The Secrets Behind Distressed Furniture And Shabby-Chic Decors

You’re probably familiar with the concept of distressed furniture but did you ever wonder how that special look is obtained? The process of distressing furniture is actually a fairly simple one. The whole idea behind it is to make a piece of furniture or an object appear aged or older than it actually is. Naturally-distressed pieces are the most sought-after and the ones that inspired this whole trend that’s getting more and more popular by the day.

The goal in this case is to give an object a weathered look and in order to do this several different techniques can be used. During the process, the object’s finish is intentionally destroyed or transformed in order to make it look less perfect. Imperfections are actually desired in this case. When you’re distressing a piece of furniture you have to remove some but not all of the paint and to do that you can use sandpaper or a paint stripper. The goal is to offer some subtle proof of the several layers of paint underneath and to give the piece a worn look.

One of the most wonderful surfaces to work with in this case is solid pine furniture. It’s ideal to apply distressing to such a furniture piece and the results are exquisite. The final appearance is often called a patina and this term is usually used when describing antique pieces. Keep in mind that distressing can be applied to various different types of surfaces, not just wood. This includes glass, metal, plastic, stone, concrete and even plaster.

Distressed furniture is often perceived as having a shabby chic style and you can expect to see it in rustic, vintage, industrial but also Nordic or contemporary interior decors. The techniques you can use if you want to distress something are quite diverse. You can try to deliberately sand, dent or scrape and finish off your piece of furniture. If it’s made of wood, you can also try hammering, bleaching, staining or repainting the piece and for that you can use crackling paints or varnishes.

You can find antiquing paints and varnishes in craft stores but, if you want, you can also mix them at home. When applying new layers of paint, you can water down the mixture if you want to let the wood and the previous layers show through. Also, new layers of paint can be sponged on to create an uneven finish. At the end, you can sand down the corners and the hardware or to paint them slightly lighter to make them appear worn.

The cost of such projects is usually low and very few tools and materials are needed. The result is a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture unlike any other in the world, with a vintage or rustic look that you can use to your advantage. Consider such a makeover if you’re dealing with an old piece of furniture that you’re sentimentally attached to or with a totally new piece that needs more character.

It’s not just the furniture that gains character with a distressed finish. This beautiful mirror has a wonderful farmhouse-inspired look and it a nice accent piece for the bathroom or powder room. The design is simple but also eye-catching and that allows you to torn the mirror into a nice focal point for the area around it. It’s also subtle enough to blend in if that’s something you plan on doing.

The Polito mirror is also a very lovely decoration which you can add to just about any space. It would look beautiful above the fireplace in the living room, up on a wall in a hallway or casually displayed in your home office or the entryway. It has a wooden frame all around with a weathered gray finish and a lovely overlay with an eye-catching geometric pattern.

The Togut chairs have lots of character. They bring lots of cottage-inspired charm to the dining table and they can also be integrated in various other setups as well. They come as a set of two and have an elegant wooden frame with a creamy white finish. The crossback backrest design and the two turned legs at the front add lots of character and go well with the upholstered seats and overall silhouette of the chair.

Mirrors, as you probably know, are highly versatile and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. However, simple is sometimes better which brings us to this lovely piece. It’s a simple beveled mirror with a plastic frame that has a hammered metallic finish and a casual and boho-chic look. It can be mounted to a wall or allowed to casually lean against it and it can look great in lots of different spaces and decors.

A small storage cabinet cupboard with a distressed finish can be a really nice addition to a bathroom or a laundry room. The Gamino accent chest is a lovely example. It’s made of metal but it doesn’t look too cold or industrial and that’s all due to the weathered white finish. Instead, it has an antique-inspired feel and a rustic look. The glass door lets you see inside and the three drawers offer extra storage for various small items.

The Bell cabinet is another gorgeous piece of furniture with a really charming design. It has a French country vibe and it’s small enough to fit into almost any space. The cabinet is crafted from solid and engineered wood, has two doors at the front with beautifully carved out details on the panels and a distressed finish for a rustic look. You can use it to store books, decorations, dishes, gadgets and all sorts of other things depending on the case.

In case you’re looking for a way to add more character to your dining room, check out the beautiful Triston table. It has a strong rustic character and it’s made entirely of solid reclaimed wood. It has two sled legs which support a rectangular top and the design as a whole is very simple which allows the distressed finish to stand out. You can also extend the table to fit more guests, getting from 63’’ to 95’’ in length. Depending on the case, you can fit between 4 to 8 people around this beautiful dining table.

We also want to share with you this beautiful accent cabinet which has a vintage-inspired design and is a very versatile piece. It’s made of solid wood and MDF and has a sturdy and strong construction. The two shutter doors at the front are the focal point of its design and there’s antique gold hardware and a distressed finish on the entire piece for added character and style.

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