For many people, new furniture simply does not have that softened character we see in well-worn antique items. Fortunately, age can be faked.
With solid wood pieces you have so many interesting options that are available. Just think about wood veneers. You can buy something of a very high quality from a reputable shop like Kairos Shop and then just add the veneers. You can use paint with laminates and many other options exist. However, the following are the most common ones that can be considered.
Painting The Furniture
With paint you can add some faux age without causing physical damage. In order to get much better adhesion, you can lightly scuff the surface with the use of fine sandpaper. Then, you would have to apply paint primer. Since you are going for an antique appearance, you want to get a layered look. To achieve this, you want to paint with a minimum of 2 coats of paint, preferable in different colors. Scuff through paint layers with the use of sandpaper. Then, chip away some small areas with the use of a simple paint scraper.
You can also use crackle paint, which is a great technique. A shade is covering the furniture (even coat) and you then add a crackling medium. In the top coat we see shrinkage so cracks are produced. Then, the base coat peeks through. When you want to get the lighter antique appearance, the furniture needs to be coated with the use of off-white paint. Then, wipe darker shades like golden brown into corners, seams, and all the other recessed areas.
Staining Wood
If you’re interested in Reclamation antiques, you probably already know about the process of wood staining. When the wood is pale, it looks new, no matter what species it is. Even light pine ends up aging to a shade of warmer gold after a couple of years of sunlight exposure. Darker wood stains automatically imply age. When you look at antique furniture, you see a shade that is close to black. Dark tones can be enhanced with the addition of lampblack. Use a spoon and put it over an oil lamp or a lit candle. Then, collect the residue. Stir it inside stain small bits. Do this until the color is what you want to achieve.
Scarring Wood
Wood furniture is well-worn and has an imperfect surface. This happens because of years of constant wear appearing around edges. There are also accidental dings, burns, and scratches. You can mimic marks with the use of your ingenuity and imagination.
Use sandpaper to round off the sharp edges and use a simple ice pick to produce the worm holes. Heavy objects, like a thick chain, can add dents we often see in antique furniture. Then, a wood-burning tool can leave dark spots here and there.
Wood Finishes
Nowadays, polyurethane is the very common protective wood finish. The problem is that the result is not antique-like. It is patently. You need a finish that is more convincing when the furniture was stained, scarred, or even both. Go for something more suitable, like beeswax. You can warm it and blend it with some mineral oil in order to make a paste. That paste would offer a soft sheen if lightly buffed. You just need some extra buffing or new was for touch-ups. Shellac will protect furniture surface more than wax and removes the need of sanding.
For many people, new furniture simply does not have that softened character we see in well-worn antique items. Fortunately, age can be faked.
With solid wood pieces you have so many interesting options that are available. Just think about wood veneers. You can buy something of a very high quality from a reputable shop like Kairos Shop and then just add the veneers. You can use paint with laminates and many other options exist. However, the following are the most common ones that can be considered.
Painting The Furniture
With paint you can add some faux age without causing physical damage. In order to get much better adhesion, you can lightly scuff the surface with the use of fine sandpaper. Then, you would have to apply paint primer. Since you are going for an antique appearance, you want to get a layered look. To achieve this, you want to paint with a minimum of 2 coats of paint, preferable in different colors. Scuff through paint layers with the use of sandpaper. Then, chip away some small areas with the use of a simple paint scraper.
You can also use crackle paint, which is a great technique. A shade is covering the furniture (even coat) and you then add a crackling medium. In the top coat we see shrinkage so cracks are produced. Then, the base coat peeks through. When you want to get the lighter antique appearance, the furniture needs to be coated with the use of off-white paint. Then, wipe darker shades like golden brown into corners, seams, and all the other recessed areas.
Staining Wood
When the wood is pale, it looks new, no matter what species it is. Even light pine ends up aging to a shade of warmer gold after a couple of years of sunlight exposure. Darker wood stains automatically imply age. When you look at antique furniture, you see a shade that is close to black. Dark tones can be enhanced with the addition of lampblack. Use a spoon and put it over an oil lamp or a lit candle. Then, collect the residue. Stir it inside stain small bits. Do this until the color is what you want to achieve.
Scarring Wood
Wood furniture is well-worn and has an imperfect surface. This happens because of years of constant wear appearing around edges. There are also accidental dings, burns, and scratches. You can mimic marks with the use of your ingenuity and imagination.
Use sandpaper to round off the sharp edges and use a simple ice pick to produce the worm holes. Heavy objects, like a thick chain, can add dents we often see in antique furniture. Then, a wood-burning tool can leave dark spots here and there.
Wood Finishes
Nowadays, polyurethane is the very common protective wood finish. The problem is that the result is not antique-like. It is patently. You need a finish that is more convincing when the furniture was stained, scarred, or even both. Go for something more suitable, like beeswax. You can warm it and blend it with some mineral oil in order to make a paste. That paste would offer a soft sheen if lightly buffed. You just need some extra buffing or new was for touch-ups. Shellac will protect furniture surface more than wax and removes the need of sanding.
