distressed-glazed-stained-vanity-edgewood cabinetry

The look of an old farmhouse, or even the shabby chic look, has a charm that just can’t be replicated without using some techniques to add age.

How can you accomplish that vintage look? There are several techniques you can use to age anything from your table to your cabinetry!

Distressing

  1. Distressing–distressing adds the visual interest of something that has had a lifetime before you got it.  How can you add years?  Using a chain, a hammer, and a nail, or a sander, you can ding your furniture just enough to add personality.
  2. Stain–this step will add the dark undertones that tell the world this piece of furniture or cabinetry has been around the block.  Don’t apply stain to the whole piece, but selectively choose cracks and dents to add depth.
  3. Paint–if desired, add paint as a final step, or add another technique to add even more character.

Tea Staining

  1. Paint— the surface and allow to dry.
  2. Sand— the surface lightly, allowing some or most of the paint to stay on.
  3. Using a dry-brush technique–in which you have stain on the brush, but you wipe off all the excess so it seems dry, and brush the surface leaving traces of the stain.

Glazing

  1. Glaze–brush on a glaze with a paintbrush, again using the drybrush technique.
  2. Allow to dry for a bit–if you wipe the glaze immediately, you will take it right back off, so let it dry for a minute or two.
  3. Wipe gently–to get a scuffed, worn look.

There are many ways to add the character and charm of old age to your furniture or cabinetry.  

The trick is getting it to look just as aged as you choose.  If you feel daunted by this task, feel free to contact us.  Especially for cabinetry, it can be difficult to get the right amount of ‘aging’ in exactly the right places, but when done well, distressing and other techniques can really give your home that old world charm.