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.
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!
- Painted China Cabinet Ideas
- Dark Green Painted Furniture
- Antique Painted Furniture
- Whimsical Painted Furniture Ideas
- Crackle Painted Furniture
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.
DIY Raised Stencil on Furniture
Don't be afraid to try something new when it comes to your painted furniture. This easy, raised stencil tutorial will show you how to create a unique and stylish distressed finish.
Distressed Old Dresser
Transform that old dresser into something gorgeous with this tutorial on how to distress furniture. Let your imagination run wild and show off all the beautiful details!
How to Create a Weathered Wood Gray Finish
Here's how to create a weathered wood gray finish that will give your furniture an instant aged look.
No-Mess-Wet-Distress Painted Furniture
Add a touch of rusticity to your home decor by following these simple steps for a wet distressed paint finish and achieve a beautiful weathered look without the mess!
Shabby Chic End Tables with Raised Stenciling
This is a great project for anyone who wants to learn how to distress furniture and add some personality to it. These end tables are perfect for any shabby chic decor.
Easy Distressing Furniture Technique
There are other ways to achieve a natural, distressed look on furniture. Give your old furniture a quick makeover with this technique!
Embossing Furniture
Are you tired of your furniture looking the same? Here's how to give it a cool, distressed look with embossing.
Beautiful DIY Distressed Furniture Makeover
Check out this easy DIY distressed gray chalk paint furniture makeover. In only a few easy steps, you can craft furniture that looks like it's been cherished for decades
DIY Emerald Green Mismatched Nightstands
You can recreate this look with two mismatched mid-century modern nightstands you got. Mismatching gives them a cool, rustic vibe. So grab your paintbrush and get started!
Ultra Distressed Dresser Makeover
Chelsea used an ultra distressed technique on this dresser for a unique look. Here's how you can do the same thing on your own furniture.
Farmhouse Style Mid-Century Modern Dresser
Add some farmhouse style to your home with this painted mid-century modern dresser. With this guide, you can create stylish and unique pieces of furniture.
White Distressed Dresser Makeover
Give your old dresser a gorgeous white makeover in no time! This step-by-step guide will show you how to achieve that distressed look with ease.Â
Dark Green Buffet Makeover
This buffet makeover is stunning! I love the dark green color and the distressed finish. If you're looking for a furniture painting tutorial, this one is definitely worth checking out.
My Painted Antique Washstand Makeover – I found it on the curb!
Here's how Do fixed this antique washstand and gave it a new life with some paint.Â
Black Vintage Farmhouse Dresser
In this post, I'll show you how to distress furniture with paint and how to replace a dresser top. This black vintage farmhouse dresser makeover will give any room a whole new look!
Distressed Hexagonal Table
This table had great potential, but it needed some paint and distressing to bring out its character.Â
Apothecary Style Vintage Nightstands Makeover
We found these apothecary style vintage nightstands at a thrift store and gave them a trendy makeover with some legs and distressed chalk paint. Learn how you can do the same!
Distressed Chalk Painted Furniture
Transform dark, dull furniture into a vibrant and uplifting piece using chalk paint, glaze, and distressing!Â
Distressed Nightstands Makeover
Check out how I transformed these bedside tables with chalk paint and light distressing.Â
DIY Farmhouse Buffet Makeover
Transform your plain-looking furniture into a stunning piece of furniture with this tutorial, and obtain a beautiful distressed farmhouse look.
Two-Color Distressed Finish With Chalk Paint
Chalk paint is perfect for creating a two-color distressed finish on furniture. In this tutorial, Megan showed how to achieve this look.
Distressed Media Console
Learn how to achieve this rustic, distressed look on your furniture by using a balayage painting technique. This DIY tutorial will show you how it's done!
White and Gold Distressed Damask Dresser
Wendi's artistic touch transformed a plain dresser into this stunning white and gold distressed damask piece with a vintage, washed out feel.
How to Distress Furniture with Vaseline
For a quick and easy makeover, try distressing it with Vaseline. This technique is simple and it's a great way to achieve that heavily distressed look without all the sanding!
Pottery Barn Distressed Media Console
The gradient distressing on this media console offers a unique and designer-like aesthetic that will wow any guest. Give this paint project a try!
Chalk Painted Black Dresser
Check out how we transformed this furniture with black homemade chalk paint, distressing gave this piece more character!
DIY Black French Provincial Dresser
With simple materials, who can imagine you can turn an outdated dresser into something chic and modern?
DIY Distressed Painted Dresser
Transform any tired piece of furniture into a beautiful statement piece. Follow through each step so that your DIY project is successful!
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