Sunday, June 28, 2009

reader question... about distressing with sandpaper vs wax

I got an email from dear reader, Carla, asking if I ever have distressed my furniture. Now, it is not that I hate distressed furniture. I really don't mind it. I have distressed furniture before - I just didn't use sandpaper so that I could save the detailing on the furniture. (Really - a little wax is a miracle). I have an old sideboard in the dining room that I distressed, as well as a table I got at Pottery Barn on mega clearance. It was a mahogany Parker table that normally went for $1400 and I got it for $99. It had scratches on the top, and while I could have refinished it, I primed and painted it white and distressed it with wax. I always have the option of stripping it and staining it a dark color since I used wax.

I haven't recently distressed anything. I sort of think just being in the old house with a bunch of old furniture is the spot where I am at. I actually am gravitating a bit more toward black than white, but I do adore beachy white rooms. I feel I tend to live my life in color. I feel like my rooms need color.

Anyway, Carla... to answer your question, yes, I have distressed furniture. Just not very recently. For those interested in using wax to save the edges of their furniture, jsut run a bit of candle wax, parrafin, whatever you have, along the edge where you want the "distress" marks to be. Paint it up, while it is still tacky, wipe off the paint. The wax will let it come right off. For contrast, use black paint under the white so black shows through. Or you can use some light stain over the white to give it aging. Antiquing paste or wax also works great for that.

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