$\"Hooker$

Hooker Furniture Living Room Keepsake Event Recliner features a frame that looks a tad weathered<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Faux finishes are growing more and more popular each year. Exotic and bland <\/em>finishes have been around for hundreds, even thousands of years. Most of the techniques even date all the way back to the ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures though the best pieces are those crafted by the Renaissance Italians. The Italians were the ones who mastered faux art in the form of stone, wood and metal pieces. Even the most discerning eyes were fooled then. It was in the mid 1900s when European and American craftsmen made the most awesome interior paint effects in both cottage and palatial homes.<\/p>\n

The last century and a half didn\u2019t show a lot of new faux art. It was just a few decades ago when specialty paint finishes are being rediscovered. This spelled the availability of faux finishes to everyone. In essence, anyone who can hold a paintbrush can already do the work as there is no limitation to what you can now glaze or paint in your home.<\/p>\n

Kinds of Faux Finishes <\/strong><\/p>\n

The first one is known as the antiqued <\/em>finish. This is the repro of old, weathered look with the use of paint which was specifically manufactured for faux finish purposes. Each mixture of crackle medium, base paint and surface material produces a different result. You can also experiment if you want to achieve a particular color or look.<\/p>\n

If you want to achieve this look on a new piece, then try painting the piece with milk paint. This is paint made from clay, natural pigments, lime and milk casein. It is natural so it\u2019s safe to use. It offers a powdery look which can be seen often in many genuine antique pieces.<\/p>\n

The next kind is the distressed antique <\/em>finish. When distressing a piece of furniture, whether a cabinet or a chair, you need to take a good look at the furniture. See how the corners and rungs have been worn or how they have lost their finish. More often than not, repeated handling and touching can wear off the finish. Dings and scuff marks can also happen.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t go shopping for new hardware if you want to achieve this look. You can actually use any tool to mimic the look of a worn out piece. Look for an old canvas bag, fill it up with bolts then beat up <\/em>your furniture. The bruises and dents you achieve will surely look authentic, you\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n

Adding effects is easier if you use a semi-transparent paint glaze right over the base coat. There are different results that you can achieve with the glazing effect. You can have it removed by sponging, ragging or combing.<\/p>\n

Apply glaze on base coat using different implements in order to create patterns and textures. You can also let the glaze dry partially before you wipe it off for a rubbed <\/em>effect. This should resemble a parchment which is great for rustic interiors. Dilute the glaze for color wash then apply with brush.<\/p>\n

Another faux finish is called combing<\/em>. This makes use of the teeth of comb. You can create straight, wavy or zigzag lines according to your preference. All you have to do is to drag the comb through the glaze to achieve a textured effect.<\/p>\n

Ragging<\/em> means using bunched up, lint-free rags. Apply the second coat right over the base.<\/p>\n

Sponging <\/em>makes use of natural sea sponge in applying the glaze on top of the base coat. Other effects like wood graining<\/em> can be quite challenging. There are also techniques that combine several techniques using brush and different work details.<\/p>\n

Lastly, there\u2019s gilding<\/em>. This is an easy way to add drama or character to accessories in your home. Use metallic colors such as gold, silver or copper leaf and what you achieve is an instant heirloom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"