Real Wood Finishing Tips

Real wood furniture is the ideal “canvas” for stain, paint, decorative and faux finishing. It is shock-resistant and very durable. Plus, real wood has lasting value; its worth increases as it is handed down from one generation to the next. Here is a list of finishing techniques you can apply to your purhase from Bare Furniture.

• Distressing--a very popular finish today--is a way of marking wood to make it look well used and timeworn. The most common form is distress sanding. Other tools that can be used to give further aging dimension to wood include hammers, nails, screws, old hardware, and literally anything else you can pound into the wood that will leave an imprint.
• Antiquing is a another form of distressing that uses sanding techniques combined with glazing or a second color to give the appearance of an old piece of furniture that has been well taken care of over the years but has slight natural wear on the doors, edges, or sides. The look of distressing and antiquing is enhanced on furniture with moldings and raised panels.
• Glazing is the process of applying a translucent color to the surface, and then rubbing off the excess to create decorative effects.
• Sponging or color washing is the process of applying a translucent color to the surface, and then pouncing the glaze with a dampened sea sponge or soft cloth. To achieve an aged patina, apply an additional lighter glaze over a darker glaze.
• Strie' (Dragging) is a French word that means to comb through a glaze mixture with dry dragging tools such as a brush in order to create fine lines and reveal the underlying color of the base coat.
• Wet color blending is a free form wet-finish application known for its subtle variations in color and soft natural glow. Supremely versatile, it can be adapted to any piece of furniture.
• Marble effects is a timeless decorative finish that adds interest to furniture. When creating marble effects, keep it “real.” Choose surfaces that realistically would be made of marble, such as table or dresser tops.
• Pickling is simply applying a light color stain to wood, then wiping off the stain to let the color of the wood show through.
• Crackle adds a beautiful, worn elegance to any piece of furniture. When used with water based wood stains or furniture paints, the crackle medium contracts, fracturing the top stain coat and exposing the base coat beneath. Within minutes, you can duplicate the effects of years of natural weathering. For an extra special touch just crackle drawer fronts or door panels for a weathered, aged look.

For more information about decorative finishes, visit Bare Furniture in person! You can also find a wealth of information at www.unfinishedfurnitue.org , the website of the Unfinished Furniture Association.