Distressed furniture

I must be so "on trend" (hate that phrase) because parts of my leather sofa have been well and truly distressed by cats, both present and departed

I've had a pine dresser for decades, and time and sunlight had changed it to an ugly dark orange colour. So I sanded it down and painted it in a light creamy white colour. I'm delighted with it; it's given it a whole new lease of life. Best £15 I've spent in a long time.

Give it another 10 or 20 years and all the with-it youngsters will be buying up painted furniture in the charity shops and restoring it to a varnished wood effect "like granny's lovely antiques"

(The term "distressed furniture" always makes me think of that sign, "This door is alarmed," and the reply, "Alarmed? It is effin' terrified!". I'd like to know who was nasty to the furniture and upset it so much?)

We have just upcycled a kitchen table and chairs we bought in Ikea in 1985, using chalk paint followed by waxing.
We’ve left the butcher block table top and painted the legs dark grey, and the chairs are muted pea green.
I feel very virtuous ?

As I've said before I'm perfectly happy with painting furniture, (we've done it) - its painting then sanding half the paint off which I don't understand!

Sideboard too....typo!
Oh and we painted a gold overmantle mirror frame too, very pleased with the whole thing.

Thanks Tanith. We are pleased. We used the £1 testers as the legs didn’t need much paint, Dulux denim drift and pebble something. Whole thing with a sideboard op cost less than a fiver.

Click on the pics they are more viewable. Love the colour you’ve used, I’ve thought about doing my wooden bedside tables with those chalky paints.

The big before and if you squint on the tiny pic that’s the after . Will need to work on computing skills.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201804/medium-759752-46326b84-77e0-4898-a394-f83df6e5b4a1.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201804/medium-397651-5203c1c5-7cc7-4bfe-88fc-7a08e4500bd7.jpeg

Yes Nina, best save hate for something worth hating. There’s enough around....
It does look nice and has saved us getting rid of perfectly good quality wooden furniture. Oh I do wish I could include a photo.

Just a matter of personal taste I suppose. I quite like some of the distressed items. Can’t stand dark wood, it always seems oppressive and heavy to me.

Hate it, hate it, hate it !!
Painting furniture can give it a new lease of life. Silverlining DD said the other day she likes the painted with natural wood top look.
I just don't get the distressed look.

Sorry is hate too strong a word

This thread reminds me of when I lived in Jakarta. There was a whole part of town devoted to furniture-making. Some of the tiny little factories proudly displayed signs that said 'Antiques made to order'.

Shabby chic is a bit more subtle these days thank goodness. People no longer spend hours painting a large piece of furniture then go at it like a lunatic with sandpaper and a chisel.

All that's needed is a little distressing on the areas that would normally show wear and tear.

You don't even have to do that if you don't want to.

Think it’s the same thing polly.

Is shabby chic the same thing? Just curious really.

I don't mind old painted furniture - we've done it ourselves. It's the distressing which distresses me!

I like it, we were going to get rid of our old yew furniture but decided to have a go have rubbed down repainted It, leaving the tops light wood. I have some nice photos but unsure how to put it on here so you will just have to imagine. We didn’t distress it, and I am really happy with it. Horses for courses etc. Would be boring if we all liked the same.

Well they do live in a very old house -it wouldn't work in ours which is nore modern. Yes we,we've got some mahogony too, Annsixty

I can't understand it either. Some of the furniture I've seen I wouldn't have if you paid me.

When Allders at home was still around, they sold lots af distressed furniture.
I used to remark to my friend or whoever was with me that I would want to paint it properly if it was mine.
However I do know it is/was popular and wouldn't want to criticise other people's taste.
My own dining room, now used as a bedroom for my H is stuffed with mahogany, and I don't think I would be able to give it away.

Mine looks distressed enough without any help from me!