How to Distress Faux Finishes on a Vanity

Distressed furniture is designed to look old and worn. The vintage feel this gives a home creates a 'lived in' look that is a very popular feature in modern interior design. Faux finish refers to a variety of paint techniques including marbling, color washing, rag painting and other techniques designed to give a surface the appearance of texture. Once you have painted your vanity with a faux finish, you can distress it to give it a shabby chic look.

Fine grit sandpaper
Metal chain
Pliers
Soft cloth
Wood stainer

Instructions

- 1
  Rub patches along the top edge of the vanity with a fine grit sandpaper until all the paint is removed. Only do small, intermittent patches so that it looks like the paint has naturally worn off. Sand patches along the edges of the drawers and on the legs.
- 2
  Take the metal chain and hit the sides and top of the vanity. One blow on each surface should suffice. Where the chain hits the vanity, it will remove the paint in scratches.
- 3
  Hold the handle of the pliers closed while you knock it on the edges, top and sides of the vanity. Three or four blows should suffice.
- 4
  Gently buff the surface of your vanity to remove any dust and debris from the distressing process. Ensure that your vanity surface is completely clean.
- 5
  Pour some oil wood stainer onto your soft cloth. Buff it into the surface of your vanity, paying special attention to those areas where the paint has been removed. The stainer will not affect areas where the faux finish is in place.

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