Shabby chic is a good style for people on a budget, for families who want a stylish yet functional decor, and for those who love old things and think that imperfections only lend to their charm. Refinishing furniture in a shabby chic style is fairly easy, and the best part is that you don't have to be an artist or craftsman because you don't want it to be perfect. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Distressed Furniture Look
1. Sand furniture well so that it will accept paint better. If the furniture is old with rough parts, if it has been varnished, painted already, or if it is not made of wood, start with a heavy or medium grit sand paper, and finish it off with a fine grain. Furniture made of Formica, veneer or pressed wood can be transformed into shabby chic by painting.
2. Mix one cup of ammonia with one gallon of warm water. Use a rag to wash your furniture thoroughly to remove debris, grease or dust. Allow it to dry thoroughly.
3. Distress the furniture more, if you like. Hit the furniture with a hammer or chains, creating dents and scratches in the surface. Use a drill to create "wormholes" here and there. Wipe the furniture again with the ammonia and water mixture and allow it to dry.
4. Choose paint colors for your furniture. The top coat of shabby chic is often white, and this can lend a nice uniformity to mismatched pieces. Choose an undercoat that will show through the cracks of the crackled top coat. Black, brown or any pastel color works well. You can use the same color for all of the undercoats, or use different undercoat colors for different pieces.
5. Paint the furniture the bottom coat color. Allow it to dry for 24 hours. Apply crackle finish paint medium according to the directions on the can. The heavier the coating of medium, the more crackled the paint will become. Before the crackle medium dries, paint on the top coat color. The top coat will peel and crack as the paint dries, allowing the color beneath it to show through. Allow the top coat to dry for 24 hours.
6. Use fine grain sandpaper to further distress the piece by wearing down the paint in some areas, such as on edges, corners or around ornate carvings.
Aged Metal Look
7. Choose a patina solution found at craft stores. Patina solutions come in different finishes, such as a red iron rust look, or a green oxidized copper look. If the surface you are painting is not already made of metal, you must apply a metallic paint layer first --the process can be used on plaster, wood, stone, plastic or veneer finishes. Metallic paint comes in different metallic finishes, such as gold, silver, copper, brass and metallic colors.
8. Paint sealer primer on all non-metallic surfaces you plan to patina. Do not use rust-proof primers. Then apply metallic paint . Skip this step on any metal you are aging.
9. Apply the patina solution according to the instructions on the packaging to achieve the desired effect.
10. Apply acrylic sealer, which is recommended for any patina pieces that will regularly come into contact with skin, such as metal chairs. Sealers will deepen the color of the patina and stop any further oxidation. If you prefer to leave some pieces without sealing them, the patina effect will continue over time.
Tags: shabby chic, that will, already made, apply metallic, apply metallic paint