Decapé on furniture is the vintage or antique effect, which is very fashionable today. In addition, it is an excellent way to recycle furniture that is in disuse and give it a new life. The word stripping means removing layers of varnish or paint using sandpaper, heat guns or stripping gel. On the other hand, decapé consists of giving a piece of furniture the air of an aged or worn piece due to the passage of time and use.
They need:
- – Dark color latex paint
- – Light colored latex paint
- – Brush or thick brush
- – coarse sandpaper
- – Fine sandpaper
- – Slightly damp cloth
- – Colorless paste wax or judea bitumen
- – Dry cloth
Steps to follow to achieve a pickled piece of furniture:
1. Prepare the furniture: whether it is used or new, the wood must be prepared for the decapé effect. If it is painted or varnished, that layer must be removed by sanding it. Do not apply any sealing product, since the intention is that the bottom will appear easily when stripping. Remove the dust generated by sanding using a slightly damp cloth.
2. Choose the background color: In general, a dark color such as brown or black is chosen, but it can also be other shades such as red, blue or intense violet. If the furniture is made of dark wood, this step is not necessary. Otherwise, apply a layer of the dark paint.
3. Paint the furniture the desired color: Once the bottom layer has dried, paint the furniture in the desired color. In general, light colors such as white, cream or an aqua green are used. In this step you have to give two coats of paint.
4. Remove paint with sandpaper: this is where the magic happens and the worn effect of the furniture is achieved. Before starting, check that the paint is dry. Then, sand in the places where a piece of furniture usually wears, for example, in the moldings, the edges, the corners, the profiles of the legs (if it has them). It is advisable to use a medium grain sandpaper, since if it is very coarse it can damage the piece. The appearance should be as natural as possible, for which it is better to do it patiently and try little by little until the desired finish is achieved.
5. Sand to a smooth finish: this step will help to achieve homogeneity in the furniture. It is necessary to use fine grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge to smooth the edges of the places where the paint has been removed.
6. Apply a patina or decorative paint: to protect the piece of furniture, it must be patinated with a layer of judea wax or bitumen. You can choose the neutral option or opt for a color that gives the desired aged look even more. Also, if you want, you can apply some kind of decorative paint before patina. Use a dry, lint-free cloth or brush to perform this step.
Decapé is a technique used to hide old and peeling paint on a piece of furniture, to hide defects in the wood or to give a different style to a piece of furniture that originally turns out to be very simple. It does not require precision techniques and is very easy to achieve. To convert our furniture!
Sources:
How to make a pickled piece of furniture
Stripped furniture with a vintage, antique or rustic look
How to make shabby technique
The best way to recover your old furniture is stripping furniture or chalk paint
How to decorate with stripped furniture
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