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    Home » Painted Furniture

    How To Weather Furniture: Painted Sideboard Coastal Or Nantucket Style?

    Updated: Dec 3, 2023 by Kathy Owen
    This post may contain affiliate links

    Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on X (Twitter) <use href="#<svg width="1em" height="1em" viewBox="0 0 32 32" class="scriptlesssocialsharing__icon flipboard" fill="currentcolor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img"> <title>flipboard</title> <path d="M24.997 13.001h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v-17.995h17.995zM1.004 1.004v29.991h29.991v-29.991z"></path> </svg>" xlink:href="# flipboard "> Share on Flip it Share on Reddit

    How to weather furniture so it looks old but in a good way.

    When looking at this gray sideboard with a weathered finish I think of the Atlantic coast and Nantucket or Cape Cod. Don’t ask me why because I’ve never been to either place. You guys might have another take on the look and I would love to hear it.

     

    vintage sideboard for paint project

    The condition of this piece determined the makeover. The veneer was all ragged and there were deep dings and scratches in the top. You guys know I would rather work with serious flaws than try to correct them. Too time consuming. So there will be some distressed paint happening.

    The JTS and I made a few repairs and cleaned up the sideboard before starting the paint job. I ran into more repair issues during the painting. If you missed the post with all the prep work you can see it here.

    How To Weather Furniture And Paint

    This weathering technique can be used on any painted piece of furniture or home decor accessory and on any paint color. You can even weather already painted furniture from the store! Keep all that in mind while reading the tutorial.

    Prime Furniture Before Painting

    Once I had the paint technique planned out I decided to use white primer instead of my usual gray. I wanted to whitewash or dry brush white paint over the gray paint. White paint under the distressed gray paint should be perfect.

    prime furniture before painting

    Prime furniture before painting

     

    When applying the primer I noticed the veneer was loose on the right cabinet door. I put wood glue under the veneer and clamped it down to dry.

    Behr oops paint

    Select Paint Color For The Perfect Weathered Finish

    The paint for the sideboard is an oops paint I picked up at Home Depot a few months ago. The paint is Behr Paint and Primer all-in-one and the price was $2.10 for a quart. Can’t beat the price. I liked the gray because it has a hint of brown. Gray can sometimes be too cool or have too much of a blue undertone for me.

    light gray Behr can of oops paint

    Time To Apply The Paint

    I applied two coats of white primer and two coats of paint. (It's Furniture Fixer Upper Tour Day. My tour buddies have some real beauties for us. Links at the bottom of the post.)

    original vintage drawer pulls

    Select The Hardware Or Drawer Pulls and Knobs

    Next step was to decide about the hardware. The original hardware was really frufru with lots of curlicue details.

    vintage furniture pulls

    I went through my hardware stash and found some less ornate pulls. I think they will go with the new paint and the new look better than the original hardware.

    Spray Paint Hardware

    spray painting furniture hardware

    I spray painted them white with Krylon ColorWorks Maintenance Choice Flat White. The JTS bought a case (6) of the paint for $3 at an auction. You can’t beat that price. It’s good paint too, sprays evenly and dries fast.

    gray furniture

    The photo above shows how the sideboard looked after fresh paint and white hardware. You guys know that look is way to simple and clean for me.

     

    paint wear from furniture door

    Make Adjustments to Paint or Furniture Now

    Before I could move on with the project I had to do something with the left side cabinet door. It was sticking at the top and wouldn’t close and it was scraping along one side on the bottom of the door. When working on your project check the drawers, cabinets, pulls, etc. as you go through the makeover process to be sure everything is working right and in good shape.

    making repairs on furniture after it's painted

    I used my power sander to sand the top of the door so it would close easily. Then I sanded the bottom left side of the door. Next I touched up the paint where I sanded it all off. Now the door closes smoothly and doesn’t scrape the paint.

    Dry-Brush or Whitewash to Weather Paint

    dry brushing white paint over gray

    Instead of whitewashing the sideboard I dry brushed white paint over the whole surface, in specific areas, but just a bit. To do this I watered white paint by half then poured it onto a paper plate. The best technique for dry brushing is to dip the brush tips in the paint then wipe almost all the paint off on a paper towel or piece of wood or whatever before applying the paint to your surface.

    The Paint Brush Makes A Difference

    how to dry brush paint on large furniture

    I usually use a small brush when dry brushing but on this piece I decided it made more sense to use a large brush. The reason? It’s important to keep your brush strokes nice and straight moving with the grain of the wood. The wide brush is heavier and thicker and it’s much easier to paint straight lines. I dry brushed the white paint on until I was happy with the look. Not too much white and not too little.

    how to distress painted furniture

    Distress The Weathered Paint

    Bet you thought the paint was weathered enough. Nope. Time to distress the paint. You want to be sure and do the dry brushing before sanding. If you distress the paint first you have to be careful not to dry brush white paint on the distressed wood areas. That just wouldn’t look right.

    Weathered Gray Sideboard Nantucket Style, Beach style, or what

    And that’s it. The paint technique sounds like more work than it is. The prep and furniture repairs took longer than the painting, dry brushing, and distressing.

    Why call it Weathered Coastal or Nantucket Style?.....

    When I think of the Atlantic coast I think breezy, cold, and turbulent. Maybe it's the color, or maybe it's the dark wood where the paint is distressed, or maybe it's something else that makes me think of the coast. I do love the gray paint color with a hint of brown. It's my new favorite color. I need to have more of it mixed up.

    distressing painted hardware

    I distressed the drawer pulls by hand using 3M flexible sandpaper. They just didn’t look right all perfectly white against the weathered and distressed paint.

    rustic weathered gray furniture

    Wax The Paint

    I applied a coat of Howard’s Wax in Neutral to the sideboard. It adds a bit of sheen and gives a finished look to the distressed areas. Forgot to get photos of that step.

    weathered furniture with distressed and whitewashed paint

    weathered furniture with distressed and whitewashed paint

    This is definitely a big transformation. The sideboard was all beat up and the worse for wear. Even though the new look is rustic and weathered it also has a fresh clean look.

    gray paint finish with dry brushed white paint and light distressing

    I distressed some of the damaged areas on the top and just let the white primer shine through in other areas. I dry brushed white paint on the top too.

    nantucket style or cottage style weathered gray furniture

    Loving the new look although I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. That’s okay. I wish you guys could see it in person. The photos don’t do it justice.

    weathered paint finish for furniture

    weathered paint finish for furniture

    Don't forget to leave a note telling me what you think about the finish and what you would call the style or type of finish.

    Weathered furniture with distressed gray paint and a whitewash finish

    Weathered furniture with distressed gray paint and a whitewash finish

    Now it's time for the Furniture Fixer Upper Tour. Just click the text links below the “before makeovers” photo collage……

    Furniture Fixer Upper Tour January 2020

    Petticoat Junktion ( You are here)
    Girl in the Garage
    Confessions of a Serial DIYer
    Interior Frugalista
    Just The Woods
    Salvaged Inspirations

    As always, thanks for being here and have a great day, Kathy

    Kathy Owen founder of Petticoat Junktion
    Kathy Owen
    Website

    Author: Kathy Owen
    Kathy Owen is the founder of the home decor blog Petticoat Junktion where she shares tutorials on painting furniture and upcycling thrifty finds into unique home décor. Her DIY projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Kathy’s newest website is HappyHomeDIY.com

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathy Owen

      December 28, 2022 at 6:34 pm

      Thank you Bobby

    2. Kathy Owen

      December 28, 2022 at 6:33 pm

      Thank you Sheila

    3. Sheila Ghiglieri

      December 28, 2022 at 11:04 am

      Wonderful!! Thank you for sharing your magic!

    4. Bobby Gittins

      December 28, 2022 at 10:46 am

      I don't know precisely what Nantucket style is being in the UK but it is such a pretty name I would christen this piece Nantucket either way. I love the way all the dark straight lines in it have become wavy - takes away any hardness and makes this piece look like an old friend.

    5. Chris

      February 01, 2020 at 9:28 pm

      I love love love it!! Think it's my favorite of what I've seen you do. If I lived where you are I would probably buy it! Like someone else said "soft and elegant". I also like the name you coined, Coastal Nantucket. Great job Kathy! Beautiful!

    6. Jen @ Girl in the Garage

      January 24, 2020 at 1:38 pm

      Kathy this piece is so much prettier now. Kind of a casual elegance, less stuffy. Fabulous! xo

    7. Roseann D'Elia

      January 24, 2020 at 8:38 am

      love the look, reminds me of walking through the wooded trails here in Southeastern, NC. Thanks so much for sharing.

    8. Becky

      January 24, 2020 at 8:01 am

      I think it's pretty, and your "style name" is right on, in my book... although I've never been out east either, haha! ?

    9. ROSE LEFEBVRE

      January 23, 2020 at 5:26 pm

      Nice look. I also liked it before the distressing!

    10. Kathy Owen

      January 23, 2020 at 5:05 pm

      Thanks Wendy. You're comment made my day!

    11. Kathy Owen

      January 23, 2020 at 5:04 pm

      Thank you! That's just what I was thinking.

    12. Kathy Owen

      January 23, 2020 at 5:04 pm

      Sounds like the perfect paint finish for you. You need to paint that oak buffet!!

    13. EFFIE CARROLL

      January 23, 2020 at 2:39 pm

      Yes I love it. Wish I had a buffet to do but actually I do. It is stained oak and is just blah so I might get up the nerve to paint it this color as it will be going to Atlantic literally that's the name of the place I plan on retiring.

    14. Stephanie C

      January 23, 2020 at 2:37 pm

      Kathy, it looks amazing! As someone who lives along the Massachusetts coast I think coastal Nantucket fits perfectly.

    15. wendy

      January 23, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      thanks, Kathy....I love how well you explain each step of your reno projects...it makes it so easy to follow and your photos are great! this is a cool piece and the "after" turned out great...thanks for sharing, as always.

    16. Denise - Salvaged Inspirations

      January 23, 2020 at 12:57 pm

      Love this color and for $2.10 omgosshh! And I also like using a larger brush for dry brushing too. Its helpful when you've had too many coffees and have the jitters..lol. 😉

    17. Lisa

      January 23, 2020 at 12:29 pm

      Love how it turned out and the color! The can of paint didn’t give the name of the color on it by chance? I agree with you, so many gray’s are too blue:(

    18. Lorraine Castellon-Rowe

      January 23, 2020 at 10:24 am

      Oh my goodness! This is gorgeous!! I love it! ? You did a fabulous job painting and distressing it. Thank you for sharing all the steps. ❣️

    19. kandice

      January 23, 2020 at 10:22 am

      oh Kathy this is so pretty! I love the softness of the color and the distressing! xoxo

    20. Marie

      January 23, 2020 at 10:10 am

      Well, it's totally my cup of tea - now that baby has some personality!

    21. Kathy Owen

      January 23, 2020 at 9:54 am

      Thanks Christy and the stencil idea is great. I just took the piece to the shop. If it doesn't sell I may do a stencil!

    22. Christy James

      January 23, 2020 at 9:35 am

      You know I'm a big fan of distressing so I love it! I would add a damask stencil in white to the center of each door panel and distress that too! You are so right though, it is always something, right? It's rare to get a furniture makeover that goes smoothly from start to finish! Love it, my friend! XOXO

    23. Amanda

      January 23, 2020 at 9:15 am

      I love it! I could totally see a stencil on this piece. Love it!

    24. Sally

      January 23, 2020 at 8:48 am

      I love it so much!! Fantastic!

    25. Sheila DelCharco

      January 23, 2020 at 6:17 am

      Love it!

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