Seeing more clients ask for distressed finishes lately

Is this a trend in your shops too? I'm getting lots of calls for that shabby chic look on new furniture. How do you guys fake the wear without it looking cheap?

3 comments

3 Comments

quinn_nguyen15d ago

My buddy Jake just finished a dresser where he beat the edges with a bike chain, then did this thing with two paint colors. The top coat gets sanded off in random spots so the undercoat peeks through. Looked pretty good, not like those factory pieces where the wear is too perfect, you know?

river_hart1814d ago

Man, that bike chain idea is genius! It makes the wear look so real, not fake like on those mass-produced pieces. When you sand off the top coat randomly, it mimics how paint actually ages over time. I hate when furniture has that uniform distressing, it just feels cheap. Jake's method gives it character, like it has a story. That's the kind of detail that makes handmade stuff special, lol.

rowan66614d ago

Hey @quinn_nguyen, that bike chain trick is smart. It adds real depth to the wear, not just surface scratches. The two-color sanding thing reminds me of how old paint actually chips over decades. Makes the piece feel like it has a history, not just made to look old.