Should we say distressed wood is like ripped jeans? You like its worn-out appearance that is appealing to the eye. Similarly, distressed furniture is the roughed-up look that draws attention! It's just the attractiveness of beauty undone. It's funny how we love something that looks like it's been through a lot and has built character along the way.

To comprehend distressed furniture, one needs first to understand its meaning. Distressing is the creative work of art that intends to make the furniture appear aged and older. Therefore, the furniture item carries a weathered look. It is a method that involves a refinishing technique, although it does quite the opposite.

Many pieces of antique furniturecome with a distressed look, further adding to their character. A distressed look doesn't suit everyone's liking however, if this is your style, then we suggest you read further.

How to select Distressed Furniture

Distressed furniture comes in different styles. If you want to make the perfect selection your home deserves, then start with the imperfections. Look for wood that comes with cracks, checks, and knots, among other ‘flaws’ for visual interest.

It’s interesting to note the type of marks created to make new wood look old. Below are some examples of the flaw marks introduced to, let's say, a new wooden board in the pursuit of adding character to the timber.

• Dents The board is hit by a hammer repeatedly with a short length of chain, creating dent marks.
• Cracks - Crack or split marks are produced by hammering the top of the grain mark at the end of the board. The hammer is used to hit a painter's tool placed on top of the grain mark.
• End-grain damage - End-grain damage is meant to create a v-shaped gouge at the end of the board. The painter's tool is tapped along the board's edge to pry up a section of the wood.
• Hatchet marks – Here, a masonry chisel is used along the edges of the board. More hatchet marks are aggressively applied if a hand-hewn look is desired.
• Rounded edges – A wooden rasp is used to cut the edges of the wooden board and smoothened down. If hatchet marks are present, then less pressure is applied around them to avoid eliminating their look.
• Wormholes – A concentrated series of holes are drilled using either a tiny drill bit or a 3mm Dremel rotary tool.
• Worm trails – Worm trails are set along a line but sparingly to attain a more natural look. An engraving or cutting bit is used to draw short tracks on the surface of the board.

Are you an antique furniture lover?

At East Connection, we love to offer you the best from our furniture collections. It all depends on the type of furniture you want for your home. The other factor is which type of furniture is suitable for your home. If you want a, peek into our antique and rustic distressed furniture collections, head over to our website.

We promise you won't be disappointed with what you see! Right from vintage hand-carved furniture to sandblasted and embossed styles, we have the furniture works or art waiting to adorn your home.