I want the look of the furniture to be antique, shabby chic style. How do I make the transformation?

It's probably a good time to make changes in your home because a lot of questions coming from you lately are about freshening up pieces of furniture or even their transformation. That's what the question that is the subject of this article is about, only it's more specific, the furniture is meant to look a certain way, more specifically shabby chic. This means that, in addition to painting, ageing techniques are needed to make the furniture look old and long used. If done well, such pieces can personalize a space and make it even more enjoyable.

What is characteristic of shabby chic style

Shabby chic is a style of interior design where old or seemingly old pieces of furniture and decorations are used. It originated in the UK as a reproduction of the country style in city homes. The term was first used in the London magazine The World of Interiorsin the 1980s, and through it, it also expanded to the USA. Gradually the style was enriched with elements specific to the Provençal countryside (lavender bouquets), Greek (olives, olive leaves) or Italian (grapes and vine leaves, lemons).

Shabby chic furniture is simple, functional and looks well used. When I say simple I don't mean minimalist but furniture used in a rural environment where the lines are warm and each piece has utility. Being a rural-inspired style, the furniture can be embellished with paintings depicting bouquets of flowers, garlands or various symbols or images. It is painted, the wood is rarely visible, and the colours are pastel and without sheen. In a shabby chic decor, sofas and chairs are covered with decorative cushions, floral-print curtains are used, string is used to tie them up and decorative objects that belonged to times gone by.

How to make the transformation of furniture

The main characteristic of artificially aged furniture is the edges that appear melted from long use. Depending on the desire and the beautiful Each one, the edges may be discreetly faded or, conversely, the passage of time is suggested by large sections where the new paint has gone and left the place of the old one underneath. Whichever pattern you choose, the final piece should look natural and natural, nothing should be overdone. I have to admit that such transformations take talent and sometimes inspiration. I recommend searching the web for shabby chic pieces before starting the transformation.

In the video below you can see how to sand the edges. The round ends are sanded by following the profile and gently pressing because those are the areas where furniture is naturally ground. Sanding is done unevenly because in normal use it happens the same way. Continuously you need to keep in mind the veracity and naturalness of the object.

The old look is also given by a surface that does not look perfectly clean. Patinas or even simpler, dark wax are used to achieve this effect. Applied over the entire surface and then wiped off, it leaves a discreet, uneven colouring that suggests an old piece. It should be noted that nothing but wax can be applied to wax-aged furniture. If you want a more durable surface because the furniture will be used in high humidity environments, then you will need to use varnish as a final coat. In this case ageing patinas will be used. You can find them in DIY stores or at wood varnish and paint dealers. The last option is preferable because you will usually find specialists who can give you advice and information.

Ageing techniques

There are several techniques to achieve an aged object. They all rely on overlapping paints, patinas and sometimes materials that can create special effects. An interesting special effect is that of cracking. There is a material that can be applied from place to place, and the paint applied on top will crack when it dries. Followed by waxing with a dark wax will lead to a very truthful paint aging effect.

Before starting the conversion, the piece of furniture should be thoroughly cleaned and degreased. Ironic, isn't it? We remove the accumulated dirt and then go to the trouble of creating an artificial one. But the effect we want to achieve is different, and materials have no adhesion if the surface is not clean. How to clean an object to be repainted is described in detail here. We also need to prepare the place where we will work and the materials we need. We have described some tips on painting and varnishing and about chalky paints, which are worth a look if you're a beginner to prepare properly before you start the transformation.

The easiest way is to use a light paint, preferably cream, beige or grey, applied over a dark piece of furniture. It's best to use a regular water-based paint or a chalky one such as Annie Sloanfor example. In the case of regular paint you will need to sand the surface of the furniture beforehand for adhesion. Using Annie Sloan paint, there is no need to sand, even if the furniture is glossy, but it is mandatory to fix the paint with wax because otherwise it has no resistance. Apply with a brush in 2 coats to completely cover the old coat. After drying sand the edges down to the old coat, as in the video above. You can leave it like this (if the paint is ordinary) or you can apply a coloured wax as a patina. To make it easier to remove the wax, apply it over a thin layer of colourless wax.

Another method is to apply several successive coats of different colours. In this case more aggressive colours such as red, blue, green can also be used. Apply a thin coat with a brush, let it dry and then apply the next one. Here it's very much a matter of inspiration, as the coats may not be applied all over, there may be just a few dabs here and there, and the brush mark may remain visible. The last paint applied is the dominant one, the one that will give the final look. After drying, sand the edges and the surface from place to place, leaving as many colours as possible visible. Here, too, you can apply dark wax, colourless wax or patina and colourless (water-based) varnish, if the furniture is used in the bathroom or kitchen.

Using chalky paints allows you to highlight hidden layers without sanding. After applying successive coats of paint, spray the entire surface with vinegar. The vinegar will attack the chalk layer and dissolve it. Being only sprayed, it will not be enough to destroy the whole layer but only here and there. The spraying is done in a differentiated way so that some areas are attacked more than others. After drying, wax is applied for fixing. Use ordinary vinegar and test beforehand to check the effect. This technique only works with chalky paints, vinegar does not attack ordinary paints.

I think you've managed to get an idea of what artificial aging, shabby chic or patina means. If you've done such transformations, tell us what method you used. It would be interesting to learn new techniques, share experiences. And if you have any queries or questions, leave them below in the dedicated space. I will certainly answer them.

Good luck!