Antiquing White Furniture Without Glaze

Clean the piece of furniture thoroughly using a gentle soap or wood cleaner. Use a damp cloth to wipe down all of the surfaces, focusing on the carving or detailed structural elements. Remove all of the dust and grime that has built up over the years. Allow the furniture to dry completely before starting the antiquing process. Use a tack cloth to remove any dust that accumulates in the meantime.

Use sheets of fine-grain sandpaper to smooth out the rough surfaces. Apply gentle pressure, focusing on areas that have edges or bumps from previous paint jobs. Wipe down the piece with a tack cloth to get rid of the sandpaper dust that can compromise the paint application.

Spray the piece of furniture with a clear primer coat. If your furniture has a shiny surface, buy a bonded primer that will allow the paint to stick to the smooth finish. Aim for an even, gentle application that reaches all of the detail work.

Use spray paint to give your furniture a solid-color base coat. This color will show through under the top coat of white paint at the end of the antiquing process. Use a bright or pastel color for a whimsical look. If you want a wood color to show through the wear marks, leave the furniture in its original finish or add a coat of stain instead of paint. Use as many coats as necessary to create a solid finish, allowing each coat to dry before applying another.

Cover the base color with two coats of white paint; if the base paint is very dark or very bright, you may need to use additional coats. When you have achieved a solid white coat, allow the piece to dry completely.

Use sandpaper to sand off sections of white paint to create a weathered look. Focus on areas that would have natural wear marks after years of use: the edges of doors, furniture arms and the tops of drawers, for example. Make additional wear on the edges of detail work like molding or carving. Sand just enough paint so the base color shows through the white. Start small and add more wear spots until you achieve the right amount of antiquing.