Rustic Effects on Furniture – Chairs, Tables, Drawers

With Rustic effects may be treated walls and furniture.

New, shiny furniture is not in vogue. Modern furniture look old, worn, and used. Recall that style “Rustic” means any visible signs of use, or any a failures / defects on the surface. This creates the impression that the furniture has a history and thus acquire charm. The creation of the rustic effect is not overwhelming and even a beginner can cope with these ideas for decorating.

We will look at several options of creating rustic furniture effects, which are very popular.

Artificial aging can be:

* Worn or frayed – Perhaps this is the most popular method. Edges and other parts are processed so that they look worn from usage. It is made with fine carpentry file, sandpaper or something else (fine Teflon sponge).

For frayed effect with white marks is used white pumice.

Before painting, you can approach harder and with heavy chain battered furniture to create grooves of “use”. Another possibility is brushing with a wire brush in some areas.

Sequence of operation:

First, apply on the object a dark layer of stain or paint ( alkyd ), garnish with a few brushes of gold in the areas where you will do fraying and when it dries, rub at these sites natural wax (if you use candle instead of wax – does not work well). Then apply a brighter paint and when it dries, we start with abrasion. With fine sandpaper (about № 200) or Teflon sponge, the object is processed – in areas that you rub with wax the paint will fall easily and there you have the “wear and tear“. For protection, paint several layers with a suitable varnish – matt or gloss.

* Annealing – Annealing is done in several places, on the surface, as to remain black spots. The polishing is next.

* Cracked effect – It can be found paints that after application are cracking on their own. Through the cracks can be seen the natural color of the wood.

* Effect “cow’s tail” – For the processing use a brush. The traces – large irregular streaks, left by the “tail” are from paint / stain.

* Effect “flecks from flies” – an effect that creates the impression that a fly has landed on the surface. On the surface, at random locations with dark paint are made small dots.

* Effect “Holes from woodworm” – also a popular method. With the small nail or awl, obliquely, the holes are made, which are in the direction of the fibers.

The artificial aging techniques can be applied both on the new and old furniture, which you want to refresh.