. You can achieve that old look on black painted furniture using crackle paint, a special faux finish painting technique that produces an aged, crackled finish on painted surfaces. The crackle is most effective when paired with a contrasting color which better defines the cracks in the paint. You save a step in the process because the furniture is already painted black, eliminating the need to apply a base coat.

Cleaning rag
Black touch-up paint
Latex paint
Masking tape
Paintbrushes
Paint rollers
Natural sea sponge

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the furniture thoroughly to remove all dust and debris.
- 2
  Touch up any parts of the black paint that are scratched, chipped or worn.
- 3
  Choose a top color for the furniture; this is the color that will crackle to reveal the color beneath. Many colors complement black, so your options vary greatly, including white, gray, blue and even red.
- 4
  Add masking tape to protect any parts of the furniture that you do not wish to paint. If you are working with a large piece of furniture, you may wish to mark the furniture into sections to be painted one at a time because you must work fast in order to achieve the best results.
- 5
  Brush the crackle glaze onto the furniture, using a thick application to achieve large cracks and a thin coat for fine cracks. Apply the glaze in one direction only.
- 6
  Allow the glaze to dry completely for about one hour. As you wait, prepare the supplies to begin painting the top coat of paint.
- 7
  Apply the top coat of paint, keeping your strokes in the opposite direction used to apply the crackling glaze. Use a brush or roller to achieve large cracks or a sea sponge to create tiny, hairline cracks in the finish.
- 8
  Remove the tape and continue to the next section if you chose to break the project into multiple parts.

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