How to Antique Furniture

It may seem a bit odd to want to make a newer piece of furniture look like an antique. After all, isn’t that what antiques are for?

Unfortunately, antiques can be pretty pricey. And with just a little time and labor, you can turn an ordinary piece of furniture that you have in your house, found at a garage or estate sale or discovered hidden away in the corner of a thrift store and turn it into a beautiful piece of antique furniture.

The first task at hand is to pick the right piece of furniture for antiquing. Obviously, you don’t want to do this with a contemporary or modern piece of furniture. It won’t look quite right no matter what you do.

Start by applying primer to the furniture and then let it dry thoroughly. Overnight is good, 24 hours is even better. Now you’re ready to add the first coat of paint. Latex is the best choice since it dries fast and is easy to clean up. When it’s completely dry, add a second coat. If you want, you can use two different colors of paint to increase the appearance that the chair has been around a long time and has been repainted several times over the years.

Ready for the magic to happen? The first thing to do is remove some of the point in the areas where the furniture would naturally show wear over time. This can be around the edges of a chair seat, an arm rest, the sides of a table or around knobs. 60 grit sandpaper will work well with this. Just be sure that you don’t sand too deep. You just want to wear some of the paint off so the lower layer of paint or the wood shows through. Once you like the look, go over the area with some 120 grit paper to smooth any rough spots out.

If you want to make it look a little more weather beaten and time worn, you can use a little tough love to create more interesting effects. One of these is to use a heavy chain about a foot long. Hit the furniture with the chain. It will make irregular indentations. You can use fencing pliers to make little holes in the wood, as if bugs had been boring into it. The pliers can also put in some scratches in strategic places. Don’t get too carried away. You want your furniture to look antiqued, not mugged.

Remember that you want to age it with a chain and fencing pliers before you paint. Otherwise you’ll just undo all the hard work you just did.

A hammer can create some interesting effects as well. Again, be random with the marks. Don’t get carried away with their placement or group things together too closely.

For an aged wood effect, you can apply lye-based oven cleaner over the surface of the furniture. Wipe away any excess. Then coat with vinegar, which will neutralize the oven cleaner and leave the wood looking gray, as if it had sat outdoors for years. If you want to add a few water rings, you can use a tin can that has been filled with hot water. Wet the bottom, set the can down for about 15 minutes or so, and voila! Instant water ring.

To add dimension to your antique furniture, apply a little brown or black shoe polish around the edges. This works great on the spindles of a chair back or down on the turned legs. Work the polish in with a rag, then lightly wipe of the excess. The polish will stay in the grooves and channels of the wood, giving it more depth and complexity.

If you want a darker color to the wood, use a dark colored paste wax. Generously apply it to the areas that you want to have a deeper color and then wipe off the excess. It can really enhance the antiquing effect.

These techniques aren’t hard to learn at all and with a little practice, you may be able to rejuvenate a tired looking piece of wood furniture with a little antiquing, letting it shine anew by looking old.

About the Author: Jesse Akre owns Edenvale Shoppes and hosts numerous furniture and furnishings for any home whether it be console table or kitchen tables styles and designs.