Home Decor

Home Decor
Home Decor Ideas

Best Furniture Paint

Best Furniture Paint
Favorite Furniture Paint

BEST Furniture Makeovers

BEST Furniture Makeovers
Best Furniture Makeovers

Easy Distressing Furniture Technique For A Natural Look!

Learn how to give furniture a natural worn and distressed look without using any sandpaper! This easy and quick method for distressing furniture works every time! 

Check out all 7 of our distressed furniture techniques here! Enjoy learning about our natural furniture distressing technique, it's one of the most popular questions that we get asked!


I love a good furniture makeover. It's one of my favorite things. Today, I'm kicking off the first of the year with this classy rustic black painted nightstand makeover that was painted and distressed without using ANY sandpaper!


This natural furniture distressing technique is one of my FAVORITE go-to methods to give a piece a naturally aged and worn look! This technique doesn't leave a messy sandpaper residue, it doesn't require wax or vaseline or wire brushes.


It's an easy and quick distressing technique that leaves furniture looking naturally distressed each and every time!




distressing furniture, how to distress furniture properly, furniture distressing technique, worn and weathered furniture


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to products I love and use every day. You can view our full disclosure here.



Here's what I had to work with.. a well-built nightstand with an orangy-brown stained finish. It had a few dings from normal wear and tear but that's okay! In a minute, I'm going to show you how I embraced those natural worn areas and used them to my advantage. ;)



before and after furniture makeover, nightstand before paint, painting and distressing furniture, DIY distressing furniture technique that looks natural



The top of the nightstand was worse off.  It looks delicious, right!? ;) Okay enough gross pictures, let's talk distressing...



home decor paint, country chic paint in liquorice, black furniture paint, painted black furniture, black distressed furniture ideas



"The secret to getting a naturally distressed piece of furniture depends on the amount of paint you put on your brush and the pressure in which you apply it." -Thirty Eighth Street


Natural Furniture Distressing Tutorial


Furniture Distressing Supplies:

(Some of the links below are affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here for full disclosure.)


- Black Paint 
-Paint Brush (my favorites can be found here!)
-Rag or cut up old T-shirt
-Plastic cup with water


Natural Furniture Distressing Technique


The secret to getting a naturally distressed piece of furniture depends on the amount of paint you put on your brush and the pressure to which you apply it. Wait what?! Yes, you read that right.


With this technique, the majority of the distressing process actually takes shape while you're painting the furniture. This technique of distressing has four easy steps and goes rather quickly! Are you ready? Here we go!...


Step 1: Apply A Light Layer Of Paint To Your Clean Piece 


This is a good rule of thumb for painting furniture period. Several light coats of paint will always adhere and look better than one heavy one! But, it's especially important when we're talking about how to naturally distress a piece of furniture.


You want your piece of furniture to receive some light and uneven coverage for the first coat. What do I mean by uneven coverage? I mean that you shouldn't try and cover every inch of your piece with paint.


Leave some of the natural wood tones peeking through AS WELL AS leave some of the areas of your piece completely untouched by any paint.  Edges, corners, raised areas, insets that have details, and imperfections are some really great examples of where "not to paint".




While you're waiting for this first coat to dry meander over and take a quick peek at this Turquoise Painted Bed that I painted so you can see another example of how this natural distressing technique has been used.



painting in light layers, using chalk paint to create weathered look, painting furniture to look distressed, distressing furniture without using sandpaper


Step 1 Photo Example: In this first coat, the black paint was applied very lightly. There are some bare spots where the wood finish is exposed as well as large areas where the paint was applied lightly so that traces of the wood finish show through.


_________________________________________________________________________________

RELATED CONTENT:



_________________________________________________________________________________


Step 2: Apply Another Light Layer Of Paint To "Focused Areas"


On the second coat, dip your brush so that 1/3 of the paint brush is saturated with paint. Then, scrape the sides of your brush against the edge of the paint can so that your brush isn't dripping with paint. 

Your brush should have more paint on it then in Step 1 but, it shouldn't be so full that it makes a mess once it leaves the can. 


Here's where we talk about paintbrush pressure. This next part is really important! After you've dipped your brush into the paint, your paintbrush will be heavy with paint. 

Therefore, wherever you place your paintbrush on your piece is where you'll get the most saturated coverage.


Taking that into account, we can use that to our advantage and be a little bit strategic in our placement. 

For this step, select 3 random areas within a 2' section of your piece where you want heavier coverage. (There should be space in-between your designated 3 focused areas.)


Using medium pressure, give a paintbrush stroke to each of those 3 areas. With each stroke, the bulk of your paint will begin to leave your brush. 

After you've finished making your third stroke, go back to the first area and with medium/light pressure give 1-2 brush strokes and smooth out the paint. 

Do the same for the second brush stroke and then the third without re-dipping your brush back into the paint.



As you're smoothing out these three concentrated stroke areas as more and more paint leaves your paint brushPerfecto! 

Don't re-dip just yet. That gives you the perfect chance to focus on the surrounding areas where your wood is peaking through. 


Using light pressure, give light dry-brush strokes to the neighboring areas within your 2' square. 

You want to strike a balance between full coverage, bare wood finish and peek-a-boo areas where the original wood barely shows through.


Select another 2' section and repeat Step 2 until you've covered your entire piece with your "second layer". Wait until the paint is dry before moving on to Step 3.


step by step distressing tutorial, furniture distressing directions, distressing without sandpaper


Step 2 Photo Example: In this in-progress photo, the following three arrows represent my first three brush strokes. You'll notice that the nightstand is shaded darker in those three areas. Once these areas were blended, I moved to the neighboring areas inside of these arrows and dry brushed over these peek-a-boo areas using whatever paint was left on my paintbrush. When you compare this photo to the photo above you can see how I slowly added additional color while still allowing the wood grain to peek through.


Step 3: Wet Distressing


Because most of the natural fade distressing is taking place in steps 1 & 2, this step goes lightning fast! 

Take a section of your rag and dip it into your water and squeeze out any excess. You want your rag to be damp/wet, not dripping wet. 


Run the damp cloth along the edges and raised surfaces where your piece would naturally get more wear and/or where there are already imperfections... mine as well make use of those, right!?. ;) 



The damp rag will remove the paint easily. If you remove too much paint, that's okay! It's an easy fix in step 4. 


Additional examples of wet distressing can be found on our french provincial dresser or on this painted mirror.






wet distressing, distressing techniques, rubbing damp cloth on furniture, distressing edges with damp cloth, remove paint with damp cloth


Step 3 Photo Example: Here, the arrows represent some of the raised edges/levels where furniture would tend to get scuffed or bumped. These areas were wet distressed.




Step 4: Blending


You've layered the paint so that the undertones are peaking through. 

Check! 

You've completed the wet distressing process.. 

Check. Check! 

Now, it's time to pull it altogether! This last step requires you to stand back and identify the areas of your piece that could use further blending. The goal in this step is to fade the existing wood finish just a little bit more


You'll accomplish this with just a smidge of paint on your brush. Dip your paintbrush so that the first 1/4" of your bristles has paint on it. 


Scrape the brush against the side of your paint can to remove any excess. You'll use light pressure and long brush strokes to blend and get a nice feathery texture. 





dry brushing paint on furniture, blending paint, layering paint on furniture, how to dry brush paint, blending paint colors

Step 4 Photo Example: Everything inside of the circle has been blended. The lower part of the nightstand has yet to be blended. You'll notice that by using this distressing technique everything in the top right-hand corner looks naturally worn and weathered without having used an ounce of sandpaper!




Here's a side by side comparison of the layering process...




distressing directions, distressing instructions, step by step directions to distress furniture properly, get a weathered look for furniture





We're calling this The Linnie Project. Here are a few close ups of it all finished....




black painted furniture, black distressed furniture, black and wood furniture, black weathered furniture, black painted nightstand, distressing ideas





distressing furniture, distressed furniture ideas, how to paint furniture, how to distress furniture










distressing painted furniture, tips for distressing furniture, how to distress furniture, no sandpaper distressing





beginners guide to distressing, how to paint and distress wood, furniture tutorials, distressing wood, distress antique furniture




You of course, get to control the amount of wear and distressing that your furniture piece will get! This natural distressing technique works for both minimal and maximum degrees of distressing.


Nightstand makeovers are the perfect sized furniture projects for first time DIY-ers. If you've never painted a piece of furniture before, painting a nightstand is a great place to try your hand at this painting and distressing technique!



If you liked this article, I would appreciate it if you'd pin it on Pinterest or share it on Facebook.
distressing furniture with paint, distressing technique for furniture, rustic furniture ideas, tips for painting furniture

Would you like to learn more tips & tricks for refinishing furniture? Stop by to see these additional furniture refinishing tutorials. 

Love the weathered look? You'll find several other distressed furniture painting techniques here! 



MORE PAINTED FURNITURE


We gave this dresser an entirely new look by adding texture to our furniture paint! Click here to see our latest chalk paint furniture before and after!



chalk paint furniture, how to chalk paint furniture, how to paint furniture, chalk painted furniture




Click the links below and see what my furniture friends have done with these furniture pieces!

furniture makeovers, refinished furniture, before and after furniture projects, diy projects, painted furniture ideas



1. Refreshed Desk Using CeCe Caldwell Paint from On Fern Avenue
2. Mid-century Dresser In Walnut and White from 58 Water Street
3. Vintage White Furniture Co. Nightstands by That Sweet Tea Life 
4. Rescued Relic To Elegant Eggplant Buffet from Whimsy and Wood
5. Using Stain To Tone Wood  from J Burns Design
6. Weathered Gray Painted Jewelry Chest by Just The Woods


Have any questions about this painting and distressing furniture technique? Leave me a comment below!


Happy painting and distressing!
Carrie || Thirty Eighth Street




distress furniture, dry brushing furniture, weathered furniture, achieve a distressed look, no sandpaper distressing




chalk paint, painting furniture, furniture painting, chalk painted furniture, diy furniture, furniture tutorials, painting tutorials

72 comments

  1. Great post w/ great informatio ! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you found it useful, Beth. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. Excellent tutorial, especially for those who are working indoors and don't have the option of dry sanding to distress! Pinned to share :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've used this technique and love it, it's so natural looking. Thanks for great post :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I appreciate seeing your process. When I distress something, I'm quick with the sandpaper or wet distress technique, but I love your system of layering! I hope you have more of these detailed tutorials in store for us!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the layering system is so easy. I mean if you're already painting you might as well... ;) Thanks, Colleen!

      Delete
  5. Love this technique. You did such a great job I seriously can't believe the transformation. It looks so natural and not overdone. great work

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank your for your kind words! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

      Delete
  6. This is great! My daughter has a dresser that we could do this to for her nursery. Baby due in 4 weeks! Yea!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congratulations to you and your family! That is so exciting!!

      Delete
  7. Carrie this is really beautiful. I too am a big fan of dark paint and actually did this by mistake on one of my pieces. Love the effect of the time worn look. A lovely piece too. Pinning this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love happy accidents! Thank you for your sweet words, Mary!

      Delete
  8. This is a fabulous tutorial! Thank you so much for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great tips, thanks so much. Now I just need to find something to try it on! LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love this! I tend to get VERY carried away with distressing with sandpaper ;)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Carrie, great tips! I usually you messy sandpaper technique. Will try your next time! :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great post and tutorial! And perfect for my project that I have! I love the colour!
    Thank you for sharing! #FamilyJoyBlog

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great article and love how this turned out! I have a very similar piece I've been looking for paint. Did you use a wax or polyacrylic cot to finish it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Both! The body was waxed with Country Chic Paint's black wax and the top was sealed with Tough Coat. Best of luck with your project!

      Delete
  14. You did such an awesome job with this piece! Thanks for all of the tips!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This post is just like a V8 commercial! Smacking myself up side the head as we speak. This is life changing. Have no idea why I didn't work though this on my own, but I never realized this and probably wouldn't have without your brilliance! I am doing this on the next piece of furniture I paint, it looks fun and so much simpler. And really, who likes to sand? Not this girl! Whoo Hoo!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nikki! You MADE my day with your kind words! I'm so glad that you found this helpful and that it made sense! After you try it out, I hope you'll come back and let me know how it all went. ;)

      Delete
  16. This piece turned out gorgeous! Love the method you used to distress. I sure do love chalk paint!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wet distressing sounds pretty cool! The finished product is fantastic. Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm! xo Kathleen Charm Bracelet Diva {At Home]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wet distress = less mess! ;) Thanks so much for stopping by, Kathleen!

      Delete
  18. I'm in total awe of transformations like this. I am so clueless with all things DIY that don't involve cooking lol.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a beautiful sublime soft finish Carrie, with a wonderful tutorial! I will be featuring this project at this weeks Fridays Furniture Fix.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for sharing our work and tutorial, Brenda! xoxo

      Delete
  20. This pieces turned out beautifully! I'm excited to try this technique. We're featuring your furniture makeover at this week's link party. http://www.thelifeofjenniferdawn.com/2017/01/4-simple-ways-to-refresh-room-weekly.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for featuring our work, Jennifer! It's an honor!

      Delete
  21. Wow! Such a transformation! Great tutorial, thanks, makes the process seem easier than I would expect.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Carrie! Thanks so much for the tutorial--wanted to let you know that you are my feature today at Vintage Charm :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diana, thank you for show casing our tutorial at Vintage Charm!

      Delete
  23. Beautiful job and well-done tutorial! So glad Diana featured you this week on Vintage Charm. The finished product immediately drew my attention!
    Rita C at Panoply

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rita! I'm so glad to hear that you liked it! Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  24. I have never tried your distressing techniques but they look really pretty. Pinning to remember! Thanks for sharing with us at Sweet Inspiration

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pili- It's honestly the quickest and most natural way to distress! ;)

      Delete
  25. Really great tutorial. I will be featuring this tonight at my Winter Blues Wednesday party that opens at 8pm EST. Please stop by and pick up an I've Been Featured button. Thanks. http://diybydesign.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for sharing our work with your readers!

      Delete
  26. What a gorgeous piece Carrie. But I wouldn't expect anything less. You are so talented. Thanks for the tutorial.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I inherited a bedroom set from my parents and need to change up the look. This technique is juat what I was looking for. Your step by step turtorial was very clear and super helpful. I'll be trying it out soon. Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My pleasure! I'm so glad you found this helpful.. Best of luck with your bedroom set!

      Delete
  28. Your night stand turned out beautiful! I love the distressing. I have tried this technique on small wood crafts, and signs. But I haven't ever tried it on furniture, I really love the look. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really is the easiest way I know to naturally distress furniture. I hope you get an opportunity to try it out on a piece!

      Delete
  29. I'm a blogger at centsiblechateau.com and we love projects. To say that I look at a lot of them is an understatement. I love painted furniture, and this could be the best piece I've ever seen. I'm OBSESSED! Just wow!!! I posted it on my FB and Twitter, so glad I found your site!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Thank you, Heather! I'm honored. Thanks so much for sharing our work!

      Delete
  30. Do you have to sand the piece of furniture prior to painting? Thanks and beautiful work!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Natalie! I did not sand this nightstand before painting it. I did give it a really good cleaning first though!

      Delete
  31. Thank you, first step by step I could understand, the pics really helped. I have a piece I painted completely, how would you suggest I proceed with distressing? should I strip and start over or sand and work with what I have?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad the pictures were helpful! I'm a visual learner too. You could very easily work with what you have. It will depend on how distressed you want your piece to look. If you're going for a lightly distressed piece, I would simply take your sandpaper along the edges of your piece. If you want a similar look to this piece you would need to sand your existing paint finish so you have some original wood grain to work with. Hope that helps!

      Delete
  32. Hi, how did you "finish" this? Did you sand after you painted? Did you apply wax?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This piece was sealed with Gator Hide from Dixie Belle Paint. I LOVE these $3 blue applicator sponges I reference here: https://www.thirtyeighthstreet.com/2017/01/best-furniture-painting-products-tools.html You can reuse them over and over and they are the BEST for applying top coats!

      Delete
  33. Hi, I really enjoyed reading this article. The link to the black paint doesn't seem to be working - can you let me know which type you used, please? Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  34. This is absolutely beautiful! I love your technique! I have a cabinet I am going to do this on and I’m excited and nervous too. Lol! How long do you wait between applying first and second coats? And how long do you wait before starting the wet distressing?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Adrianne! Oh, yay! I'm glad you found it helpful! I paint the second coat once the first coat is dry. I wet distress as soon as I'm done with my coats! Hope that helps. Good luck with your cabinet project!

      Delete
  35. As an interior designer/ lover of hands-on projects, I have actually used a variation of this method many times. I like to keep several old worn out brushes that have a little accumulated paint left on them. They're stiff in sections, and soft in others, which allows me to create wonderfully distressed paint finishes. Thanks for a great article!

    ReplyDelete