Aging is so Distressing

I am a big fan of distressed furniture and have always wanted to get a hand in on the action. My parents have a table in their living room that was a perfect candidate for my first attempt.

This table was actually left in the lake house my Pop bought when my mom was in 6th grade, so we have no clue how old it actually is. It was barn red when my mom brought it home years ago. She painted it white and added the ivy embellishment, but it was time for another face lift.

We decided to use the white as the base color to show through in order to save a little time. If you are antiquing an unfinished peice of furniture, you would obviously need to choose a color for the base. Start by applying Vaseline to the areas you want distressed. Corners, doors, handles, knobs, and any areas that would naturally be touched or worn are good candidates. The Vaseline prevents the top coat of paint from sticking to the base coat and can be easily removed.

Next, paint the entire peice of furniture with a different color top coat (we used glossy almond by Valspar). Once the paint is dry, use steel wool to remove the Vaseline and reveal the base color underneath (the white in our case).

We used a dry brush technique for staining the piece. Keep the brush dry by dipping in the stain and wiping off on a cloth before applying to the furniture. Remove the stain from the furniture immediately with an old, dry rag. *I found it helped to let the stain sit for a few minutes before wiping it off*

It took us a few tries before we were satisfied with the amount of stain and "streakiness", but until you're comfortable with the process it's better to start lighter and work your way up. You can always add more, but it's real difficult to take it off!

It was super easy and I think it turned out great. I have a few more antiquing victims in mind... perhaps a dresser and a chiffarobe I found at a thrift store years ago.

Hope you are enjoying this glorious weather as much as I am. Mom and I have been walking every evening. Today will actually make 10 days in a row... doesn't that almost make it a habit? We've been having so much fun and actually extend our walks on Saturday mornings to stop by the new Panera Bread for breakfast. It's become a wonderful new tradition. [Shout-out to Mary Parrish  a) because I know you're reading, and b) because we love having you join us for Panera Saturdays!]

Until next time...