How To Antique Painted Wood Furniture
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Learn how to antique painted wood furniture or make your furniture look antique or old in a few easy steps. When you antique paint, it adds depth and character. The look of aged paint or old paint is very popular, and buying new furniture painted in this style is expensive.
The process of antiquing painted furniture is really simple. Anyone can do this…..meaning you too. I have many tips, tricks, and photos to help you make your project the best it can be.
How To Antique Painted Wood Furniture With Toner Or Glaze
My favorite part of blogging is the interaction with my readers and the knowledge that I may actually be able to inspire someone… anyone….with my projects. The first time I received an email asking for more information on how to do a project, I was a little surprised and a lot humbled. The idea that someone would ask me for guidance was new to me.
I do my best to explain special techniques and paint finishes, and I love it when readers send me photos of their projects. So far, no one has hunted me down for any questionable advice I may have given. Many comments and emails are about how to antique furniture or give painted furniture an aged finish.
Antiquing Technique
This technique can be used on painted cabinets, accessories, and anything else! Also, for shiny brass or other finishes to tone down the brightness. On slick finishes such as hardware, you may need to let the toner set for a few minutes before wiping off. Play around with it.
I painted and antiqued this table while taking lots of photos to share with you guys. After you read the tutorial, if you have any questions about how to antique painted furniture, shoot me an email!
Paint The Furniture
The first step is to paint the piece of furniture. I prefer latex paint when I use the antiquing technique, and the best sheen is flat, eggshell, or satin.
Apply Caromal Colours Toner
The miracle product that makes antiquing easy is ….Caromal Colours Toner. This stuff goes a long way. The 16-ounce size allows you to cover several pieces of furniture, unless they are extremely large.
At one time, I sold the Toner in my Etsy shop, but found the process of taking orders, packing the product, and shipping it very time-consuming. You can order the toner here….Caromal Colours Toner.
Toner is a little like glaze, but glaze eventually wears off or washes off, while toner does not.
This little table was perfect for antiquing because of the turned legs. Those beautifully turned legs collect the toner in all the right places. Plus, the table was only $5 at My Favorite Junk Shop. The paint is Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in Eulalie’s Sky—my new favorite paint color.
The technique is as simple as brushing on the toner using an inexpensive chip brush. Be sure and brush the toner into all the cracks and crevices because this is where the paint would normally age or darken.
Work The Toner
When you apply the toner, there is an excess, which is what you want. Next, wipe off the toner to achieve the desired look. Use a dry rag or a slightly damp one, depending on how much toner you want to remove.
Leave a lot of toner on the paint for a really aged look, or wipe most of the toner off for a slightly worn look. Using a dry rag will leave more of the toner on the furniture. A damp rag works bes,t and one that is too wet will wipe all the toner off.
Brush the toner on………Wipe the toner off. If you remove too much toner, apply more, then wipe down again.
Brush the toner on…..
…..you get the idea!
How to antique painted wood furniture tips and tricks
The Toner Is Really Dark
Don’t try to water it down because it makes the toner dry faster, and then it’s hard to work with. I speak from experience! Use a damp rag to wipe off a little toner, a dry rag to leave on a lot of toner, a wet rag to wipe off most of the toner.
Wipe It Back Off
Once the toner is applied, wipe it off to achieve the antique paint look shown in the photos here. If you want a really dark look, then let the toner set for a while before wiping it off. The toner is easy to work with and you have time to work it and get the look you want, but once it dries, it’s there to stay!!
Do A Trial Run
Practice on a sample board if you are anxious about using the toner. Promise it’s easy to use, and you will love the results. I suggest wearing gloves or your hands will be toned….. and not in a good way.
No sealer is needed, but if you want to add a little sheen, then wipe on a clear wax after the toner has cured for several days.
The following video shows how I antique painted wood furniture using toner…….
More Techniques for Antiquing Paint
Dark Wax
There are many brands of dark wax to choose from. I like Liberon Wax, but I’m not a fan of the new Howard’s Chalk-Tique Wax. I really liked the earlier formulas of colored wax. I still like the Howards’ neutral wax for protecting furniture and giving it a nice sheen.
To use dark wax to antique paint, just wipe the dark wax over the paint, wait for it to dry, then buff. Dark wax works great on both light and dark paint colors.
Distress the Paint
Sanding the paint on furniture once it is dry will give the paint a worn look. You can stop at distressing the raw wood, or you can apply toner, glaze, or dark wax to the distressed areas to make the wood look old.
Apply a Dark Paint Wash
A dark paint wash is similar to a whitewash only….you use a dark brown or black paint for your wash. To make a paint wash with any color paint, mix 3 parts water to 1 part paint. Depending on the paint type and thickness, you may need more or less water in the mix.
Dampen a lint-free rag with the wash and wipe the wash over the painted furniture, working in small areas. Keep a damp rag handy to wipe the wash back if it is too heavy. If you are new to this process, it is a good idea to work on a sample board until you master the technique.
Check out the links below for other ideas about using toner on furniture and how to antique paint.
How To Make New Furniture Look Old
Vintage Dresser with a two-tone toner application.
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Remember, if you have any questions, email me, kathy@petticoatjunktion.com.
I have never used the Caromal Colours Toner on oil based paint. I know if you use it on water based or latex paint it will dry in a matter of a couple of hours but I always wait a few days to use a sealer. I normally don’t seal it though. Hope this info helps. Good Luck!
I tried to antique some dining rooms chairs that I painted with cabinet & furniture oil-enriched enamel paint. I was told to use oil-based stain to do the antiquing. It looked great. The problem is that the stain with not dry. It’s still wet and/or tacky everywhere. It’s been 3 days! Will the product you talk about here dry in a short amount of time so I can seal the chairs? Thank God I only used one chair to get the hang of it. Help! Thanks so much.
Would I get the same effect using wiping stain instead of the toner?
I didn’t realize you have an Etsy shop. What’s it called?
The finish looks like one you would get from using dark wax. How is it different? Btw, that milk paint color is beautiful — right up my alley! The table came out really cute.