I love the look of time-worn, distressed furniture. It just has that cozy nostalgic vibe and is right up my shabby chic ally. Sometimes I will paint then sand and paint then sand and paint then sand some more to get the look I want, but…. That’s a lot of painting and sanding! So… super simple and quicker but also beautiful way to get that look is…
Painting with a small scrap of wood.
Yep, just something with a fairly smooth edge and and an easy size for you to hold (this is like a 3×3” block). For paint, choose something with a primer in it for best adhesion or just use a white primer if you want the result to be white anyway.
Next you just do a healthy dip in your paint, wipe some of the extra on the side of the can, and without pressing too hard smear it across your surface.
That’s pretty much it, just repeat to cover all surfaces and you may do a light sanding over the finish to smooth any “block” strokes. Then of course, add whatever details you desire on top and voilà!
Few more samples of pieces I’ve done this way…
FineandShabby 