Paint Preparation

• Start with an old piece of furniture. It may be painted or stained but, in either case, has likely seen better days. Clean all surfaces with a waterless furniture cleaner or a product like trisodium phosphate (TSP). Use chemical stripper, a random orbital sander or old-fashioned sandpaper and elbow grease to remove the old finish from the piece. Take the time to repair any significant damage, but do not work to remove scratches, dings or wormholes. Once the finish has been sanded away, wipe the entire piece with a tack cloth. Apply a single coat of a good quality primer and sealer, like Kilz. Rub with fine steel wool and clean away dust with your tack cloth.
  
  

Painting the Furniture

• Use an oil-based paint to paint your wood furniture. This will create the most durable finish. For a shabby chic look, choose white, cream or a very pastel shade of pink, yellow, blue or gray. If you are looking for a slightly more rustic look, barn red, black or colonial blue can all create beautiful distressed wood pieces. Paint in several thin, even coats, allowing to dry completely in between coats. You should now have a smooth and even painted finish on your wood furniture and you are ready to start destroying your perfect furniture finish.
  
  

Distressing It at Last

• Gather the materials you need to distress your furniture. You will want sandpaper in various grits, but may also want a string of keys, a hammer or mallet, a bag of nuts and bolts, or some gel-based stain. Use varying grits of sandpaper to sand areas that would typically be worn, including legs, edges, corners, near handles and raised areas of carving. Rub deeper carved areas with a bit of gel stain if desired. You can further damage the piece by banging it with a string of keys or bag of hardware, gently tapping small holes with a hammer and fine nail, or even hitting the legs with a length of chain. Apply paste wax or a low-shine polyurethane over your painted and distressed wood finish. This will protect it from further wear and tear as well as water damage.