Antiquing has become a popular faux finish for oak furniture. Antique furniture has a great charm and romance to it, something that brand new furniture can’t offer. The look is distinctive but you don’t have to be an antiques furniture expert to get this look for your home.
Whether you love solid oak, Cambridge Oak, painted oak or reworked and upcycled oak, antiquing is a hot trend that could add a wonderful depth to your interior design. There are several methods of antiquing and this wonderful faux effect is growing in popularity.
Oak Distressing
Distressed furniture has a very unique charm, and whilst this look often happens over a number of years, through natural wear and tear, homeowners are now creating the distressed look themselves using various different tools.
The process is simple; it involves gently beating the furniture with hammers, screwdrivers, scratch awls, screws and nails to create unique marks. There are different levels of wood distressing to be achieved, ranging from light distressing to heavy distressing. This all depends on how old you want your furniture to appear.
Oak Staining
Staining is a very easy way of making your oak furniture appear older and more antique. Stains are usually a tell tale sign of a an old piece of furniture which has been through the centuries. To get the look, use the method of ‘stain wiping’.
Use a light coat of paint as your base before using a darker colour (the stain) over the paint. Wipe the stain over the lighter base paint and then use turpentine to remove most of the stain. The turpentine will help you dull down the stain colour but still leave it noticeable to help you get the right effect.
Edge Sanding
You can emulate the look of wear and tear in old oak furniture using the trick of paint. Use a light colour to paint your wood then when it is dry, use a sanding device to created that distressed boho chic look. Any dust can be brushed away and you can also create a stain on the sanded areas to make it appear used, old or dirty.
