Achieve a Naturally Aged Finish With This Sanding Technique

If you would like to transform your dull, dated, stained solid wood furniture into a beautiful, old world piece that looks like it’s been handed down through the family for a hundred years, read on.   I’m about to share with you how you can achieve a naturally aged finished look with a simple sanding technique.

Old world furniture has been sought after for decades.  Furniture retailers like Arhaus, Restoration Hardware, and Crate & Barrel specialize in it.  They design and finish furniture to appear as though it’s a hundred years old by adding layers of paints, stains, and glazes only to distress them back to give a newer piece of furniture an aged appearance.  They’re beautiful and I absolutely love them, but they’re also very pricey.

Would you like to know an easier, less expensive, and more realistic looking way to achieve the look of aged wood without any of those products?

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know I’ve been in love with naturally-aged finishes lately.  It’s quickly becoming my trademark finish and I jump at the chance to create it on solid wood furniture.  And while it may seem as though it just requires sanding, there’s so much more to it!

Because of this proprietary design finish though, I’ve decided to include the “how-to” in an ebook.  

The ebook includes:

• the very specific type of furniture to look for to create a naturally-aged finish and those to avoid
• how to identify real wood vs. MDF and veneers
• a step-by-step guide on how to achieve this naturally-aged look
• the best protective topcoat for this naturally-aged finish that will not discolor the wood

This 19-page ebook is only $7.00 and available for immediate download.

Here are the “before” and “after” photos for you…

And here it is in its naturally aged glory…

This sideboard started off with a dull brown stain covered in layers of polyurethane which was a  rather flat finish that appeared dated (and not in a good way).  Don’t you think?

There’s a difference between dated furniture and aged furniture.  Unlike dated, furniture, aged furniture becomes more beautiful over time.  Aged furniture tells a story of the generations of families that used it for decades.

The aged furniture will look as though the finish has worn away unevenly from naturally rubbing up against it.  That’s why the stain still remains in the crevices.

Notice the color variations and how the stain is still settled in the crevices.

So how do you achieve this naturally aged appearance without adding layers of paint, stains and glazes? Get the details here….

Absolutely gorgeous isn’t it!  Not only is it much more durable than a painted surface, there are natural color variations (heavier in the crevices) without the hassle of multiple layers of stain and glaze.  Trust me I know as this this 7-layer stained dresser and this driftwood dining table each took two weeks to achieve their finishes.

Not every piece of furniture needs to be painted, nor should it be.  As a matter of fact, natural wood can be even more beautiful (and durable) than a painted or stained finish and will last decades longer!  And as you can see, it is possible to achieve a naturally aged finish on furniture that’s only a few years old.

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links to products I use myself and love.