Have you admired a piece of furniture painted using a layered/distressed look and wondered how it's done?
Distressing furniture to achieve this look can be managed in a few different ways, but the easiest is using hard wax to create areas that resist paint.
To do this, first choose 2 or 3 contrasting colours. The order you layer your colours depends on which one you want to see most and which you want to see least, on the finished piece. (Least visible will be the first coat, most visible will be last coat.)
Be sure to prep your piece before you start. This includes all the usual things - fill, sand, clean, dry.
Apply your first coat and when dry, use the Beeswax Hive Distressing block and rub vigorously at selective areas along the edges, at corners and any other areas you would expect to see wear and tear over time. (Around handles and knobs, along joins, around feet or skirting for example). How much wax you rub on at this stage will depend on how much of your first coat you want to see. Remember that if you are using 3 colours, the seond and third coats will resist adhering to the waxed areas.
If only using 2 colours, give the wax a few hours to cure and then apply 2 coats of your top colour allowing normal drying times between each coat. If using 3 colours, apply one to two coats or your second colour, allow to dry an repeat process with the wax block focusing on different areas. Finally, apply two top coats.
This is when the fun part begins! Once completely dry, sand over your piece using a fine grit sandpaper. This will help smooth any bumps and lumps from painting, and your paint will easily come away from the waxed areas. You should now be able to see the different colours and just need to apply a top coat of wax and/or matt poly sealer to protect. I like using both. The poly coat gives you good water and stain resistance and the wax on top provides a rich, satin finish which provides depth to your colours. Try our Birds and Bees Wax Paste or Canterbury Blue Wax, both stocked in our online store.
Now stand back and admire your masterpiece!
Happy painting.