Antiques have always been valuedprofessionals and amateurs. Furniture imbued with the spirit of the past, as if preserving the emotions and feelings of generations, fills the house with indescribable charm. But what if the purchase of an expensive thing makes a hole in the family budget? You can make antique furniture with your own hands.
"Modern Antiques" is suchthe furniture will become a real decoration of the interior and will emphasize the taste of the owner. There are many ways to create "modern antiques". Some of them are complicated and only a professional can use them, while others can be handled by a child under the careful guidance of parents. The main thing is to choose your own way of creating an interior item and follow the recommendations. And, of course, decide which antique new thing will fit into the interior.
Getting to know the technique of brashing
Most often, wood is artificially aged.furniture. Thanks to modern techniques and materials, amazing similarities can be achieved. After relatively short manipulations, a cabinet or table will look as if it has served more than one generation of the family.
Figure 1.Wood processed using the brushing technique is ideal for decorating interiors in the Provence and country styles. Not only furniture can be processed in this way. Floors, ceiling beams, wall panels - these decorative elements will help to perfectly recreate a stylized interior. Aged, untreated wood will perfectly complement rooms decorated in the Provence and country styles. It harmonizes with forged elements, plants in rough massive tubs. Wood aged using the brushing technique can be used to decorate living rooms, bedrooms, terraces. It will emphasize the status and taste of the owners of the house. Brushing (from the English brush - "brush") is a method of processing wood. It consists of removing soft fibers with a metal brush and painting in a dark color (optional). As a rule, the surface is varnished, which significantly extends the life of the surface. This technique can be used to process both small and large pieces of furniture (Fig. 1). The following types of wood are suitable for brushing: pine, oak, larch, ash, walnut. Solid pear, cherry and exotic wood species cannot be processed. The surface of the board or furniture is processed with a metal brush. At this time, the softening and removal of soft layers occurs. Characteristic grooves-depressions appear on the solid wood. After removing dust and fiber residues, the surface of the table or cabinet is covered with a protective compound of a dark shade and almost immediately erased from the protruding parts-ridges. This achieves the effect of natural darkening of the depressions and the "antiquity" literally appears before your eyes. Then the tabletop is varnished and the original antique furniture is put into operation. Return to the table of contents</a>
From antiquity to antiques
In the process of brushing from the top layerwood, all soft fibers are removed. So, let's say you have a table, quite outdated, but quite reliable. You don't want to use it in its previous form, but its shape or childhood memories do not allow you to part with it. With the help of brushing, you can turn it into a real work of art. For work you will need:
- sandpaper;
- metal brush;
- dark stain stain;
- furniture varnish.
At the first stage, it is advisable to disassemble the furniture.Of course, you can process it in assembled form, but there is a risk that hard-to-reach places will give away that you created this antique with your own hands. The table is disassembled, it must be carefully processed with sandpaper to completely remove the old varnish or paint. If the tabletop is covered with veneer, it must be removed and make sure that the solid wood is suitable for the brushing technique. Then you can take a metal brush in your hands and begin processing the surfaces. You should move along the fibers, applying significant force. Soft fibers should stick out and separate. It is most convenient to process the furniture, keeping a dry clean rag at hand to remove shavings, fibers and dust with it. After the desired depth of the grooves is achieved, you can move on to the next stage.
Figure 2.A new table treated with the brushing technique looks like an object of venerable age. Having put on a respirator and gloves, you need to cover the surface with a layer of stain of a dark shade and immediately remove the excess with a sponge. It is important not to press the sponge too hard against the tabletop so that the stain from the grooves is not absorbed into it. You can cover it several times - until the desired degree of "antiquity" is achieved. After the stain is absorbed and dries, the finished antique table can be varnished. If you do not like the gloss, you can leave the furniture as is. It is important to carefully work out all the elements of the table, the legs, joints and even the lower part of the tabletop. Nothing should give away the true age of the original piece of furniture. After drying, the table can be assembled (Fig. 2). This technology can be used to artificially age not only finished pieces of furniture. From boards processed in this way, you can make a unique table. Return to contents</a>
Staining under the antiquity
Figure 3.Furniture finished with contrasting, loose paint is ideal for a chippy chic interior. If your favorite furniture is not suitable for brushing, you can use another technique. Contrasting, loose paint will literally breathe new life into your favorite piece of furniture. This technique can be used to paint tables, benches, and cabinets. But chests, shelves, and various dressers painted in this way look the most interesting and organic. You will need:
- sandpaper;
- primer;
- brush;
- matte paint;
- roller.
For such a transformation you can usealmost any paint with a matte finish. The main thing is that it is not bright, as if washed out. But the best paint is for walls and ceilings of living spaces. First of all, you need to prepare the furniture. Remove all the fittings from it. If the surface is polished, remove the coating with a special product from a hardware store. If the solid wood is not processed, it must be thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt accumulated over the years of use. This can be done with sandpaper and soapy water. After processing, let the furniture dry.
Gilding will make any furniture worthy of the mostluxurious interior. After that, carefully dip the roller into the paint and start covering the surface of the table or cabinet. It is better to start from an inconspicuous place, this will allow you to understand the intricacies of the process. Apply the paint with wide, even strokes, avoiding the formation of drips. Pay special attention to the corners. After the first layer dries, repeat the manipulations. The base is ready, you can choose the desired type of aging and start working.
Furniture decorated in this way will fit perfectly into a shabby chic interior. Return to contents</a>
Original and simple ideas
If you don’t like any of themsuggested methods of alteration, it makes sense to search further or try to combine techniques, and then, perhaps, another method will appear on how to qualitatively decorate furniture in an antique style. For example, you can process the array with a metal brush, as in the brushing technique. After that, dip the brush in white glossy paint and, wiping it almost dry, paint the ridges, leaving the furrows dark. Additionally, the result can be fixed with furniture varnish. Or you can make a table in an antique style in another way. To do this, a not too outdated item needs to be painted in a dark color using the technique suggested above. And after it dries completely, apply a golden web to it. This is easy to do, just dip a soft sponge into golden paint and transfer it to the tabletop with light patting movements. After drying, cover the surface with varnish. There are many ways to preserve your dear furniture and give it a chance for a new life. You just have to want it. There is nothing complicated in such aging, but there is a huge scope for creativity. And outdated furniture will turn into an amazing cabinet or a magnificent antique table. But the main thing is - memories and finances will be saved.
