Distressed Furniture Ideas for a Relaxed, Stylish Home

With the continued craze for farmhouse style, distressed furniture remains a top choice for adding charm and character to any space. While it’s a staple in farmhouse decor, distressed pieces also blend beautifully with boho, eclectic, and rustic styles.

Distressed Furniture

We’re sharing inspiring ideas and beautiful examples of distressed furniture to help you bring that cozy, timeworn charm into your own home.

 

White Distressed Furniture

Cabinets, sideboards and dressers are really easy to distress

White distressed furniture is one of the most popular of all colors. Consider this white painted cabinet. It has an opaque finish with uniform areas of wear overall. The style and hardware of this cabinet make this the perfect piece for a rustic country or beach setting. Further, this piece works well for decorating a house with children as the weathered look makes it more durable against wear and tear.

Dark Distressed Furniture

Black distressed furniture
Miss Mustard Seed

The blogger Miss Mustard Seed shows us how to distress a dresser with paint and a hemp oil finish. While you can experiment with different top coats, hemp oil can achieve a finish that has depth and does not get cloudy over time. Notice that the distressing is subtle on this piece but that is all you need to create depth on the dresser.

Adding Paint To A Natural Piece

Adjust your distressing technique according to the design and structure of the piece you're transforming
Wood is not the only material that you can distress so don't stop there

These pieces are an example of furniture with a natural finish. Unlike other distressed pieces, there is just a slight weathering on these cabinets. There is paint added around small details like at the edges of the louvered doors or at the edges of glass doors. Again, these pieces would look right at home in a rustic or beach space.

It's easy to get carried away when distressing furniture or accent pieces so check your progress regularly

This is a beautiful example of a weathered light. It has an aged white finish with a rustic rope style hanger. The final result is a light that will bring a warm texture to any room.

Distressed Colored Furniture

Some old furniture pieces are worth preserving and in such a case a worn look suits them best
Something completely new can be made to look old if the right techniques are used

We love the look of this dining room set with the round dining table and the dining chairs and the side tables that have touches of turquoise blue. Distressed turquoise furniture is a favorite with many because this color adds bright interest to the distressed piece and balances the overall neutral room designs where distressed furniture is popular.

Distressed Desk

A few little rough spots are enough to offer character to an already beautiful piece of furniture

This desk has a classic shabby chic style. This style incorporates pieces that have a comfortable look that would look at home in a cottage. Look at the details of this desk. It is distressed on the outside with painted floral details on the inside.

Distressed Painted Furniture

When distressing furniture, it's important to know where and how to use sandpaper to get an authentic look

This furniture has a two tone style that is common in distressed furniture. Notice the white painting on the chairs and the bottom of the table and the dark stained top of the table. This gives the set a rustic tone that works well in farmhouse style.

Distressed Bedroom Furniture

If your furniture piece has carved details then just lightly sand those spots to reveal some of the paint or finish underneath

A restful vibe in a bedroom is important for good sleep and relaxation. Distressed beds look their best with big comfy pillows and blankets that don’t look perfect. Together, they create the perfect undone look.

Not everything has to be distressed if you want to create a shabby chic decor

Light blue like turquoise is a popular color for aged furniture. Many people find light blue more approachable than turquoise or teal distressed furniture. However, it still brings some colorful interest to a neutral space.