Achieving a 'distressed' finish on antique furniture

[Emtoucan]

Hi all, first post but I've been getting advise from the forums for some time now.

My wife has decided that she wants to buy a sideboard for the dining room which has this 'shabby chic' look to it. So we have been looking for some old furniture and have found several pieces for very reasonable prices but these have the original varnished finish.

Can anyone give me some advise how to paint the furniture to achieve this finish. We will be painting it white/off-white and it will have a distressed look.

I've looked all over the internet but have only found places selling furniture already like this.

Any suggestions?

Many thanks.

 

[danennis60]

Hi, if you put 'distressed' in a search you will see my reply to the same question not long ago. Hope this helps.

 

[Zampa]

Scream at it for ten minutes...always works on the wife!

Ok ok...seriously..

Couple of ways you can do it..

One..wipe on some vaseline or candle wax of the edges here and there..paint it...then run a scraper over those bits...the paint will come off easily revealing the bare wood underneath....

or......

Paint it with a couple of coats of acrylic primer undercoat and then sand edges down here and there then go over it with a couple of coats of acrylic galze to protect it

 

[Zampa]

Scream at it for ten minutes...always works on the wife!

Ok ok...seriously..

Couple of ways you can do it..

One..wipe on some vaseline or candle wax of the edges here and there..paint it...then run a scraper over those bits...the paint will come off easily revealing the bare wood underneath....

or......

Paint it with a couple of coats of acrylic primer undercoat and then sand edges down here and there then go over it with a couple of coats of acrylic galze to protect it

 

[Zampa]

Scream at it for ten minutes...always works on the wife!

Ok ok...seriously..

Couple of ways you can do it..

One..wipe on some vaseline or candle wax of the edges here and there..paint it...then run a scraper over those bits...the paint will come off easily revealing the bare wood underneath....

or......

Paint it with a couple of coats of acrylic primer undercoat and then sand edges down here and there then go over it with a couple of coats of acrylic galze to protect it