Aging wooden furniture is a fantastic way to add character to your home decor. Vintage, antique, and worn furniture possess a charm that often lacks in new pieces. One way to achieve this without spending a fortune on antiques is to age the furniture yourself. By following a few steps and learning some techniques, you can quickly discover how to age wooden furniture to achieve a charming, vintage look.
Preparing the Furniture
Step 1. Choose the piece of furniture to age.
Select a piece of furniture to age. If this is your first time aging a piece, avoid using valuable or expensive furniture. Instead, buy a cheap piece from a thrift store or an online auction. This way, you won’t have to worry about ruining a beloved item if you’re not satisfied with the results.
Step 2. Protect the area where you will be working or move the furniture to another location.
Protect the area where you will be working or move the furniture to another location. You will be doing a lot of sanding, painting, and scraping, which means there will be a mess. Cover the space where you will work (and other furniture) with sheets or newspapers to protect it from sanding dust and paint splatters.
- Or simply take your item outside. Anywhere will do.
Step 3. If you don’t like the color the furniture is painted, get a paint remover.
If you don’t like the color the furniture is painted, get a paint remover. The current color of your item, regardless of whether you are going to repaint it or not, will show through when you age the piece. Therefore, if you dislike the color, you need to get rid of it. You can sand it off, but that will take too long. A remover works much faster. Just apply it, wait for the paint to bubble, and scrape it off.
- Most people skip this step. If you skip it, the result won’t be as good. Take the extra time to make the furniture perfect by buying (and using) paint remover.
- Once the paint is removed, you will likely need to sand it. There will probably be a couple of paint spots that have soaked in and won't come off — you’ll have to use sandpaper to deal with those.
Step 4. Consider applying stain to the bare wood.
Consider applying stain to the bare wood. If the piece has no paint, you might want to add a stain. It will muddle the paint you apply, giving the piece a vintage look. If the stain shows through, it will also look nice (which will happen if you apply paint of only one color).
- To do this, take a clean cloth, dip it in the stain, and rub it in circular motions. This will bring out the natural wood grain. If you’re worried about any circles appearing — they won’t show through the next layer of paint.
Step 5. If you like the current color, start sanding.
If you like the current color, start sanding. Sand the piece with fine-grit sandpaper. If the furniture is unpainted, you need to sand it until you have a smooth surface for the paint to adhere to. If the furniture has stain or a layer of paint, sand it enough to remove most of it, but not all. The old finish, which will be uneven, will help achieve the look you are going for.
- It’s good to start with sandpaper of 80-grit (20-H). As you sand, keep an eye on how much of the original layer is still showing. Some people prefer a more distressed look, while others like the subtleties to be surprisingly elusive.
Step 6. Wipe down the piece with a dust cloth.
Wipe down the piece with a dust cloth. This will remove all the dust left from sanding. You need to work with clean furniture with no debris, including dust.
Painting the Furniture
Step 1. Apply the base color.
Apply the base color. Now you have two options: you can use one color — the base — and this will be the overall color of your furniture piece. The aged parts of the wood will show through the paint. Or, you can leave the base color, sand it, add wax, paint over it, and sand again so that the areas of the base color will show through. Either way, you will end up with a lovely piece of furniture.
- Always apply paint in thin, even layers. This takes longer, but it’s worth it. Apply paint with a grain in a thin layer all over the piece and let it dry. Repeat until you achieve the desired color. This way, you can control the shade more precisely, and you won’t have any sticky spots from excess paint.
Step 2. If you are using two different colors of paint, apply wax to the areas where the base color should show through.
If you are using two different colors of paint, apply wax to the areas where the base color should show through. This step is optional; it’s only necessary if you’re using two colors of paint. Wax acts as a barrier that prevents the top layer of paint from covering the bottom layer.
- Use candle wax or petroleum jelly and apply it to the areas you want to age. These will likely be corners, edges, and places that have been “frequently touched.” You should make it so that another color shows through in these areas.
Step 3. Sand the piece to simulate wear.
Sand the piece to simulate wear. If you are not using a second color of paint, take coarse sandpaper or a sanding block and rub the corners and edges of the furniture hard until the surface is unevenly processed. This will give the furniture a worn look, and this is actually the most challenging part of the job.
- If you’re using a second color, do this step but not as aggressively — you will paint over the scuffs anyway.
Step 4. If desired, apply a topcoat.
If desired, apply a topcoat. This topcoat shouldn’t be pretty. In fact, the less attractive it is, the more aged your piece will appear. Let it be as thin as possible in some areas so that the base layer or the scuffs show through. The more worn and scratched the result is, the better.
- Paint over the wax — that’s what it’s there for. And again, apply the paint in a thin layer, not in sticky puddles. Let it dry after you’re finished.
Step 5. If possible, rub the wax with a steel brush.
If possible, rub the wax with a steel brush. A steel brush won’t damage the top layer too much, and it doesn’t matter (after all, you want an aged look). Rub it over the wax so that it wears off and the base paint shows through.
- After this step, wipe the entire piece with a dust cloth. At this point, you’re almost done. All that’s left is to add a few finishing touches.
Adding Wear Marks
Step 1. Use a chisel and hammer to add cracks to the wood.
Use a chisel and hammer to add cracks to the wood. If you want the furniture to have cracks, you’ll need a chisel and a hammer. Position the chisel where you want the crack to be. Keep in mind that wood only cracks along the grain. Tap the hammer on the chisel until a crack starts to form. Move the chisel along the crack if you want to make it bigger.
- You can also make small dents in the piece with the hammer. To give the furniture a worn look, hit the hammer in several places to create small dents.
Step 2. Use a stiff brush to create light scratches on the furniture.
Use a stiff brush to create light scratches on the furniture. Rub a stiff brush along any area of the furniture where you want to add scratches. This can also be done after painting.
- Try to make them appear random rather than intentional. Apply scratches not too deeply and at different angles, letting the lines be uneven and thick.
Step 3. Drill small holes in the furniture.
Drill small holes in the furniture. If you want to increase the level of wear, take a drill with a small bit and drill very small holes in the furniture. Drill several holes close together to simulate damage from insects or worms. This will also give the piece a used appearance.
- This part is entirely optional. If you don’t want to drill holes in your furniture — don’t do it. Scratches and aged paint will be enough.
Step 4. Replace any metallic hardware with antique ones.
Replace any metallic hardware with antique ones. Any shiny metal parts on the furniture can spoil the look you want to create. Fortunately, antique hardware (including reproductions) is a rapidly growing business; search online for replacement parts for your furniture: latches, mechanisms, legs, and screws.
Step 5. If desired, apply wood stain to the furniture and finish with a topcoat.
If desired, apply wood stain to the furniture and finish with a topcoat. Start by cleaning the furniture with a dust cloth and then apply the stain with a brush along the grain. After applying, wipe the stain with a cloth — this will leave just enough to highlight the cracks and dents you’ve made.
- Once the stain dries, cover it with a layer of clear coat. Make sure that the clear coat you choose doesn’t yellow, as some (like regular polyurethane) change color over time, which can ruin the look of the furniture.
