Distressing Furniture: Do's & Don'ts
The distressed look: We’re all about it! (in some circumstances)
Are you into this look? It’s okay if you’re not; I understand the appeal, but of course I don’t want every piece in my home to be distressed. However, I do have an antique green kid’s chair that I use as a plant stand that is super chippy and cute, and it’s probably the one thing I’d grab if my house caught on fire (I’m also 99% sure it was painted with lead paint so it would be pretty bad if it did catch on fire and I was breathing in those fumes). I digress.
Anyway, today I wanted to share some tips for achieving the distressed look on furniture if you’re living a shabby-chic, French provincial, or farmhouse life.
First of all, I would recommend using either a chalk paint or milk paint for this process, as they distress very easily and don’t peel, which is what would happen if you tried to distress regular latex interior paint. My favorite brands include Rust-Oleum chalked paint (the cheapest option) or Annie sloan chalk paints (more expensive but great paints), as well as General Finishes milk paints (pricier but AMAZING products).
So, take a gander at the tips below and let me know if you have any questions!
Distressing DO’S:
Try “wet distressing:” this is when you take a paper towel or rag, and while the piece is still wet, rub the paint off in a few select areas. This will effectively show the color of the wood underneath the paint instead of distressing down to the light, bare wood, which can happen with sandpaper.
Focus on areas that would actually get distressed over time. Take a moment to evaluate where hands, legs, pets, kids, etc. would rub on a piece of furniture throughout the years. This would include areas like: bottoms of chair legs, the back of a chair, the edges of a piece, corners, intricate carved details, etc.
Try different methods to figure out what you like most. You can use sandpaper (I recommend something in the 120-220 grit range), steel wool, a scotch-brite pad, or even a paint scraper for a more dramatic effect. Try using what you already have in your home and figure out what works for you!
Distressing DON’TS:
Use a super low grit sandpaper like 60 or 80 grit. This will not only take off your paint, but also roughen the wood in that area to an undesirable texture.
Go overboard. It’s easy to really go to town with your sandpaper, but I think distressing always looks better when it’s a bit restrained and limited to the areas that would actually get use over time. If you distress too much, the result may be too “loud” and stand out in a bad way.
Think too much. Just do it! Work for a few minutes, then stand back and evaluate the piece. Don’t make it overly complicated or spend too much time finding the perfect places to distress; just keep working and pausing to make sure you stop before you’ve gone too far. It’s much easier to distress than to un-distress (is that a word?)
