Rustic finish

Rustic Finish

There are many ways to create an aged look, depending on whether you're after a farmhouse country look, or more of an antique patina. This particular technique will give you a textured, rustic finish.

In this lesson you will need:

• A piece of furniture
• Shellac, if needed
• Warm soapy sponge
• Paint
• Oval brush
• A selection of waxes
• Wax brush
• Lint-free cloth
• Sandpaper in different grades
• Stripping knife

Colours used:

Duck Egg Blue

How to achieve a rustic finish

1. Load up your brush with paint and apply it to the furniture quite thickly. Use smaller brush strokes to paint roughly so that you get brush marks and texture.

1. One way to get even more texture is to leave the paint to dry slightly, and then go back over it again with the brush when it's still a little tacky and wet to add extra brush marks.

1. For a really chippy, textured look, try decanting a little bit of paint into a container and leave it to thicken for a while - you could also put it in the fridge overnight to speed up this process. You can then layer this on really densely. For an authentic effect, don't use this all over the piece of furniture - just in small areas to give variation.

1. A stippled effect is another texture that can look great on furniture. You can do this with paint by repeatedly dipping the brush into a layer of wet paint.

1. Once the paint has dried, you can begin the really fun part - waxing! Clear wax is essential for every project, and particularly so when you're experimenting with textured finishes. Always start with an initial layer of clear wax all over - this will seal the paintwork you've done, while also enabling you to remove darker waxes later on if you change your mind. Apply evenly with a wax brush, and then wipe off the excess with a lint-free cloth.

1. The next step is sanding. I usually start with a medium-grade sandpaper to see how the surface responds. Lightly sand the paint to reveal small parts of the wood beneath - if you used two layers of different-coloured paint, this is where you'd start to reveal the base layer. Thicker areas of paint may require a more heavy duty, coarse sandpaper.

1. Edges are a good place to sand, as they emphasise the shape of the furniture. You can also think about where the piece might naturally have aged; for example, where you might pick up a chair would be a natural place to see some signs of distressing and wear.

1. It's a good idea to wax and seal between each layer of work, especially after you've sanded, as this ensures you can remove any unwanted darker waxes later.

1. Now you can introduce some dark wax to begin experimenting. A word of warning: it will go on quite strongly - but don't be alarmed! After you've applied it, wipe it back with a lint-free cloth. You can also lift parts of it off using clear wax for an authentic, uneven look. White wax is great for knocking back the severity of darker waxes if you prefer a softer finish.

1. Continue to experiment with adding darker waxes to different areas, using them to highlight all the brush strokes and marks you made earlier. You can also sandpaper over the wax layers to introduce even more texture. A stripping knife is great for chipping away at areas of paint to give a really rustic and distressed effect. It's best if the paint is completely dry for this technique.