Weathering Techniques for Furniture

Painting

• Apply layers of paint to a stripped and sanded piece, allowing the paint to dry slightly before wiping sections away with a rag, putty knife or a stiff wire brush. If desired, you can apply a base coat of one color and a second coat of another, buffing away areas of the tacky second coat to expose the first coat beneath. For a true country look, you can whitewash pieces of furniture using a mix of three parts hydrated lime, one part salt, and enough water to thin it to the consistency of cake batter. Apply whitewash over the furniture, and then wipe away areas in the same manner as you would paint. A fresh coat of whitewash will also fade fairly quickly if you place the whitewashed piece outside for just a few days, exposed to the elements.

Distressing

• Distressing a piece of wooden furniture involves sanding or gouging at the surfaces using different tools to achieve an aged, well-used look. Use a power palm sander to work at the surface of the wood; a coarse grit sandpaper worked against the grain of the wood will quickly give an effective beaten look to the piece. Experiment with different pressures and grits to achieve different looks. Chipping and gouging can be done with tools you already have on hand, such as screwdrivers, putty knifes and drill bits. Always use goggles and gloves when gouging wood to protect yourself from injury.

Crackling

• One particularly popular weathering technique involves crackling paint on the surface of a furniture piece, giving it a cracked, fractured appearance. There are a number of products available that will give you a crackled finish, but you can achieve results by painting resolvent glue onto the piece, allowing the glue to dry, then painting a layer of acrylic or milk paint over the glue. The paint will then crackle. You can then apply another layer of crackle, as desired, or allow the paint to dry.

Pitting

• Pitting wood surfaces works best on old, bare wood furniture that is dry. Spread a thick layer of coarse salt onto the surface and spray with water until it forms a paste. Allow the salt to remain on the surface for several days, wetting it periodically. When the pitting is complete, rinse the surface well with warm water to remove all traces of salt.

Finishing

• Once you have achieved the desired level of weathering, you can use the piece as-is – which will continue the weathering process slowly and naturally, as you use the piece – or coat the piece with a layer of protective shellac. Use a clean or tinted shellac, following the manufacturer’s directions, and allow the piece to dry completely before using.