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.