How to Achieve an Antique, Layered Paint Look

Looking for that old, chippy painted look? This tutorial will show you how to achieve an antique, layered effect even on new furniture.

how to achieve an authentic looking antique, layered paint effect - step by step tutorial with easy to follow instructions | maisondepax.com

If you’ve followed me for any time at all, you know that I love juxtaposition – the fancy, former-English-teacher (aka super nerdy) word for contrasts. 😉  I like to combine  traditional rugs with unfinished tree trunks for side tables or clean line leather couches with delicate tufted upholstered chairs. I paired a gilded mirror in our recent bathroom makeover with a rustic iron and reclaimed wood towel rack. And I love the contrast of my formal, elegant pieces like the antique dining set I inherited from my great grandmother and simple, rustic pieces like the boot box I built last fall.

lovely neutral home and dining room | maisondepax.com

Sometimes, those wonderfully aged pieces come to you – through inheritance, antique stores, or the side of the road… But other times, either for budget or size reasons, you want to make one yourself. To give something that antique, chippy, layered paint look.

how to achieve an authentic looking antique, layered paint effect - step by step tutorial with easy to follow instructions | maisondepax.com

Before we get into the details, let me say just a few things. First, I was obviously working with completely raw wood (since I built the box from scratch… you can get the building plans here if you’re interested). I will be giving instructions accordingly, but if you are starting with an already finished piece, you can just skip the staining step. However, remember that paint adheres differently depending on the finish your piece has. Be prepared for more or less chipping depending on your piece. Now, without further ado…

Materials:

Step 1: Distressing
Beat it up. Use your hammer, wood chisel, or whatever to cut gauges, make dents, and wear it out. Think logically… Where would an old piece of furniture be most damaged? Where would it get kicked? Dinged? Cut out a chunk or two if it seems appropriate. Have fun.

how to achieve an authentic looking antique, layered paint effect - step by step tutorial with easy to follow instructions | maisondepax.com

Step 2: Stain
Stain the entire piece. Old wood is rarely light colored; it darkens with age, so when you distress the final layers, you want a darker wood to show through. If desired, stain the damaged places a little darker than the rest; this will draw attention to the nicks and character.

Step 3: Wax
Using your candle, rub places where the paint would logically wear off. Where would people touch the piece often? Where would feet or other pieces of furniture bump against it? Where did you bang it up? Paint would probably chip off on those places. Wherever you put the wax is where the paint will likely crack and chip, so think logically. I also waxed over some knots in the wood for added texture to the final product. Then, using some soft wax on a rag, wipe some larger sections. Keep the wax layer very thin; think of it more as an oil to provide a messier spot for the paint to chip or crack. I used this inside the box where firewood would have almost destroyed the paint and in a few sections on the side where oil from people’s hands might have broken down the paint.

use candle wax (a tea light works great!) and soft furniture wax to achieve a layered, chippy, antique painted look | maisondepax.com

Step 4: Layer #1
Mix a very small amount of your darker color (I used one sample bag of artissimo) and paint it randomly. Let dry.

Step 5: Layer #2
Once the dark paint is dry, use your tea light and soft wax again haphazardly on the dark blue paint. Remember, where you layer the wax, your blue paint should show through to the final product. Next, using the same cup you used to mix your dark paint, mix your white paint. This should create a very light blue color. Paint the entire piece. If you opt to leave any portion of the piece unpainted, be sure to protect it with paper and tape; the milk paint over the wax can be kind of drippy sometimes.

layering different colors of milk paint can create an authentic, chippy, antique look | maisondepax.com

Step 6: Layer #3
Repeat the waxing in various places. Again, remember to look for logical wear spots. Finally, in a clean cup (mason jars work great, by the way, because you can close the lid to shake the paint), mix your pure white paint. Paint the entire piece. Note that while the coverage of the last coat should be pretty solid (it should not be streaky blue and white), it will likely have unpainted nicks (which is perfect!) and will already be cracking in some places.

layering different colors of milk paint can create an authentic, chippy, antique look | maisondepax.com

Step 7: Exposing Layers
Using your putty knife, scrape gently over the entire piece, allowing the paint to chip off where it chooses. Next, using a fine grain sandpaper (start with the finest you have), sand those places where you remember putting wax. If you forget, just wing it. 😉  You should begin to see the various layers – dark wood, dark blue, light blue – all appearing in different places. If you are not getting enough variation with the fine sandpaper, move up to a rougher grade. The thing to watch out for is that you don’t make it look like it’s been sanded off. You want it to look like it has naturally worn or chipped off. Feel free to take the hammer, screwdriver, or wood chisel to it again, as well.

layering different colors of milk paint can create an authentic, chippy, antique look | maisondepax.com

Step 8: Finishing
Using a soft furniture wax, give the entire piece a good clear coat when you are happy with the look. Allow the wax to dry and cure according to instructions before you use the piece.

how to achieve an authentic looking antique, layered paint effect - step by step tutorial with easy to follow instructions | maisondepax.com

And there it is: a chipped, layered, authentic looking rustic antique paint job. Would I rather have the real thing? Sure. But sometimes you need a piece a certain size or function, and it’s not always easy to find it… I love this as an alternative. And for what it’s worth, it sounds like a lot of steps, I know. But it’s more of an art than a science, and it only took me a few hours. The slowest part is waiting for the layers to dry in between.

how to achieve an authentic looking antique, layered paint effect - step by step tutorial with easy to follow instructions | maisondepax.com

What do you think? Any questions? Don’t hesitate to ask. Happy painting. 🙂

pin it image

how to achieve an authentic looking antique, layered paint effect - step by step tutorial with easy to follow instructions | maisondepax.com

MORE DIY DECOR PROJECTS:

DIY Trumeau Mirror tutorial: step by step instructions on how to build your own | maisondepax.com

Fabulous step-by-step tutorial at maisondepax.com

Easiest tutorial ever for converting regular curtains into blackout curtains with NO SEWING at maisondepax.com

Similar Posts

22 Comments

  1. Marvelous job! It looks completely old & authentic! Do you know if this technique only works with chalk paint? (Was wondering if the same effect would work with the smaller bottles of craft paint if I tried it out on a child’s cupboard.)
    Thank you SO MUCH for the paint tutorial!!!

    1. Thank you, Gloria! I actually used milk paint, which has a very different nature than chalk paint, latex, or acrylic… but the principle still applies: different colors of paint with some kind of resist (like candle wax or oil) between them will give you a layered affect. Milk paint tends to chip off rather than rub off like the others, so it has a slightly different look, but you could definitely try with craft paint and see what happens. Hope this helps! 🙂

    2. Thanks for the info. On a side note, what is on that beautiful floor you have? Love to copy it.
      Thanks in advance.
      Amanda

  2. I loved this when you first posted it, and your tutorial now is great! It is a fantastic piece – awesome job!!

  3. Thank you so much! I’ve been painting and distressing things for years. But couldn’t get the “chippy” look. And too many people claim to have a tutorial for “chippy paint” when it’s really just sanding/distressing. Not the same look as paint that is chipping off. Can’t wait to try this! 🙂

    1. Thanks, I’m aware. 🙂 It’s a play on my last name (and, of course, the Latin word), rather than a literal translation of the French.

  4. How long do you wait after staining the wood, until you paint? And is there a secret to keeping the stain from bleeding thru and turning the paint an off color? Thank you.

    1. It’s been a couple of years since I did this, but as I remember it, I just followed the drying time instructions on the can of stain, and I never had any trouble with the stain bleeding into the paint. I hope this helps!

  5. Wow, I’m super happy with your clear explanation! Been trying forever to get it just right. This is exactly what I want to achieve on my old cabinet. Saved it to my Pinterest board right away.. Thanks a million for sharing!

  6. Do you have the approximate measurements of the finished project when you made the wood box. Love it! Thank you

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *