Distressed Painted Furniture

Looking for a statement piece to add to your bedroom or living room? Consider a distressed painted dresser.

This style of painting furniture is a popular DIY trend that creates a vintage and timeless look. It’s also a great way to upcycle an old piece of furniture and give it new life. If you’re looking for inspiration on your next furniture painting project, here are a few ideas to consider.

collage of distressed painted furniture ideas

Furniture painting has become a favored DIY trend among creatives and interior design enthusiasts alike, with distressed painted furniture garnering perhaps the most attention.

A distressed painted piece can lend a shabby chic, vintage, or rustic look to any space, making it both stylish and functional.

Whether you’re a seasoned DIYer or a beginner, painting furniture is a fun and creative way to decorate your space while adding your personal touch.

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How do you make painted furniture look distressed?

The first, and probably the easiest, method is sandpaper. You can sand the edges and corners of the furniture to give it a worn and weathered look.

Check out the best Sandpaper for Furniture Painting here.

Another technique is to use wax to add texture. Dark wax is particularly effective in highlighting texture and emphasizing a distressed look.

Dry brushing is a neat method where you dip your paintbrush in paint before wiping off most of it on a towel or cloth. Then, you lightly brush over portions of the furniture to create a subtle distressed look.

Learn about the Best Paint Brushes for Painting Furniture so you can grab the right paintbrush for your project.

If you want to learn more detailed steps and tips on how to distress furniture, check out our blog post on distressing furniture.

It provides everything you need to know about creating a beautiful distressed look for your furniture.

What colors are best to distress furniture?

Distressed furniture comes in all shapes, sizes, styles, and colors of furniture. I personally haven’t seen a color of paint that doesn’t look good distressed!

The bigger trick is the style of the furniture you are distressing.

A modern dresser with sleek lines doesn’t lend itself as well to a distressed look compared to vintage or antique furniture that has a lot of details and curves on it.

Check out some of our DIY Dresser Makeovers for more inspiration.

But, back to colors, muted and earthy color palettes work best for distressed furniture! Colors like cream, beige, brown, white, grey, muted blues, and greens are ideal for achieving a distressed look.

Learn more about the 10 Best Painted Furniture Colors and be inspired for your project.

You can use one of these colors as the base coat and then layer on darker shades on the edges and corners for a worn and aged effect.

A good rule of thumb is to select colors that would be seen in nature, as they have a calming and grounding effect that works well in any space.

More Painted Furniture Resources

There are so many great distressed furniture ideas on this list below. But if none of them really strike a chord with you, maybe you need some more ideas!

We’ve got you! Our whole website is dedicated to furniture ideas!

Here are just some more painted furniture ideas for you to enjoy and gather inspiration from!

Distressed Painted Furniture

Our list of distressed painted furniture ideas will inspire DIY painters like you to add style and character to your space. Read on to find the perfect piece of furniture to makeover and instantly upgrade any room.