How to Refinish Furniture With a Rustic Look
Whether your furniture has a weathered or rustic look, you can refinish it to create that look yourself. You can start by following the steps in this article to distress the furniture. These steps include using steel wool, sandpaper, and chalk paint. After this, you can start applying a new finish. You can even apply a second coat if you would like. If you aren’t comfortable applying a second layer of finish, you can use an additional coat of paint.
Distressing is a technique to refinish furniture with a rustic look
To create a distressed look on your refinished furniture, you can sand it down. Sanding helps recreate the look of normal wear and tear on furniture. Nevertheless, this technique requires a little research and knowledge. Sanding the right spots is crucial to achieving an authentic worn-out look. Listed below are some tips on how to sand down your furniture.
Using chalk paint
If you are looking to give your existing furniture a fresh, new look, you can use chalk paint as a great way to do it. Unlike conventional paint, chalk paint is easy to use and can be applied to most types of furniture. You will need two or three coats of paint and make sure that the paint dries completely between coats. Depending on the piece of furniture, you may need to apply additional coats if the paint is too thin.
Using sandpaper
When refinishing furniture with a rustic look, it’s important to remember that sanding is important to achieving a distressed finish. Follow Annie’s directions to create a distressed finish, and use coarser sandpaper for this. The coarser the sandpaper, the more distressed the piece will look. You can start with fine sandpaper to get a rough, aged look, or move up to a more rustic one as the finish gets more worn.
Using steel wool
If you’d like a reclaimed-wood look for your furniture, you can use steel wool to restore the finish. Use a coarse or medium-sized pad to scrub away paint in circular motions on a small area of the table or chair. Use a lint-free cloth to wipe away excess steel wool, and then apply a protective finish. Follow the directions on the box to prevent the steel wool from drying and cracking.
Using oil finishes
Depending on the wood type, one or more coats of oil finishes may be used. A single coat will be sufficient for small wooden items and low-usage surfaces. More expensive pieces, however, should be refinished with a proper hand-rubbed oil finish. Below are some tips on oil finishes for furniture:
