How do you 'antique' your furniture?

Question

I have a brown cupboard, which I would like to turn to a white 'antique' french finish. Is there a special name for this and how do you do it?

Answer 1

Antique is a word used to describe an object which is now very rare & was made of the best quality & standard.

What you mean to say is that you want your furniture to look antique. You cant make something be antique if it is not.

Then.. In order to make your brown cupboard look like a worn-out white french antique, I would paint it with a white paint then using a soft sandpaper, sand down certain areas of the cupboard when the paint is dry to give it a rustic look.

Answer 2

Antiquing is normally done either by adding a paint that crackles. There are a lot of spray paints you can buy that will crackle. You can also add wear to the furniture by buffing in the areas where you would normally run your hand over.

There are actually all kinds of techniques. Some even throw the furniture in water to get it to look older or put it in a hot area. Then there are glazes and stuff you can put on it to make it darker in areas.

Most good furniture people though can tell by the way the piece is constructed though. Antique pieces are constructed in a certain manner.

Answer 3

I'd purchase an "antiquing" kit. They've been on the market for many years, and they produce great results. You can find just about any color you want. I've seen some exactly labeled "antique french."

It's basically two cans of paint. Once is a flat color. Once it dries, there is another particle enhancing type of liquid that you spread over the base coat. There's more to it, bu the instructions are very clear and it's an easy jot to accomplish

Good luck

Answer 4

Gesso...

Sandpaper, elbow grease and white paint thinnned out and only lightly streaked onto the surface.

It is called Shabby Chic.

Just be careful that the brown piece you are starting with isin't valuable or old. Nothing downgrades the value of an antique more than painting it.

Answer 5

I have done this on two pieces of furniture in my home, using essentially the same process.
Clean the furniture, sand it out where necessary, prime it with a latex.
Use the color you want, paint it.
When that paint is completely dry, mix some tans, browns, reds--whatever the look you want is, and dry-brush it on edges, cracks, etc. until you get the look you want. It's very important to swipe in one direction, with a dry brush. Wipe your brush on an old towel frequently to get those 'barely distressed' marks.
I used gold and tan to achieve this look on a light pink desk for my daughter, and brown and red on a cream-colored nightstand for me. it is really not difficult, and at worst, you can repaint!

Answer 6

I believe you want the piece to become "Shabby Chic" It's white furniture with a distressed look. You should be able to find a book at Home Depot about how to do it.

Answer 7

You can paint the piece and sand the typical spots that would take on wear over the years, or a very good product is briwax. you rub it on over your paint and it will antique it.

Answer 8

Not entirely sure about this, you'll have to look it up but I think it's called liming.