What is Distressed Leather?

Distressed leather is any type of leather that has been treated to age the appearance of the leather while not weakening the overall integrity of the product. There are a number of different methods used to distress leather clothing and upholstery. Often, the goal is to give newly produced products a weathered and broken in quality that is sometime more appealing to consumers.

The use of distressed leather is common with many different types of items. Accessories like gloves, belts, wallets and hand bags are sometimes aged using one or more distressing methods. A jacket or coat, along with other clothing such a leather pants and vests, are often aged to make the leather more supple without causing the material to weaken. Even leather furniture may be distressed, as the look and feel of the aged leather on a couch, sofa, or chair is often considered inviting.

While treating leather products is often conducted at home, there are manufacturers who offer new clothing and other products with distressed leather. While techniques vary, the leather is usually treated with a thin coating of some type of alcohol based agent, then subjected to a series of steps aimed at creating wrinkles and creases in the grain. This pre-distressed leather may also undergo treatments that effectively scrape the material to lighten the color in random areas.

Distressed leather products are often considered more visually appealing than pristine leather products. For this reason, vendors are normally able to sell items made with distressed leather for a higher price than leather that is in a pristine condition. However, consumers can choose to get around the higher price tag by choosing to distress their leather goods at home.

One benefit to this approach is the owner can control how much or little artificial wear and tear the leather product undergoes. For example, an upholstered sofa could be sprayed with a small amount of rubbing alcohol, then lightly scrubbed by hand with sandpaper. The finished look of the distressed leather can have an almost antique look, or make the sofa appear to have been in the family for no more than a few years.
Distressing leather clothes such as jackets or pants can also be a lot of fun. As with the leather on a sofa, the garment is sprayed with a thin layer of rubbing alcohol. The garment is then crumpled into a ball, smoothed out, then crumpled repeatedly. Using an action that is similar to kneading bread dough, it is possible to work in a number of creases and lines in the body of the leather. If desired, sandpaper can also be used to age the leather further.

What is Distressed Furniture?

Distressed furniture is newer pieces of furniture that have been conditioned to have the appearance of older pieces that have seen a moderate amount of use. The process for distressing furniture often depends on the style, the amount of distressing that is desired, and whether the piece is painted or stained. Just about any type of wooden furniture can be distressed with relative ease. Even painted furnishings made of metal can be distressed using a couple of specific methods.

The simplest way to create distressed furniture is to make use of small grain sandpaper. With brand new pieces that are sporting an original coat of paint, it is necessary to apply another coat. Painting furniture with another coat of a different color makes it possible to prepare the piece for distressing. Once the new coat is dry, use the sandpaper to gently thin the topcoat around the angles and any carvings in the piece. The idea is to allow the underlying coat to peek through the topcoat here and there, as if the paint were time worn.

The same basic approach can be applied to stained and varnished wood furniture as well. However, instead of painting furniture with a new topcoat, the object is to use steel wool or sandpaper to gently rub away some of the finish at strategic locations around the piece. For example, if the piece has a beveled lip around the surface, that is an ideal place to apply a light sanding and provide an aged look. Carved legs also offer excellent opportunities to use the steel wool or sandpaper to gently age the look of the piece.

Another way to create distressed furniture is to use lengths of chain that are several different sizes. This idea works especially well with wooden pieces such as dining tables, wardrobes, and coffee tables. To create the look of years of accumulated nicks and dents in the surface of the wood, use the length of chain like a whip and strike the surface of the wood. This action will leave small marks in the grain and give the new furniture an appearance of having seen many years of use. The dings can be filled in with stain, which will help to enhance the overall aged look.

It is important to note that in addition to knowing how to distress furniture, it is also a good idea to know when a particular piece is a good candidate for distressing. If the newly produced furniture is styled after furnishings from several decades back, it will probably look natural to distress the piece. However, if the design of the furniture is of more recent vintage, distressing the piece is likely to look artificial and out of place.

Distressed furniture can create a warm feeling in a room by conveying a sense of continuity with the past. However, care must be taken to not overdo the treatment. The idea with distressed furniture is to create a look that appears to be from years of loving use, not the appearance of a piece of furniture that has been greatly abused.

Distressed Wood Photo Backdrop

I love using texture in my photos. Whether it be a rough burlap fabric or a distressed piece of wood, it adds so much depth and character to an image. And for those of us who aren’t blessed with a beautiful rustic wood tabletop, we have to resort to drastic measures.

Or not so drastic ones.

My first attempt at a distressed wood background involved getting a long piece of beadboard cut into 2′ lengths, gluing them together, and then painting it white. It worked, but I didn’t love the double grooves of the beadboard. They were too strong and took away focus from the subject. I wanted something a bit more subtle.

On our next trip to the home improvement store, I scoped out some better materials. Lucky for us we went to a different store than our regular one, and there I found some “Pine Board Scants” or “Craft Boards” (signs were conflicting – I don’t know what they were actually called). Basically, it is a 3 1/2″ wide board like normal lumber, but it is only 1/4″ thick. And since my puny little arms are going to have to lift this thing on a regular basis, thinner boards were exactly what I was looking for. They had a variety of different widths, so you could get wider or thinner boards based on your preference. I found these particular boards at Lowes. Home Depot (at least the one we usually go to) didn’t have anything comparable.

This same process can definitely be done with standard 3/4″ thick wood, but your final product will be a lot more bulky, especially if you do the double layer for a reversible background.

For this specific background you will need twelve 3.5″ wide, 2′ long boards, plus two 2.5″ wide boards to make a perfect square. Arrange half of the boards in one direction, and tape in place. I wanted a very small but still distinguishable gap between the boards, the tape helped keep it in place while I glued.

Next, lay the other half of the boards in the opposite direction, gluing in place with wood glue, carefully positioning boards so the gaps are to your liking. Careful not to put too much glue, you don’t want it to ooze through the gabs (or, er, glue it to your floor…)

When the boards are glued in place, put a flat, heavy weight (like an upside down coffee table or a whole lot of books) on top and let dry overnight. You could also use wood clamps if you have them, but basically you just want something that will hold the pieces firmly together until the glue is dry.

Now it’s ready to paint!
For my paint, I simply picked up a few sample containers of paint. $2/a piece, and more than enough paint to cover my little 2×2′ background. One sort of a medium greenish brown color (called Truffle), white, and then two shades of turquoise. My plan was to make use of both sides of the board, have one painted basic white, and the other a pretty bright turquoise.

I wanted the wood to look old, not new. Old wood is dark, and I wanted some of that darkness to show through.

Start by watering down your brown paint. I used probably 50/50 water to paint. But I suggest (and this is what I did) testing your finishes first. I started with the end board, since I knew it wouldn’t show too much in the photographs, and then when I was happy with that finish I repeated the same process for the rest of the board.

Water down your paint, and then brush a coat onto each board, one a time. You want full coverage with this layer. Then take a cloth or paper towel and, while the paint is still wet, wipe it off. This will make the paint act more like a stain than a paint. You can see that the overall color is darker, but the wood grain still shows through. Let this layer dry completely before continuing (or if you’re impatient like me, grab the hair dryer).

Next, time for color. I decided to use two shades of turquoise for added depth. I started with the darker one. Using a fairly dry brush, lightly brush on the color. You don’t want a ton of paint on your brush; spotty coverage and missed spots are good. Brush strokes are good. Rough is good. Move quickly, and don’t overthink it. You can always add more paint, but you can’t take it off. Again, let this layer dry completely.

You can then add the second shade if you have one. I used a lighter turquoise, and you can see the difference between the 1st coat and the second. Similar technique, again, you don’t want a solid coat, you want some of that dark brown wood and the darker turquoise underneath to show through.

When all was done and dry, my board had a bit too much sheen to it (samples only came in satin, not eggshell or flat). Easy fix, I just took some fine grain sandpaper to it to dull and further roughen the finish. You can see the final result in the kumquat picture above.

Initially, the plan was to repeat the same process on the back but paint it white. But I was kind of digging the dark stain all by itself, and decided to leave it that way… at least for now. Who knows, I may come back later and continue with the white. Or I may just make a second one altogether.
And there you have it! For about $40, you have a portable, reversible wood backdrop for your photos! Spiffy!

How to Paint Distressed Wood corollary on Furniture

If you have a piece of furniture which you want to turn into a piece with a distress wood effect, then you can effect these steps here. Instead of buying an old which is a very old piece of furniture which may have signs of cracks and have issues with losing functionality, you can create a distressed look yourself. They look great in any decor which needs a touch of the elegant French or other European feel to add character to the room or home.

Here’s how to create the distressed stop on wood furniture.

Furniture

1. If the wood has been painted over previously, sand the wood lightly so that the new paint (later) to adhere properly.

How to Paint Distressed Wood corollary on Furniture 

 

2. Wear protection glasses before you begin, and fill an old pillowcase with nuts and bolts, and use this to pound areas of the wood to creates dents. You can create a small whole or many areas of dents according to the look that you want.

3. Use a chisel and gradually chisel away a few dents to the furniture on the surfaces as well as on some edges. Alternatively, you can use a hammer and lightly hit the wood with the edge of the hammer to create these indents. Don’t overdo these dents, but create just sufficient to give you the look you want.

4. Apply a coat of paint to the whole piece and allow to dry. The color is up to you and many population use creams, beiges, and white, including the translucent finishes which will allow the character of the wood to show through.

5. Once dried, sand areas of the face and edges with sandpaper to create areas of weathering on the wood according to your preference. If you use fine paper, the effect will be subtle, but if you use a rougher paper, then you can create some fine lines if you so wish.

6. Finally, apply a layer of wood stain or varnish. Just check with that this is compatible with the paint that you have used. Ask the store handyman expert on paints and varnishes if you are unsure.

So as you can see, you can institution any of these steps to create the type and whole of weathering and distress in the wood as suits the piece of furniture and your taste. Distressed stop on wood furniture can create a French romantic feel to your room or home, or a feel of European elegance, especially when combined with wall art. When you add these touches to your home, you can create a unique feel that will impress yourself and your guests.